Bone density is affected when the female with AN ceases to have her menstrual period. AN causes a decrease in the production of reproductive hormones. Girls with AN stop menstruating due to the lack of nutrition in their bodies, which places them at risk for infertility. When a female menstruates, certain hormones are released that allow calcium to be deposited into bones. Therefore, when the individual with AN stops having her period, calcium depletion causes bones to become porous and susceptible to fractures and breaks in the short term. In the long-term, it causes severe bone loss and risk of osteoporosis. AN also affects the digestive system. Metabolism is slowed down to conserve food and energy and the digestive process is often disrupted resulting in severe bloating and severe constipation.
In order to be diagnosed with AN, patients need to report distorted body image or deny the seriousness of their current low body weight. They place undue influence of body weight or shape on their self-evaluation and have an intense fear of weight gain. Individuals with AN almost always perceive themselves as being much heavier than they actually are in terms of their body size and body shape. This misperception inevitably leads to the fear of gaining weight; a fear that is so intense, the restriction of food or purging behaviors are maintained and supported inexorably.
There are many hypotheses about the cause of AN. There is a growing consensus by professionals that there is probably not a single basis for the development of this disorder, but rather a combination of factors that contribute to the onset of the illness. Family and cultural influences, genetic, biological, and medical factors, psychological characteristics, and infections have all been identified as possible causes and contributors to the onset and maintenance of this disorder. AN is therefore considered to be particularly difficult to treat due to the uncertainty of the underlying cause or causes of the illness. The treatment is complicated and often long-term. Mental health professionals recognize the need for a successful treatment plan since self-starvation has become a growing epidemic in western society. Unfortunately, to date no treatment has been recognized unequivocally as being highly effective in the treatment of this illness.
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