Anorexic People
How Can You Identify Anorexic People?
Identifying anorexic people may seem like a no-brainer. After all, anorexia is all about losing weight, too much weight, and if a person is skinny, they are suspect. It's really not as simple as that. Some people are slim because of genetics, and may appear to be underweight, but can actually be in good health. Others may have suffered weight loss due to an illness other than anorexia. Even a person who is obviously starving, because they cannot get enough to eat, is not anorexic.
Anorexia is a not a condition brought on by a lack of food to eat, it is a condition in which the person afflicted is making a conscious decision not to eat. You can often tell anorexic people by their behavior, as much as by their body weight. Why would anyone choose to starve themselves, knowing that starvation does not bring with it a happy ending? Anorexic people usually do not look at their situation that way. They do not believe they are starving themselves. Anorexic people believe they are overweight, are in constant fear of becoming fat, and fell a compulsive need to continue to lose weight.
This compulsive behavior is present in the anorexic males and anorexic females, and until they become aware, or convinced, that they are in a downward spiral, they are not apt to do anything about it. Some anorexic people recover fully, others do not, and still others may fight the battle for years, with peaks of successes and valleys of relapses. Many anorexic people go through much of their lives as if nothing were wrong, and in fact, lead very normal lives, at least on the surface. On occasion, a well known celebrity may go public about their experiences in battling anorexia, often to serve as a good role model to others, and often to the total surprise of their friends and acquaintances.
So, what is it you would look for? Obsessive-compulsive behavior is one characteristic, as is a striving for perfection. Loss of weight is of course another, as is a tendency towards illness, infections, and general poor health. The skin may become dry, and hair loss can result if the condition is becoming severe. A telling sign is when the person with the disease is uncomfortable in eating with others, or is unwilling to do so. Anorexic people sometimes try to disguise their condition through the way they dress, dressing in clothing designed to hide their figure. Even when going to that extreme, they may still be in denial that they have the disease. Any one of these characteristics can of course be due to something other than anorexia, but in combination, they do tend to point a finger. If someone you know is anorexic, the best thing you can do is to let them know that you think they are a fine person, and beautiful in your eyes, while at the same time trying to persuade them to get help.