Starvation is a condition caused by the sudden or gradual lack of food. Symptoms of starvation can occur shortly after food is first denied, but may progress at different rates depending on how quickly the victim is removed from all sources of nutrition. Some symptoms of starvation are visible, while others are internal. Starvation can occur both voluntarily, as in extreme weight-loss diets, or involuntarily, such as through abuse or a simple unavailability of food.
Often, the first symptoms of starvation are digestive in nature. A person or animal suddenly denied food will feel extremely ravenous for several days, but then slowly be able to ignore the feeling to some degree. Pain in the stomach often quickly develops, then can turn into digestive and waste-related syndromes such as severe and painful constipation followed by uncontrollable diarrhea. Early symptoms of starvation include faintness, weakness, and dizziness. Thirst may also rapidly increase.
Symptoms of starvation tend to become more visible of time. Fat cells in the face and around the eyes tend to dissipate rapidly, giving the victim a sunken or hollowed appearance. Coordination may decrease, and simple tasks may become difficult. The body slowly becomes emaciated, though the feet and hands may swell with retained water, causing edemas. A starving person or animal may feel increased sensations of cold, as body temperature begins to drop rapidly with prolonged starvation.
Internally, symptoms of starvation begin wreaking havoc on the bodily systems. Blood level drops, and severe anemia or iron-deficiency begins to occur. The body works to protect its most vital organs by devouring fat and muscle stores to help support heart and brain function. Mental function decreases throughout the process as the brain is continually deprived of necessary nutrients.
As the condition progresses toward fatality, mental symptoms become more extreme. Many victims fall into a chronic listlessness, unable to move even for basic bodily needs. Some begin to have vivid hallucinations and suffer confusion, vertigo, and vivid dreams. Some ritual starvation is undertaken to achieve these visions, but the starving person must quickly return to care and food quickly to avoid death.
Victims who die of starvation-related causes usually do so by going into cardiac arrest. When the heart can no longer support itself on the body's resources, it has no choice but to cease functioning. Some victims fall into a coma for several days before this occurs.
Starvation is a prolonged and brutal death, marked with extreme discomfort and loss of functions throughout. Even those who undertake the process voluntarily, so as to lose weight or as part of a political statement, may suffer permanent organ damage or harm to the metabolism. If a person or animal appears to be suffering enforced starvation due to abuse or lack of resources, it is important to alert welfare authorities as quickly as possible. Those in advanced stages of the condition cannot simply return to normal eating, but must be guided back toward health by medical professionals.
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suntan12
Post 4 |
Oasis - I think that going to a support group like Weight Watchers is also helpful because you see likeminded people that talk about their successes and struggles with compulsive eating.
They also keep their members accountable my having them weigh in weekly. Even lifetime members that have met their goal have to be weighed in. |
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oasis11
Post 3 |
BrickBack - I agree that it is sad when girls feel this way. I also wanted to say that many people suffer from compulsive eating and often seek compulsive eating disorder treatment in order to help them with their attitudes about food. Often people with compulsive eating problems tend to eat out either for entertainment reasons or to fill a desperate need. Sometimes these people eat because of stress and anxiety or other times it is a result of sadness and loneliness. The food acts a quick pick me up but afterward the person general feels guilty which leads to more feelings of worthlessness. This causes a cycle of overeating that will not be corrected until the person addresses the source of their problem. Once they identify why they are choosing food when they feel a certain way a cognitive behavioral psychologist should be able to address this issues and offer alternatives to the behavior. They will often have the patient keep a journal in order for the patient to see the connection between his feelings and his behavior. The therapist might also suggest an activity that will not allow the patient to eat when they feel the urge. The therapist might tell the patient to exercise or taking up a hobby like painting which requires enormous concentration so that they can think about something other than food. |
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BrickBack
Post 2 |
Crispety - I think that the causes of eating disorders begin with the preoccupation to be perfect.
Young girls see women in magazines and then idolize these pictures and make them the ideal female form. What they don’t realize is that these women have been touched up through an editorial process and really do not look like that and of the models that are very thin, most are not healthy.
I also think that the parents habits and the way they feel about their own weight is also important. If a mother is constantly dieting and is not overweight, this can send a signal to her daughter that she might also need to lose a few pounds as well.
Young girls especially in their teens are very impressionable and many think that if they had the idealized body that they desired their life would be better in all aspects which really are not true. |
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Crispety
Post 1 |
I know that sometimes people develop eat disorders which use starvation methods in order to obtain an idealized weight.
The problem is that the person that is suffering from these eating disorder symptoms does have a distorted view of themselves and will likely never see themselves in an accurate way unless they seek professional help.
It is because of these distortions that seemingly thin women determine that they are overweight and most resort to dieting and extreme exercising in order to lose weight.
Some people develop binge eating disorders in which they vomit after they eat. Bulimics tend to have guilt associated with the food but they desire it so much that they indulge and then purge.
This disorder can also tear the lining of the throat, cause permanent heart damage, tooth decay, and even death. |
