Health Consequences of Anorexia

According to data published by Kelly Gendall and Cynthia Bulik in a 2005 issue of Current Nutrition
& Food Science, 10% of anorexics remain ill long-term, with 5 to 15% dying as a result of the
disorder. Clearly, anorexia has an adverse effect on health and wellness, aside from the initial effects
of starvation. Death is obviously the most severe result, but other significant harms can occur as
well. Perhaps understanding the following consequences of anorexia will provide motivation to
recover.
Anorexia and Issues with Reproduction and Childbirth
Numerous studies have shown that anorexia has a negative impact on reproductive health and
childbirth. In a 2004 study published in Pediatrics, Misra et al. found that anorexia has a negative
effect on menstruation, either delaying its onset or causing it to undergo hiatus in affected girls.
The problems do not cease to exist if and when menstruation resumes, as past experiences with
anorexia complicate childbirth. Bulik et al. discovered that those with a history of anorexia were
more likely to deliver low birth weight babies, with 20% of previous anorexics delivering premature,
underweight infants, compared to 6% in a control group (as cited in Gendall & Bulik, 2005).
Anorexia is also associated with other problems relating to childbirth, as Frank et al. discovered that
6.1 percent of babies born to mothers with a past incidence of eating disorders had birth defects (as
cited in Gendall &Bulik, 2005). Gendall and Bulik have hypothesized that these "undesirable
outcomes in pregnancy" experienced by woman with a history of anorexia are due to "continuing
symptomatology" of the disorder (p. 88).
Anorexia's Impact on Bone Deterioration and Growth
In addition to complicating the reproductive process, anorexia also contributes to the deterioration
of the bones. Misra et al. found that girls with anorexia had substantial bone loss, particularly in the
spine.
Especially unfortunate is the fact that bone loss may be permanent. Soyka et al. found that following
recovery, bone growth in anorexic girls was poor, while healthy girls experienced rapid bone
growth, suggesting that the decrease in bone density that occurs as a result of anorexia may not be
reversible (as cited in Gendall & Bulik, 2005).
Hematological Complications of Anorexia
Some of the detrimental corollaries of anorexia can be detected through blood work. Misra et al.
found that nearly a quarter of girls with anorexia were anemic, also discovering that approximately
one third of anorexics had low counts of red blood cells.
Low red blood cell counts may pose a problem, but diminished white blood cells counts can create
an even greater issue. The girls in the study conducted by Misra et al. demonstrated reduced white
blood cell counts as well, putting them at increased risk for infection. The longer the illness had
endured, the lower the white blood cell counts were in anorexics.

Because anorexia leads to decreased immunity, as well as other aversive medical situations,
including bone deterioration and complicated childbirth, full recovery is essential. Though anorexics
seldom acknowledge the impact that anorexia has on their health, opening their eyes to the
insalubrious realities of their disorder can perhaps serve to encourage healing.
References:
Gendall, K., & Bulik, C. (2005). The long term biological consequences of anorexia nervosa. Current
Nutrition & Food Science, 1(1), 87-96.
Misra, M., Aggarwal, A., Miller, K., Almazan, C., Worley, M., Soyka, L., Herzog, D., & Klibanski, A.
(2004). Effects of anorexia nervosa on clinical, hematologic, biochemical, and bone density
parameters in community-dwelling adolescent girls. Pediatrics, 114(6), 1574-1583.
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