Anorexia nervosa is a serious and potentially life-threatening eating disorder. Persons, who struggle with this problem, consciously starve and quickly lose weight. It is one of the most common mental disease among young women. The following article is an introduction to the anorexia issue. It presents a definition of anorexia, its historical background, a discussion about its causes and ways of treatment. The knowledge of anorexia as well as its risk factors is essential to take appropriate measures connected with the help for the ill people. Anorexics, who discern their disease and understand related to it dangers for their health and lives, undergo treatment more willingly. The following text shows recent Polish research and discusses the anorexia problem in this country. This article also presents a controversy over polish Pro-Ana movement.
Anorexia nervosa and bulimia are emotional disorders which are a serious hazard to the physical health or life. They most often affect girls and young women and disorganize their mental and social life. In this paper, complications caused by eating disorders as a result of deficiency or excessive loss of bioelements by an organism are reviewed along their influence on the quality of life. The symptoms of anorexia nervosa are the following: weight loss over 15% of the standard body mass for the age and height, severe fear of body weight gain despite clear evidence of weight deficiency. The main symptoms of bulimia involve uncontrolled overeating and counteracting weight gain which could occur after overeating episodes by self-induced vomitting or overuse of laxatives and diuretics. Medical complications of bulimia are related to the method and frequency of purgation, while in anorexia they are caused by starvation and weight loss. The following deviations are observed in both restrictive and bulimic forms on anorexia: hypokalemia, hypocalcemia, hypophosphatemia and sometimes also hyponatremia, hypomegnesemia and hypochloremic alkalosis. Many electrolytic and acid abnormalities are found in bulimia depending on the method for laxation (self-induced vomitting, misuse of laxatives or diuretics). Most patients adapt well for a relatively long time to low levels of potassium in plasma but sometimes the situation may cause life threatening consequences, like dysrhythmia, paralytic ileus, neuropathy, muscle weakness and paresis. Physicians and patients should understand that anorexia nervosa is a systemic disease and can affect all body organs. Full knowledge about possible complications of anorexia nervosa allows physicians to achieve precise assessment and conduct appropriate treatment of patients when the diagnosis has already been made.
Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency of subclinical symptoms of eating disorders and accompanying factors in the representative group of Polish medical students. Material and Methods: Examination included 1759 students attending five Medical Academies. The symptoms of eating attitudes and behaviour were assessed by using the Eating Attitudes Test 26. The student diets were analysed using the questionnaire with menu score by Starzyńska. Results: 150 (8.5%) of all examined students - 141 women (94%) and 9 men (6%) with evaluated BMI ranges: underweight (20.7%), normal (64%) and overweight (15.3%) were predisposed towards eating disorders. Fear of becoming overweight found the patients permanently thinking of being thinner. Fortunately nearly none of them vomited after meals. Conclusion: Medical students are not protected against the danger of developing nutritional status disturbances. Most students' daily menu was not in accordance with proper nutrition criteria.
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In assessing the meaningful cognitive-behavioural dimensions in anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa the Eating Disorder Inventory Questionnaire plays an important role. In the group of 401 medical students of Jagiellonian University (group I) and 459 pupils (group II) from the secondary schools in Krakow the eight subscales of EDI Questionnaire were performed. The six steps frequency score scale was applied. Mean scores for two compared groups were differentiated in particular subscales: Drive for thinness (3.2 - gr. I / 3.05 - gr. II), Bulimia (1.48 - 1 / 1.27 - II), Body dissatisfaction (7.7 -1 / 6.98 - II), Ineffectiveness ( 3.76 - 1 / 3.27 - II), Perfectionism (4.58 -1 / 4.11 - II), Interpersonal distrust ( 4.46 - 1 / 4.56 - II), Intercepts awareness ( 3.72 - I / 3.35 - II) and Maturity fears ( 5.03 - gr. I / 5.82 - gr. II).
The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and kind of disordered eating attitudes depending on BM1 values among 401 medical students and 459 pupils from secondary schools in Krakow by using the Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI) Questionnaire. Underweight (BMI <18.5kg/m2) was stated in 12.72% of students group (I) and 19.50 % of pupils group (II), normal weight-height proportions in 77.3% (I) and 76.427% (II), overweight and obesity (BMI >25 kg/m2) in 9.98% (I) and 4.08% (II). EDI Questionnaire consists of eight subscales: Drive for thinness, Bulimia, Body dissatisfaction, Ineffectiveness, Perfectionism, Interpersonal distrust, Interceptive awareness and Maturity fears. The level of intensity of improper individual behaviour analysed in Eating Disorders Inventory was not statistically dependent on individual BMI values. The greatest intensity of the problem concerned the following subscales: Body dissatisfaction and Drive for thinness and it concerned overweight women.
The aim of the study was to find out predispositions to eating disorders (ED) such as anorexia and bulimia nervosa in girls between 14-19 years, going to grammar or secondary school. 189 girls were to answer questions of Eating Attitude Test 26 (EAT26) and fill a questionnaire prepared by authors of the study. Both questionnaires were anonymous. 19 girls (10,1%) attained 20 and more points and were qualified as EAT26+ what means predispositions to eating disorders. Body Mass Index (BMI) was used to estimate a state of nutrition. In the group EAT26+ most of the girls (57,9%) presented proper weight-height proportions.
The number of people who suffer from eating disorders is still growing (1). Eating disorders like bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa may alter all people but in most danger are young women and some sportsmen. The aim of presented studies was to gain some information about physical condition and mental life of polish medical students for estimation a range of danger of bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa for them. By using a questionnaire “Woman Self Image and Social Ideals” there were 348 students examined: 181 students of medicine, 77 students of dentistry and 90 nursery students. According this questionnaire underweight students (BMI < 20 kg/m2 accept their physical appearance and none of them feel fat. More important for them are psychological problems than problems with figure. On the contrary, overweight students do not accept own appearance and almost half of them would prefer to be slim but without any restrictive methods like for example induced vomiting or excessive exercises. The other part of questionnaire entitled “My Own Image of Perfect Society” shows that in the opinion of all examined students the most important for people who live in perfect society are: professional competence, professional self-achievement and simultaneously a perfect figure. The last desirable attribute is to make career without any scruples. All results allowed the conclusion, that questionnaired medical students are awaken to the danger of bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa, but social and medical importance of eating disorders call for future research in order to determine groups with particular risk factors of eating disorders.