Starvation Mode And Anorexia Nervosa
How Does Starvation Affect The Body?

Starvation mode triggers complex changes in the body and mind. Understanding the effects of starvation, and how the body responds is critical in the treatment of anorexia and other eating disorders.

Most of us are probably aware that the term starvation mode refers to the body's response to long periods of malnutrition.

It can be thought of as a kind of protection mechanism -- protecting vital organs such as the heart and the brain from atrophy (shrinkage) for as long as possible.

With self starvation or severe malnutrition in anorexia nervosa, the body will eventually burn its fat reserves for energy.

An added complication is that muscle mass begins to deteriorate, and creates a condition known as muscle atrophy.

But, there's more...

Starvation Mode - Understanding Starvation Symptoms

What are starvation symptoms?

In studies at the University Of Wisconsin-Madison (Carlson, 2001), it was discovered that several anorexic behaviors -- such as food obsessions (or phobias), exercise addiction, and emotional issues -- are not a result of psychiatric conditions or mental illnesses.

Instead, they are actually symptoms of starvation, and the body's way of adapting to its starvation mode. This is especially true in cases of anorexia nervosa, whether or not the person has already been diagnosed.

In the 1940's, scientist Ancel Keys became "famous" for his study on the physiological and psychological effects of starvation. It was observed that people in starvation mode often become obsessively preoccupied with thoughts of finding, preparing and eating food.

In turn, this can lead to impulsive behaviors such as bingeing, stealing or hoarding food. The potential is there for a therapist to misinterpret these actions as obsessive compulsive disorder symptoms, depression, or even impulse control disorder.

If a doctor or therapist suspects severe starvation in a patient, it is extremely beneficial if they also acknowledge how starvation affects human thoughts and actions. If this is overlooked, there may be a risk of misinterpreting certain behaviors as core psychiatric conditions, when they are actually symptoms of an eating disorder.

This could result in the behaviors being treated as mental illnesses (a "band-aid effect"), while the eating disorder itself is allowed to manifest and spiral out of control.

Starvation Mode - Personality Traits Of Anorexics

It's interesting to note that starvation induces many different thought and behavior patterns. Families often notice that when a loved one is suffering from an eating disorder, their personalities can be dramatically affected. You may have heard the term, "anorexic personality".

They might become rude, sarcastic, avoidant, quiet, or any number of other things. Personality traits such as perfectionism and emotional sensitivity can be either brought on, or enhanced by the effects of starvation.

Other starvation symptoms might include:

• Low heart rate (bradycardia)
• Constipation - lazy bowel syndrome
• Lanugo
• Bloating
• Early satiety (feeling full after only small amounts of food)

Some of these conditions are also overlapping symptoms of other illnesses. It's a tough balancing act for physicians and therapists to come to the correct diagnosis, but it is essential if one is to get out of starvation mode, and begin the road to anorexia recovery.

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