JEDDAH, 6 July 2005 — We hear of eating disorders, but we find them puzzling and difficult to understand as well as the behavior of the person afflicted. Why is she not eating? Why does she look starved? Great big eyes overwhelm a withered angular physiognomy; a skinny body carrying bony arms and legs and a flat-chested body; in reality, a youthless youth.
I say “she” because eating disorders mostly afflict very young females who fear physical criticism or compare themselves with their beautiful slim peers, models, and actresses on the screen and in magazines.
What are eating disorders?
Anorexia nervosa and anorexia bulimia are the two most common and widely known. Due to physical self-consciousness or dissatisfaction with one’s physique, the sufferer abstains from eating or goes into bouts of overeating. Bulimia is defined by overeating followed by a feeling of guilt that prompts vomiting; anorexia is abstinence from food, resulting in a substantially diminished appetite.
Both behaviors cause nutrient deficiencies that lead to physiological and psychological decline, requiring force-feeding and both medical and psychiatric intervention. Treatment includes force-feeding at regular intervals, sometimes administering drugs to achieve compliance, and the application of ‘behavior therapy’ of rewards and privileges. Often treating such cases requires tranquilizers, sedatives, or anti-depressants along with a carbohydrate-rich diet and nutrient supplements.
Nutrient deficiency is a consequence of eating disorders and vice-versa. Studies indicate that zinc deficiency is associated with appetite loss in children; it is also the case with anorexic patients.
Researchers are more and more convinced that the disorder is caused by both zinc and essential oil deficiencies. The symptoms of anorexia are almost identical to those of zinc deficiency. These can range from appetite and weight loss, nausea, and nutrient malabsorption to hormonal imbalance (period loss, male impotence, diabetes, skin problems), mental confusion, and depression.
Those who are most at risk are females under 25 years, mostly pubescent and overstressed out. High zinc supplements are needed to improve digestion and protein and other nutrient assimilation along with aggressive feeding in order to improve appetite and weight gain. Another problem resulting from zinc deficiency is intestinal lining damage that leads to insufficient nutrient absorption.
A supplementation of zinc (45 mg) can prompt body weight to increase substantially. Improving zinc blood levels lifts the spirits, regulates menstruation and growth in teenagers, and restores mental, emotional, and physical health.
Psychological and emotional issues during adolescence can influence eating habits of persons vulnerable to disorders. With food abstinence and zinc insufficiency, menstruation, breast and body development and sexual hormones can become inhibited, resulting in the alteration of brain biochemicals.
Zinc, a fundamental mineral for many body functions and systems, is essential for normal growth, healing, hormonal balance (infertility), nervous system, bones and teeth growth, hair health, energy supply, and the brain development of a fetus. A rich source of zinc (milligrams per 100 grams) is oysters (148.7 mg); gingerroot (6.8 mg) and these follow, lamb (5.3 mg), pecan nuts (4.5 mg), Brazil nuts (4.2 mg), dry split peas (4.2 mg), egg yolk (3.5 mg), whole grains like wheat, oats, and rye (3.2 mg), peanuts (3.2 mg), almonds (3.1 mg), haddock (1.7 mg), green peas, shrimp (1.5 mg), and turnips (1.2 mg). To increase zinc uptake, the body needs stomach acid, vitamins A, E, and B6, magnesium, calcium, and phosphorus. Beware of zinc robbers such as excess sugar, high calcium, and low copper and protein intake, phytates in unsoaked and uncooked grains and legumes, and oxalates in beet greens and spinach. Alcohol, too, inhibits zinc absorption. High zinc supplements are not known to bring on side effects even with long-term use.
However, high dosage of supplements should be closely watched by a physician. Psychological issues should be treated by an experienced psychotherapist to control physical, emotional, and mental damage due to anorexia and help restore normal physiological and psychological development of young sufferers.
Minimal imbalances or deficiencies in nutrients can cause havoc to various body systems, resulting in physiological, psychological and emotional disorders. Youngsters should be physically nourished and emotionally nurtured in order to develop into competent, balanced, and productive members of society.
