i need a full description and explanation of these two things?

Question

i need to know what exactly happens to your metabolism when your anarexic or bullimemic..does it increase/decrease? you know the whole science of how these two disease causes thinness..earlier this year i posted a question about a friend who i think is bullimic and i thought she stopped but im not so sure anymore! so if any of you have ever experienced it or know about it all then let me know all the symptons and why your body starts to loose weight..cuz i thought your metabolism slows down when you dont eat? i need to get my facts straight..i went to couple of sites but didnt find what i was looking for..also do u recover completely from these diseases?back to the overweight size?my friend has lost drastic weight.she sayz ever since she started working out but the thing is i work out with her and i haven't lost weight so fast. i started workin out with her to make her stop her eatin disorder a month back by confrontin her..she said she would stop..but i dont think she did..Thanx

Answer 1

Ok, you have many questions in this question....I will do my best to answer them all.

PART 1: weight loss/metabolism
In a sad way, it's like cannibalism---the body will feast on itself, causing muscle atrophy. Anorexia deprives the body of protein and prevents the normal metabolism of fat. In an effort to protect itself, the body slows down. Though in starvation mode, people with anorexia continue to lose weight as muscle deteriorates and they lose bone density (due to loss of bone calcium). Even when in this mode one's body will continue to have some (limited) capacity to metabolize, and will therefore burn some calories.

PART 2: Symptoms
Bulimia:
1. Recurrent episodes of binge eating.
A. An episode of binge eating is characterized by both of the following:
1. Eating, in a discrete period of time (e.g., within any 2-hour period), an amount of food that is definitely larger than most people would eat during a similar period of time and under similar circumstances.
2. A sense of lack of control over eating during the episode (e.g., a feeling that one cannot stop eating or control what or how much one is eating).
B. Recurrent inappropriate compensatory behavior in order to prevent weight gain, such as self-induced vomiting; misuse of laxatives, diuretics, enemas, or other medications; fasting; or excessive exercise.
C. The binge eating and inappropriate compensatory behaviors both occur, on average, at least twice a week for 3 months.
D. Self-evaluation is unduly influenced by body shape and weight.

Anorexia:
1. Refusal to maintain body weight at or above a minimally normal weight for age and height (e.g., weight loss leading to maintenance of body weight less than 85% of that expected; or failure to make expected weight gain during period of growth, leading to body weight less than 85% of that expected).
2. Intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat, even though underweight.
3. Disturbance in the way in which one's body weight or shape is experienced, undue influence of body weight or shape on self-evaluation, or denial of the seriousness of the current low body weight.
4. In postmenarcheal females (the absence of at least three consecutive menstrual cycles.

PART 3: Full recovery
It is ABSOLTELY possible for her to be fully recovered and "normal" again. If severely underweight, she will undergo weight restoration. Generally, during this re-feeding process, the weight goes first to the vital organs, and therefore she may gain more in her stomach area at first (people often complain of feeling like an ethiopian child.....pooched out belly and super skinny limbs). This is very difficult for many women to tolerate, and your friend will probably feel "fat" and uncomfortable. It never hurts to remind the person that the weight does eventually re-distribute and even out! :) After she has gained back the weight, and worked with a therapist to understand what caused her disorder, she will be able to eat normally and not worry so much about it. The LAST thing to go away is the distorted body image, which can take quite a while.

Hope this helps. She's lucky to have a concerned friend. :)

Good links for info in ED's:
http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org
http://www.edreferral.com
http://www.something-fishy.org/default.php

Answer 2

There are conflicting reports regarding changing metabolisms BUT your metobolism is the one you were born with and it never changes....

Answer 3

http://www.webmd.com/hw/mental_health/hw46499.asp

http://www.webmd.com/hw/health_guide_atoz/ste122058.asp?navbar=hw46499