Psychological Anorexia and Bulimic Anorexia: Consequences of Anorexia Nervosa

Anorexia nervosa, from Latin anorexia nervosa, is therefore an increasingly common medical and social problem. It is estimated that in Poland there is also a psychological basis for its development, but also a fairly significant influence on the trend popularized by the media of promoting a slim, even colloquially speaking, skin condition. Interestingly, not only women, as is commonly believed, but men as well. The risk of developing it is also estimated to be 0.0 to 1.8% of the population of girls aged < 18 years.

Among the spectrum of eating disorders, a distinct variant of anorexia—referred to as psychogenic eating disorder—emerges, which, despite sharing certain superficial similarities with the conventional clinical presentation, lacks the core diagnostic features, most notably the pathological fear of weight gain and menstrual dysfunction. Individuals affected by this condition, while fully cognizant of their slender physique, remain incapable of discontinuing self-imposed dietary restrictions, thereby perpetuating a sustained loss of body mass. A striking epidemiological observation is the markedly higher prevalence of this disorder among males compared to females, representing a reversal of the typical gender distribution seen in classical anorexia nervosa. Both sexes experience weight reduction, yet the underlying motivations and desired outcomes diverge significantly: in boys and young men, the pursuit of a so-called "masculine physique"—characterized by a narrow waist, broad shoulders, and minimized hips—predominates, whereas girls prioritize attaining the lowest possible body mass indices regardless of health repercussions. Epidemiological data suggest that this atypical anorexia variant primarily affects prepubertal boys (ages 14–15) and young adult men (ages 18–19), with a disproportionately higher incidence observed among sexual minorities, particularly homosexual males. Within male populations, comorbid conditions frequently coexist, including bigorexia (commonly termed the "Adonis complex"), manifesting as compulsive striving for muscular perfection through excessive physical exertion, and orthorexia—an obsessive preoccupation with perceived "healthy" eating that leads to the exclusion of entire food categories deemed subjectively harmful.

Anorexia nervosa with bulimic features constitutes a clinically distinct yet underrecognized variant of eating disorders characterized by the coexistence of anorectic and bulimic symptomatology. Individuals affected by this condition experience cyclical patterns of severe caloric restriction interspersed with recurrent episodes of binge eating—during which they consume unusually large quantities of food while perceiving a loss of control—followed by compensatory behaviors such as self-induced vomiting, laxative abuse, excessive exercise, or other purging methods. While some theoretical frameworks suggest this pattern may represent a physiological counterresponse to prolonged starvation, its precise etiopathology remains an active area of scientific inquiry. The disorder predominantly affects adolescent girls and young women during critical developmental stages (notably between ages 12–15 and 18–21), a phenomenon potentially linked to hormonal fluctuations, sociocultural pressures regarding body image, and psychological challenges associated with accepting physical maturation—including apprehension about adulthood and its accompanying responsibilities.

As a result of chronic disease-related hunger, there are many complications in the body, including heart failure, nausea, constipation and simultaneous abdominal pain, impaired tolerance to exercise and temperature, as well as depression. It should be noted that very often menstruation is stopped in girls, and there is infertility in both sexes, and the same after the end of the reproductive system. Unfortunately, heart failure and congestive heart failure often occur, hypotension, and as a result, cardiac arrest, which leads to an increase in heart rate.