Eating disorders: NHS expert discusses symptoms and advice

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Craig Revel-Horwood is the fearsome Strictly judge that every would-be dancer wants to impress and dreads disappointing. His pantomime villain persona may seem impossible to penetrate but Craig has shown his tender side over the years too. One of the most poignant displays of this side of his personality surfaced when discussing his life-long struggle with anorexia.

In an interview with the MailOnline a couple of years back, the Strictly judge described in detail the events that lead up to his eating disorder.

“I’ve battled food issues since my late teens,” he explained.

Crag continued: “I was quite chubby, so when I started dancing professionally I had to work hard to stay slim.

“This led to a lifelong struggle with anorexia and body dysmorphia.”

Craig added that his “food demons” still bedevil him but “I’m much better at keeping them under control”.

What is anorexia?

Anorexia is an eating disorder and serious mental health condition.

“People who have anorexia try to keep their weight as low as possible by not eating enough food or exercising too much, or both. This can make them very ill because they start to starve,” explains the NHS.

As the health body explains, they often have a distorted image of their bodies, thinking they’re fat even when they’re underweight.

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This is commonly referred to as body dysmorphia.

“Men and women of any age can get anorexia, but it’s most common in young women and typically starts in the mid-teens,” adds the NHS.

What are the symptoms?

According to UK eating disorder charity Beat, some common signs of anorexia include fear of fatness or pursuit of thinness, preoccupation with body weight and a distorted perception of body shape or weight.

Like any eating disorder, anorexia can also have long-term physical effects, some of which may be permanent.

According to Beat, these include:

• Loss of bone density (osteoporosis)
• Erosion of tooth enamel
• Difficulty conceiving, infertility
• Heart problems
• Damage to other organs, such as the kidneys, bowels and liver
• Weakened immune system
• Delayed onset of puberty or stunted growth in children and young teenagers.

“Most seriously, anorexia can be fatal if not treated in time,” warns the charity.

“However, many physical effects of anorexia are reversible or can be prevented from worsening, and eating disorders are treatable, with full recovery possible.”

How to treat anorexia

According to the Mayo Clinic, treatment for anorexia is generally done using a team approach, which includes doctors, mental health professionals and dieticians, all with experience in eating disorders.

According to the health body, the first goal of treatment is getting back to a healthy weight.

“You can’t recover from anorexia without returning to a healthy weight and learning proper nutrition,” it explains.

Those involved in this process may include:

• Your doctor, who can provide medical care and supervise your calorie needs and weight gain
• A psychologist or other mental health professional, who can work with you to develop behavioural strategies to help you return to a healthy weight
• A dietitian, who can offer guidance getting back to regular patterns of eating, including providing specific meal plans and calorie requirements that help you meet your weight goals
• Your family, who will likely be involved in helping you maintain normal eating habits.

“No medications are approved to treat anorexia because none has been found to work very well,” adds the Mayo Clinic.

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