Causes of Undereating
Undereating is caused by a myriad of reasons including mood, biological conditions, and social expectations. The severity of the cause can influence and determine how extreme the condition will be. Negative body image and low self-esteem are leading reasons that many people force themselves to undereat.
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Anorexia Nervosa
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Anorexia Nervosa typically affects girls and women. According to the United States Department of Health and Human Services, 85-95% of the people who have Anorexia Nervosa are female. The disease causes you to become terrified of gaining weight. Food is used as a way to feel in control of life situations and to gain comfort from unwanted emotions like anger, rage, anxiety, and sadness. Typically, if you are challenged by the disease, your weight will be negatively disproportionate to your height. You will think you are fat even if you are thin, and you will avoid reaching or maintaining a normal body weight. The disease can also cause women to miss as many as three menstrual cycles consecutively. Anorexia Nervosa affects your entire body. Signs of the disease include thin or brittle hair, low blood pressure, anemia, low potassium, and dry skin.
Depression
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Depression can cause you to over- or undereat. In fact, a drastic change in appetite is one of the leading symptoms of depression. The disease often exists with other illnesses like diabetes, AIDS, stroke, or cancer, sicknesses that can also affect appetite and cause undereating. The way that you react to the chemical changes that take place in your brain during depression can lead you to undereat. A healthy diet rich with Omega-3 fatty acids can help your brain to produce increased amounts of serotonin, a chemical that positively impacts mood. Nuts, whey protein, spinach, and salmon are good sources of food that help produce serotonin.
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Amphetamines
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Amphetamines are synthetic stimulants that affect your central nervous system. You may feel a jolt of energy after taking the chemicals. They can also increase heart beat and stamina. The American Psychological Association reports that amphetamines can suppress your appetite and cause you to undereat. The drugs suppress appetite for about six hours. Some diet pills use amphetamine compounds, drugs that can produce side effects like heart palpitations, chest pains, and insomnia.
Excessive Dieting
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Continuous dieting can create a dietary habit and lifestyle change that causes undereating. The lifestyle is not as severe as Anorexia Nervosa but can cause you to feel negative emotions if you eat a large meal. Excessive dieters might limit their food intake to two to four types of food, such as fish and rice, and refuse to eat other foods over a specific stretch of time. Excessive dieting can weaken your immune system, unbalance your metabolism, and cause cycles of significant weight gain and loss.
Amyloidosis
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Amyloidosis is a rare disease that affects bodily organs. The illness occurs when amyloid proteins, which are produced by cells in your bone marrow, build up in your bodily organs. Typically, the disease strikes the heart, liver, spleen, nervous system, kidneys, and gastrointestinal tract. Leading symptoms of the disease are undereating and weight loss.
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