What Damage Does Anorexia Nervosa Cause To The Body?

Being severely underweight and malnourished long-term can do a lot of harm to the body.

Cardiac stress, as evinced by slow heart rate and hypotension (too low blood pressure). Starving people lose muscle mass, and the heart is a muscle like any other. Damage to the heart is what ultimately killed the singer (and anorexia sufferer) Karen Carpenter.

Reduction in immune system function, anorexics are much more prone to all kinds of infections.

Endocrine (hormonal) disorders. Anorexics often don't menstruate. This disrupts the mechanisms for calcium storage in bones and may lead to loss of bone density (thus increased risk of osteoporosis later in life). Bone density in the western world women usually reaches its peak during adolescence, the same age when anorexia is most common.

Electrolyte levels in the body are disturbed. This can lead to kidney damage in the long run.

Nerve deterioration occurs in the most severe cases, as manifested by problems in mobility.

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