Girls with anorexia nervosa may be stunted and not reach their full height potential.
- The adult height of anorexic patients is significantly shorter than expected compared to the genetic potential calculated according to the average of the heights of the mother and the father of the patient.
- Height alteration is a marker of other complications of anorexia nervosa affecting a person’s overall health in several aspects: bone health, cognitive function, and problems with pregnancy and childbirth later in life.
- This pathology affects approximately 1.5% of the French female population between 15 and 35 years old.
Anorexia is a disease that leads to many implications on the body. In addition to excessive weight loss, it also has consequences on the height of people with this pathology according to a study conducted by Israeli researchers. They published their results in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
Altered height, a marker of anorexia nervosa complications
To better understand the effects of anorexia nervosa in adolescence on health in adulthood, scientists studied the evolution of the growth of 255 patients hospitalized between the 1er January 2000 and May 31, 2015. The results revealed that the height of the patients in adulthood is lower than expected. Their adult height is significantly shorter than expected compared to the genetic potential calculated according to the average of the heights of the patient’s mother and father. These results reveal the importance of rapid management of anorexia in young girls. “Our results highlight the importance of early and intensive intervention aimed at normalizing body weight, which can lead to improved growth and allow patients to reach their full height potential.”, abounds the main author of the study, Dalit Modan-Mose.
This study reveals the implications of anorexia which does not only affect the weight of the patients concerned. “We suggest that height impairment is a marker of other complications of anorexia nervosa affecting a person’s overall health in several aspects: bone health, cognitive function, and problems with pregnancy and childbirth later in life. . Early diagnosis and treatment could prevent, or minimize, the risk of these complicationsbelieves Modan-Moses. This study may have implications for the management of malnutrition in adolescents with other chronic conditions to achieve optimal adult height and optimal bone health..”
A disturbed body image
Anorexia nervosa is a condition in which a person voluntarily loses an unhealthy amount of weight. This can be done through dieting, sometimes with excessive exercise, overeating, and purging behaviors. People with anorexia nervosa have an intense fear of gaining weight and a disturbed body image, such as thinking they are fat even when very underweight. This pathology affects approximately 1.5% of the French female population between the ages of 15 and 35, according to Inserm figures.
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