Those experiencing end-stage anorexia present as severely underweight with a BMI of less than 15, are suffering the physical and psychological effects of severe starvation, and require immediate life-saving medical interventions [2]. If left untreated, end-stage anorexia nervosa will often lead to death.
After 3 years, anorexia becomes more difficult to treat, and symptoms may become more serious. That's why early treatment is an important first step. Chronic anorexia is not part of an initial diagnosis. Over time, physicians may change their care approach if they believe anorexia is treatment-resistant.
In very late stages of severe anorexia, the body's organs simply stop working. The first major indications of organ failure are often high blood levels of liver enzymes. To reverse this requires an immediate intake of calories.
Without treatment, people with anorexia face a higher risk for premature death, often due to malnutrition, serious health complications or suicide. 1 in 5 deaths in patients with anorexia is by suicide.
Among patients with anorexia nervosa, primary causes of death include suicide and the direct effects of starvation.
Extreme anorexia is the most serious form of anorexia. It occurs when a person is severely underweight and malnourished from intentionally starving themselves to lower their weight.
The most serious risk of anorexia is death. In fact, about 10% of people with anorexia will die because of their eating disorder [2]. Like we said, anorexia is one of the deadliest mental illnesses. People with anorexia who have died tend to pass away due to starvation, heart problems, or suicide [2].
In males, a BMI of around 13 appears to be fatal. The coefficient of variation (CV) of the BMI is 8.7%. In contrast, females survive to a lower BMI of around 11, although with greater index variability (CV 14%). Several females had BMI's as low as 9 and 10.
There are also different tiers of anorexia based on BMI ranging from mild (<17.5), moderate (16-16.99), and severe (15-15.99), to extreme (<15). A BMI below 13.5 can lead to organ failure, while a BMI below 12 can be life-threatening.
Anorexia Can Increase the Risk of Suicide or Death
Regardless of age, every 1 in 5 anorexia deaths is a result of suicide. Without treatment, up to 20 percent of all eating disorder cases result in death.
It is not uncommon for daily caloric needs of people recovering from anorexia to reach 3,000 to 5,000 daily calories for a sufficient 1/2 pound to 2 pounds per week weight gain until achieving goal weight. This is especially true for adolescents who are still growing and young adults.
If a person with anorexia becomes severely malnourished, every organ in the body can be damaged, including the brain, heart and kidneys. This damage may not be fully reversible, even when the anorexia is under control.
In an older person, the risks are even greater. Anorexia takes a huge toll on every system in the body. In an elderly person, the body is much less resilient in the first place due to the natural process of aging, and therefore, an eating disorder could cause more serious damage and more rapidly.
Self-Starvation Effects
Researchers say we can go about 70 days without food, but that doesn't mean it's healthy [2]. Most people with anorexia struggle with their condition for years as they wax and wane between starving and eating healthfully. Typically, starvation moves in three phases [2]:
1. Anorexia Nervosa. Experts consider anorexia nervosa to be the most deadly of all mental illnesses because it has the highest mortality rate. For this reason, we can consider it the most severe of all eating disorders.
Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a common eating disorder with the highest mortality rate of all psychiatric diseases.
Anorexia nervosa can be fatal.
It has an extremely high death (mortality) rate compared with other mental disorders. People with anorexia are at risk of dying from medical complications associated with starvation.
While many different types of people may have anorexia nervosa, approximately 90% of those afflicted are women. Most individuals with the disorder develop it in late adolescence or early adulthood, though onset may occur earlier or later.
The condition then paled into obscurity until the 19th century. Louis-Victor Marce (1828-1864) described such a patient in 1859, but Richard Morton is generally credited with the first medical description of anorexia nervosa in 1689. Two neurologists in 1873 separately described anorexia nervosa.
Acceptable indications for a patient's admission include the following: weight is less than 75% of ideal body weight, temperature is lower than 35.5°C (95.9°F), heart rate is less than 45 beats/min, systolic blood pressure level is lower than 80 mm Hg, orthostatic change in pulse is higher than 20 beats/min, or ...
Anorexia nervosa typically begins between the ages of 13 and 18. Bulimia nervosa typically begins in late adolescence or early adulthood. Eating disorders can begin at any age, however. If untreated, eating disorders may last for many years.