Anorexia ranks as the third most common chronic illness among adolescent females with the average age of onset between 14 and 18 years.

Persons diagnosed with this disorder see themselves as overweight even though they are dangerously thin.  Purging by means of vomiting and abuse of laxatives, enemas, and diuretics occur resulting from an intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat.

Body dissatisfaction, feelings of fatness, and a drive for thinness leads to:

• engaging in intense and compulsive exercise
• repeatedly checking body weight
• dressing in layers to hide weight loss
• spending less time with family and friends
• becoming isolated, withdrawn, and secretive
• having an unrealistic body image perception

Dieting properly should make one’s body stronger; an eating disorder makes the body weaker. 

The process of eating becomes an obsession and unusual habits develop, such as:

• eating only “safe” foods, usually those low in calories and fat
• performing odd rituals, such as cutting food into small pieces
• spending more time playing with food than eating it
• cooking meals for others without eating
• avoiding food and meals
• weighing and portioning food

The body reacts to the lack of food by becoming extremely thin, developing brittle hair and nails, dry skin, lowered pulse rate, cold intolerance, and constipation as well as occasional diarrhea. 

Stress hormones, such as cortisol, are elevated in persons with eating disorders.  At the same time, neurotransmitters, such as serotonin, may not function correctly.  Persons with anorexia usually have clinical depression, and are at risk for suicide.  Approximately 1 in 10 women diagnosed with anorexia will die of starvation, cardiac arrest, or another medical complication, making its death rate among the highest for a psychiatric disease.

T.J. Clark Minerals taken daily help balance out the deficiencies of improper eating habits.

Calcium intake reduces the risk of developing osteoporosis.

Sixty percent of anorexics who, diet to fatal extremes, are Zinc deficient.

Stress increases the need for B vitamins.

Mild anemia, reduced muscle mass, amenorrhea, and joint swelling are symptoms of  an Iron deficiency.

T.J. Clark Minerals help to balance electrolytes in the body.