Malnutrition Secondary to Eating Disorder

Malnutrition Secondary to Eating Disorders
a. Physiological Process
Anorexia nervosa has an effect of practically every organ in the body especially in the major body systems including the endocrine system, reproduction, renal, gastro intestinal cardiovascular and the neurologic systems (Miller & Golden, 2010, p. 111). Anorexia nervosa causes the body to starve and therefore suffer deficient of nutrients that are important for cell function. These nutrients are divided into two categories; the micro-nutrients which include minerals and vitamins and the macronutrients that include fats, proteins and carbohydrates.
Human body cells functionality at the molecular level relies on foods that are rich in micro- and macronutrients. The basic formation of the cell membrane where the basic life functions of the cell take place like enhance of gases, nutrients and growth and developments. Micronutrients enhance generation of energy in the mitochondria, help in development of new DNA and repair worn out cells. Deficient in these nutrients starve the cell and the process of making DNA is alter, repair of old worn out cell and generation of new ones will malfunction and the cell cannot produce enough energy as well cells. Cells are entirely made up of lipids and fats plus other constituents majorly obtained from nutrition (Fichner et al, 2008, p. 578). Deficient in these nutrients causes cells to lose their function and to die and the body starts to be emaciated since as cell are destroyed no new ones and formed to replace them. This is severe malnutrition and the patient has no energy even to work normally.
Karen Carpenter’s death was as a result of cardiac dysfunction and congestive heart failure which is the commonest cause of death in such conditions. As the body gets less and lesser nutrients, it begins to utilize those that were initially stored in the liver and other location even muscles. This is now the extreme pathology of the diseases (Miller & Golden, 2010,...