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Quality of life in population with chronic illness, in the case of anorexia and bulimy.
KORECKÁ, Tereza
This paper deals with eating disorders, especially with mental anorexia and mental bulimia. This topic is very up to date and it is important to pay attention to it especially because those who suffer from eating disorders suffer not only physically but also psychically. It should also be mentioned that they may succumb to the disease. There are many factors influencing the origin and course of the disease. It is mostly social and cultural factors and also biological, family and genetic factors. A higher risk of this disease is in women. It is also important that this illness is fostered by the current fashion trends and the whole life style. Extortionate diets, spring hunger-strikes and purificatory cures can easily become a life style. This chase for health influences especially young school girls who do not have a healthy idea on diets. They slip easily into bad eating habits and the fashionable magazines with skinny models persuade them that they act correctly and that anorexia and bulimia are but frights that one doesn{\crq}t have to be afraid of and if there is someone suffering from it, it shall suffice to start to eat and he/she will be all right again. Yet the health complications triggered by these diseases are significant. They are a consequence of long term hunger, vomitting and use of diuretics and laxatives. Eating disorders may cause chronic fatigue, they deteriorate quality of skin, they cause loss of hair, and harm circulation of blood. The liver disfunction may occur as well as immunodeficiency of the whole organism. Mental anorexia and bulimia influence in a significantly negative way the psychologic well being, personal and social life of the patient. The treatment is very difficult and it should be carried out in a complex way. Cognitiv behavioral therapy, pharmacotherapy and self aid groups are of great importance in this field. The paper aimed at proving that people suffering from these diseases suffer from a worse quality of life as well as their family members. A questionnaire of the SF-36 type was used for the research part.
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