How do anorexic people function?

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When I don’t eat enough, I get low blood sugar and I find it hard to concentrate and function enough to do anything. And that’s just from skipping a meal, let alone if I hadn’t eaten for days or was subsisting for years on a very small amount of calories. When I see anorexic people in movies or books, they seem to have enough energy to exercise compulsively, go to school or work, and other things. Is it that their eating disorder gives them anxiety and that makes them more energetic? Or does your body just get used to not eating and functions fine after a while?

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Anonymous 0 Comments

Not well. I think “function” is a bit of a stretch. People with anorexia have trouble focusing, lack energy, and just generally don’t feel good. It’s constant brain fog and lethargy.

They eat just enough to stay upright, because people notice when you faint. Eating disorders are also very similar to addictions. The behaviors, such as working out a lot, are so compulsory that not even being tired will stop them. Those with anorexia who work out a lot will eat enough to keep their blood sugar from dropping so low that they faint. What you see as an energetic person working out is really just an addict getting their fix at any cost.

The body also adjusts. It’s not perfect, but if you go a while without eating that many carbs, your body will get used to that and your blood sugar won’t spike and drop so much. It’s why low carb diets have become so popular. We *can* survive, at least temporarily, on a very small amount of carbs, and carbs are what raise your blood sugar, which eventually drops. The shakiness and sweating that come with low blood sugar is mostly due to the sudden drop of it, not necessarily the fact that it’s low.

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