Without intervention, the consequences of anorexia can be tragic. Prolonged dieting and weight loss leads to severe malnutrition. The body tries to stay alive by going into a hibernation-like state, slowing down to barely survivable levels.
Brain tissue is lost, some permanently.
Bulimia also causes serious health problems. Electrolytes, especially potassium, get dangerously low from frequent purging leading to potentially fatal heart attacks. Repeated vomiting can result in rupturing the esophagus or breaking blood vessels, presenting an emergency that can be life threatening. The psychological complications of an eating disorder, though sometimes slower to surface, can be just as devastating as the physical problems. Rejection by peers and family conflict may be both the cause and the effect of the anorexic's self-destructive eating patterns.