Does Venus Angelic Have An Eating Disorder?

This blog will answer the question “Does Venus Angelic Have An Eating Disorder?” and also cover topics like who is Venus Angelic, her body dysmorphia, signs, symptoms, causes, treatment, surgery, and frequently asked questions.

Does Venus Angelic Have An Eating Disorder?

No, Venus has explicitly stated that she does not have an eating disorder but she definitely suffers from disordered eating and body dysmorphia-related issues. 

She might have an eating disorder too as she even went through with an illegal weight loss surgery when she was at 53 kilograms of weight. 

Let us explore who she is and discuss various aspects of body dysmorphia. 

Who is Venus Angelic?

A young woman experienced a near-death incident after undergoing weight-loss surgery at the age of 53kg, believing she was fat.

Venus Palermo, 21, who was raised in London but now resides in Japan, claims to have visited more than 50 surgeons worldwide but found just one ready to do the procedure.

The YouTube sensation and “living doll,” also known as “Venus Angelic,” traveled to South Korea for the dramatic treatment, which required stitching a part of her belly and extracting 120cm of her intestine.

According to the Daily Mail, she claims that the operation was a success initially and that she was able to maintain her weight of 53 kg. She kept the operation a secret in order to seem “naturally slender,” but about one year afterwards she became ill and couldn’t eat or drink anything.

Her weight dropped to just over 38 kg as a result of her constant vomiting, and she was brought to the hospital, where doctors feared for her safety and had to drip feed her. Food was getting into the closed-off area of her stomach because the stitches had disintegrated, and she needed immediate surgery to correct her stomach.

Venus has gradually receded from the picture as the human doll craze has evolved into increasingly weird terrain. Her Instagram is still a riot of cuteness, but she’s been wearing simple, non-Loli outfits and wearing minimal makeup. She continues to post videos on a regular basis and is still YouTube’s self-proclaimed “Guru of Cute,” but she is moving away from her world of Purikura cameras and pink clouds and closer to reality.

Body Dysmorphic Disorder or Body Dysmorphia

Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a psychological condition in which you can’t stop worrying about one or more perceived flaws in your appearance, even if they are minor or undetectable to others.

You may, however, avoid a variety of social encounters due to embarrassment, humiliation, or anxiety. When you have a condition, you obsess about your appearance and physical image throughout the day, typically for several hours, checking the mirror, grooming, or seeking reassurance.

Your perceived fault and repetitive actions cause you significant distress and have an impact on your ability to function in daily life.

Symptoms of body dysmorphia

  • Obsessing over a perceived flaw in one’s appearance that isn’t evident to others or appears unimportant to them
  • A deep belief that you will be unsightly or deformed due to a fault in your appearance
  • A fear that others will criticize or ridicule you because of your appearance.
  • Frequent mirror checking, grooming, or skin plucking are examples of difficult-to-control habits aimed at fixing or concealing the perceived defect.
  • concealing perceived flaws with style, makeup, or clothing
  • Constantly comparing yourself to others’ physical appearance
  • On a frequent basis, seeking feedback about your appearance from others
  • Perfectionism is a quality that certain people have.
  • Cosmetic procedures piqued your interest, but you weren’t happy with the results?
  • Keeping social situations to a minimum

If you’re facing this, it may be a good idea to seek the help of a therapist or other mental health professional. You can find a therapist at BetterHelp who can help you learn how to cope and address it.

Obsessive thoughts and repetitive activities, as well as a preoccupation with your appearance, can be undesirable, difficult to control, and time-consuming, producing substantial unhappiness or challenges in your social life, career, education, or other areas of functioning.

One or more parts of your body can become overly focused. It’s possible that the focus of your attention will shift throughout time. The following are the most common features that people fixate over:

  • Complexion, acne, nose shape, wrinkles, face imperfections 
  • Hair, hair thinning, hair fall, hair, and its appearance. 
  • Skin appearance, texture, veins, etc. 
  • Boob size
  • Muscles, muscle tone
  • Genitalia

A preoccupation with your body build that it is too small or not muscular enough (muscle dysmorphia) occurs almost exclusively in males.

Insight about body dysmorphic disorder varies. You may understand that your ideas about your perceived shortcomings are exaggerated or untrue, or you may believe that they are probably accurate, or you may be certain that they are definitely true. The more certain you are in your views, the more hardship and disturbance you may encounter in your life.

When should you go to the doctor for body dysmorphia?

Shame and humiliation over your looks may prevent you from getting therapy for body dysmorphic disorder. However, if you have any indications or symptoms, see your primary care physician or a mental health specialist.

Body dysmorphic disorder seldom improves on its own. If left untreated, it can worsen over time, resulting in anxiety, large medical costs, severe sadness, and even thoughts of suicide and conduct.

What Is the Treatment for Body Dysmorphic Disorder?

BDD treatment will most likely consist of a mix of the following therapies:

Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy is a sort of individual counseling that focuses on modifying a person’s thoughts (cognitive therapy) and behavior (behavioral therapy) in order to help them overcome body dysmorphic disorder. The objective is to rectify the erroneous notion about the condition and reduce obsessive behavior.

Medication

Certain antidepressant drugs known as selective serotonin (SSRIs), as well as antipsychotic medications such as aripiprazole (Abilify), olanzapine (Zyprexa), or pimozide (Orap), are showing promise in the treatment of body dysmorphic disorder (either alone or in combination with an SSRI). There is currently no FDA-approved medication for the treatment of BDD.

Group and/or family therapy

Family support is critical to the effectiveness of treatment. It is critical that members of the family understand and identify the signs and symptoms of body dysmorphic disorder.

Relation between eating disorder and body dysmorphic disorder (BDD)

Many parallels exist between BDD and eating disorders, including poor and skewed body image, lower life quality, compensatory actions such as dieting, and visual processing irregularities. 

Patients with BDD have specific worries about various aspects of their bodies and physical appearances, such as their color, nose, breasts/genitals, and hair. 

However, in patients who have significant weight, body fat, and form issues, the diagnosis of BDD can be problematic since such worries can emerge as a sign of BDD but also coincide with those in disordered eating including anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. 

BDD and eating disorders are frequently comorbid, resulting in much greater rates of suicidality and mental hospitalization than in individuals with either illness alone.

There are some similarities between BDD and eating disorders, and there are also significant differences. Among the parallels are:

  • People suffering from eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia nervosa, as well as those suffering from body dysmorphic disorder, maybe excessively preoccupied with their size, form, weight, or outer appearance.
  • Body dysmorphic disorder patients may even obsess on parts of their bodies that are comparable to anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa fixations, like the waist, hips, and/or thighs.
  • They may also exhibit comparable symptoms such as excessive exercise and body checking (such as regular weighing or mirror “checks”).

According to researchers, up to 12% of persons with body dysmorphic disorder also have anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa.

It is crucial to remember, however, that not every one body dysmorphic disorder also has an eating issue. Some patients with body dysmorphic disorder concentrate only on certain parts of the body (like the shape of their nose). That is not the same as focusing on weight.

A thorough evaluation by a mental health expert, such as a psychologist or psychiatrist, can help determine whether someone has an eating problem, body dysmorphic disorder, or even both.

Conclusion

BDD is a severe, persistent disorder that significantly hinders the individual. Many patients are still unable to attend school or jobs, and instead become homebound, suicidal, or hospitalized. The majority of patients are cautious and will not share their problems until questioned.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Does Venus Angelic Have An Eating Disorder?

What should I say about my body dysmorphia?

Body dysmorphic disorder is a psychological issue in which you can’t stop worrying about one or even more perceived imperfections in your look – a flaw that appears trivial or is invisible to others. However, you may avoid numerous social interactions because you are embarrassed, humiliated, or nervous.

What other disorders are associated with BDD?

People with BDD commonly also suffer from anxiety disorders such as social anxiety disorder, as well as other disorders such as depression, eating disorders, or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). BDD can also be misdiagnosed as one of these disorders because they share similar symptoms.

What is the role of social media in the development of body dysmorphia?

Constant exposure to changed pictures might create an undesirable pressure to obtain unrealistic body types, leading to body dysmorphic behaviors. Social media has grown increasingly perilous, particularly for teenagers, who are predisposed to feelings of insecurity and sadness.

Who suffers from body dysmorphic disorder?

BDD most commonly manifests itself in adolescence and adolescence, and research suggests that it affects men and women virtually equally. BDD affects roughly 2.5 percent of males and 2.2 percent of females in the United States. BDD is most commonly diagnosed in teenagers aged 12 to 13 years old.

Is there an eating disorder?

Eating disorders are classified into three types: anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder. Eating disorders frequently co-occur with other mental conditions, most notably mood and anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and difficulties with alcohol and drugs.

What exactly is an eating disorder?

The DSM-5 says that for Anorexia Nervosa to be diagnosed, the individual must participate in continuous energy intake restriction, have an extreme fear of weight gain, or be participating in a persistent activity that interferes with weight growth, and have a disruption in their own.

References 

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17514080/
https://www.verywellmind.com/body-dysmorphic-disorder-eating-disorders-1138186
https://oxfordmedicine.com/view/10.1093/med/9780190254131.001.0001/med-9780190254131-chapter-36

Was this helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!