Eating Disorders
Eating disorders are complex and have one of the highest mortality rates among all emotional disorders. However, with innovative and comprehensive intervention, recovery and management are obtainable. Often times, it is difficult for parents and families to differentiate between routine dieting,
a temporary food fad and a serious eating disorder.
BasicDefinitions:
Anorexia nervosa is self starvation. People with this disorder eat very little even though they are thin. They have an intense and overpowering fear of body fat and weight gain.
Binge eating disorder means eating large amounts of food in a short period of time, usually alone, without being able to stop when full. The overeating or bingeing is often accompanied by feeling out of control and followed by feelings of depression and guilt.
Bulimia nervosa is characterized by cycles of binge eating and purging using extreme means such as vomiting, or taking laxatives or diuretics. People with bulimia have a fear of body fat even though their size and weight may be normal.
Disordered eating refers to troublesome eating behaviors, such as restrictive dieting, bingeing or purging, which occur less frequently or are less severe than those required to meet the full criteria for the diagnosis of an eating disorder.
Compulsive exercising is exercising for long periods of time as a way to burn calories from food that has just been eaten. People with anorexia or bulimia may over exercise.
~Eating Disorders Sourcebook. Second Edition. 2007
Does this sound like you?
- Even though people tell me that I’m thin, I feel fat.
- I get anxious if I can’t exercise more than two hours per day.
- I think of ways to get rid of food, once I have eaten a meal.
- I feel guilty when I eat.
- I would rather die than be fat.
- I would rather eat by myself than with family and friends.
- I weigh myself daily, and obsess about the number on the scale.
- I have a secret stash of food.
- I worry that I might lose control over how much I eat.
- I constantly calculate numbers of fat grams and calories.
- I get anxious when people urge me to eat.
- Sometimes I think food dominates my life.
If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you could be dealing with disordered eating and an unhealthy pre-occupation with your body weight and shape. By not sharing your thoughts with a health care provider, teacher or family member, the emotional and physical toll can be tremendous. Seeking help from a professional with experience in treating eating disorders can provide you with honest feedback about your condition and advice about what to do next.
What causes eating disorders? Parents... the media... genetics?An eating disorder is a treatable illness and its cause is multi-faceted. Parents do not cause eating disorders, but family attitudes can contribute to disordered eating behavior. The popular media has increasingly held the thinner body as the ideal and dieting is now common in girls as young as nine or ten. Twin, family and genetic studies also support the possibility that eating disorders may be due to an imbalance in brain neurotransmitters or hormones.
Keep reading below for articles and resources to help you learn more about eating disorders, body image, and related symptoms:
Basic Facts about Eating Disorders
Anorexia Nervosa
Bulimia Nervosa
Exercise
Binge Eating Disorder
Body Image
