Eating disorders are not a rarity these days. They are, in fact, much too common for comfort. Some indulge in binge eating, some are anorexics while others are compulsive eaters. Interestingly, all these disorders have their roots in the mental health of people. Themedguru delves deeper into eating disorders.
Binge Eating
People occasionally find themselves incapable of resisting a second helping, but when this becomes habitual, it signals a binge eating disorder. Binge eating disorder is not gender specific. It affects both men and women equally, and usually begins in late adolescence or early adulthood, often after a major diet.
For binge eaters, food is a way to cope with stress and negative emotions such as insecurity. While eating temporarily numbs the feeling, the guilt of having overeaten hits one later.
A binge eater will eat as if he can’t help it. Though the sufferers desperately want to stop doing this, they cannot. It is compulsive eating. Despite feeling miserable for having done so, a binge eater will do practically nothing to compensate, such as fast, purge or exercise.
According to information with the National Institutes of Health, two percent of all American adults suffer from compulsive overeating. This makes binge eating disorder more common than bulimia or anorexia.
Anorexia Nervosa
This disorder is characterized by extreme and unhealthy dieting, resulting in significant weight loss. But no matter how thin they get, anorexics persist in believing they are fat. This gets dangerous when they feel fat even when they are underweight.
Apparently, scales and reality are not visible to them. All they see is a chronically negative body image. In extreme cases, sufferers who are painfully thin will point out “problem areas” on the body, where they think they need to lose weight. Anorexics close to death will show you on their bodies where they feel they need to lose weight.
Trying harder with each passing day, anorexics will avoid food and taking in calories at all costs, sometimes resulting in death.
They are also perfectionists who have high expectations from themselves. They are also overly critical of themselves and tend to put other’s needs ahead of their own.
Symptoms: Following are just a few of the major symptoms, among a host of others:
• Noticeable weight loss
• Fatigue and muscle weakness
• Obsession with food, calories, recipes
• Complaining of being "too fat", even when thin
• Guilt or shame about eating
• Depressiondefine, irritability, mood swings
• Evidence of vomiting, laxative abuse, diet pills or diuretics to control weight
• Feelings of self worth determined by what is or is not eaten
• No known physical illness that would explain weight loss
Bulimia Nervosa
Bulimia refers to a cycle of binge eating followed by purging in an attempt to rid the body of unwanted calories. A binge is different for all individuals. Purging methods usually involve vomiting and laxative abuse. Other forms of purging can involve excessive exercise, fasting, use of diuretics, diet pills and enemas.
Symptoms: A few of the major symptoms are:
• Binge eating
• Vomiting
• Laxative, diet pill or diuretic abuse
• Swollen glands
• Broken blood vessels
• Fear of not being able to stop eating voluntarily
• Avoidance of restaurants, planned meals or social events
It’s All in the Mind
When looking at eating disorders, it has to be understood that the disorder and the associated weight, or lack of it, is a manifestation of a much deeper problem.
A faulty relationship with food is developed over years, right from childhood. People end up becoming adults having the notion that eating, being an enjoyable activity, suppresses negativity. They get addicted and eat to anesthetize themselves against whatever stress they may be going through.
Typically, people who suffer from such disorders are insecure (though they may put up a braver front). Besides having self-esteem, they also do not have a clue about how to process some of the negativity that is inevitable in life.
Slowly, they need to be told that everyone has problems and they are not responsible for the unpleasantness. A broken home, a bad marriage, a difficult boss are not reflections of your abilities. They are just circumstances.
No amount of medication will work if sufferers of eating disorders fail to work on their minds and stop comparing themselves to others.
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