Eating Disorders—Their Types and How to Counter Them

Symptoms of Anorexia Nervosa are diminished body weight, intense fear of gaining weight, feeling fat even when thin, in women, irregularity of the menstrual cycle and in men, reduced libido.

Symptoms of Bulimia Nervosa: Recurrent episodes of intense eating, including eating large amounts of food in a discrete period eating in secret, coupled with a sense of lack of control. Recurrent episodes of purging in order to prevent weight gain, such as:

• Self-induced vomiting

• Misuse of laxatives

• Diuretics

• Enemas

• Fasting

• Excessive exercise

Symptoms of Binge Eating: Recurrent episodes of intense eating, including eating large amounts of food in a discrete period, eating in secret, coupled with a sense of lack of control.

Binge eating episodes associated with some of the following:

• Eating much more rapidly than normal

• Eating until feeling uncomfortably full

• Eating large amounts of food when not feeling physically hungry

• Eating alone because of feeling embarrassed by how much one is eating

• Feeling disgusted with one's self, depressed, and very guilty after overeating

Eating disorders are widespread and can impact people of all ages and sexes, however, commonly affect young women. It is estimated that several million people in the United States suffer from an eating disorder, and the statistics are growing. The number of men with an eating disorder has more than doubled in the last ten years.

Whether a person restricts food intake, binge-eats, binges and purges, abuses laxatives, compulsively overeats, or excessively exercises these behaviors often are symptoms and not the problem. They often develop as a way of coping with emotional pain, conflicts related to separation, low self esteem, depression, stress or trauma.

Causes Of Eating Disorders:

The interplay of several factors can place a person at risk for developing an eating disorder:

• Stressful life situations accompanied by a lack of adequate coping skills

• Sensitivity to changes in life

• Sensitivity to separation from family

• Socio-cultural factors, messages about weight and appearance from the media

• Possible biological predisposition, genetics

• Family dynamics

• Trauma

Just like any other disease or disorder, eating disorder too has many myths that are far from realities. Let’s see some of them.

One of the strongest myths is that you can never fully recover from an eating disorder. However, the reality is that recovery does take a long time, but with hard work and the proper treatment, you can fully recover from your eating disorder.

Moreover, contrary to popular belief (that eating disorders are solely a problem with food), the reality is that with all eating disorders, weight is the focus of life. By focusing on food, weight and calories, a person is able to block out or numb painful feelings and emotions. Some use food as a way to comfort themselves. Eating disorders are not a problem with food. They are in fact only a symptom of underlying problems.

Also, you can always tell someone is anorexic by his or her appearance. Not at all! Not all anorexics look like the extreme cases shown on talk shows, etc. Some anorexics may be anywhere from 5 to 15 lbs. underweight. They look thin, but they do not have what society considers being the "anorexic" look. Just because someone does not look emaciated, does not mean they are not anorexic or that their health is not in danger.

Compulsive eating is a way to cope just like anorexia and bulimia are. A person uses food as a way to comfort or numb him or herself, blocks out feelings and emotions, etc. They are people in emotional pain trying to cope using the only way they know how. Like anorexia and bulimia, they need proper treatment to overcome it. They do not need to be sent to health spas and diet clinics, but a little guidance and counseling can do the job.

Also many people believe that one cannot have more than one eating disorder, but it is seen that many people have more than one eating disorder. It is very common for someone to suffer with more than one eating disorder. That just proves that the eating behaviors are only the symptoms, not the problem.

In sum, when most people hear of someone with an eating disorder they almost automatically assume the person has a problem with food. Eating disorders are not a sign that a person has a problem with food; rather eating disorders are actually only the symptoms of underlying problems in that person's life. With proper treatment, people can fully recover. It has become a great issue these days and afflicts millions of people around the world, and out of those thousands of which are dying every year. But with little carefulness, determinations, hard work and sometimes a minor counseling you can easily beat it. However, recovery takes a considerable amount of time and efforts, but in the end it is all worth it. You will finally be free and you will love yourself.

Some useful resources for Eating Disorders:

National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) is dedicated to expanding public understanding of eating disorders and promoting access to quality treatment for those affected along with support for their families through education, advocacy and research. For more details, visit: http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org

Eating Disorders Association (EDA). Here you will find information and help on all aspects of eating disorders including Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, Binge Eating Disorder and related eating disorders. You can explore the site by using the green buttons on the left or using the list of all the sections on the site including many not listed on the green buttons. However if you have a specific area of interest follow other links given on the site. For more details, visit: http://www.edauk.com

The National Eating Disorder Information Center (NEDIC) is a Toronto-based, non-profit organization, established in 1985 to provide information and resources on eating disorders and weight preoccupation. NEDIC began as a result of the concerted efforts of a group of health-care providers. Based on a national needs-assessment undertaken in 1983 by the Health League of Canada, a proposal was made for initial funding of an information center, which would focus on eating disorders and socio-cultural factors influencing the health-related behavior of women. For more details, visit: http://www.nedic.ca

St. Joseph Medical Center offers one of the nation’s most comprehensive programs for the treatment of anorexia nervosa, bulimia and binge eating disorders. The Center includes inpatient, outpatient, support group and community outreach components. For more details, visit: https://www.sjmcmd.org

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