Eating Disorders
WHAT IS DISORDERED EATING?
Disordered eating is when a person's attitudes about food, weight, and body size lead to very rigid eating and exercise habits that jeopardize one`s health, happiness, and safety. Disordered eating may begin as a way to lose a few pounds or get in shape, but these behaviors can quickly get out of control, become obsessions, and may even turn into an eating disorder.
Even if you don't have a full-blown eating disorder, you may be missing out on living while you spend all your time dieting!
Just because you weigh yourself, skip meals, count calories, or over-exercise doesn't necessarily mean that you have an eating disorder. But you may be dealing with what`s called "disordered eating."
Wonder if you`re dealing with disordered eating?
Think about this...
- Do you avoid eating meals or snacks when you`re around other people?
- Do you constantly calculate numbers of fat grams and calories?
- Do you weigh yourself often and find yourself obsessed with the number on the scale?
- Do you exercise because you feel like you have to, not because you want to?
- Are you afraid of gaining weight?
- Do you ever feel out of control when you are eating?
- Do your eating patterns include extreme dieting, preferences for certain foods, withdrawn or ritualized behavior at mealtime, or secretive bingeing?
- Has weight loss, dieting, and/or control of food become one of your major concerns?
- Do you feel ashamed, disgusted, or guilty after eating?
- Do you worry about the weight, shape, or size of your body?
- Do you feel like your identity and value is based on how you look or how much you weigh?
If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, you could be dealing with disordered eating. It is likely that these attitudes and behaviors are taking a toll on your mental and physical well being. It is important that you start to talk about your eating habits and concerns now, rather than waiting until your situation gets more serious than you can handle.
WHAT IS AN EATING DISORDER?
Eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia, binge eating, and muscle dysmorphia include extreme emotions, attitudes, and behaviors surrounding weight and food issues. They are serious emotional and physical problems that can have life-threatening consequences for both females and males.
Anorexia Nervosa
Characterized by self-starvation and excessive weight loss.
Symptoms:
- Refusal to maintain body weight at or above a minimally normal weight for height, body type, age, and activity level
- Intense fear of weight gain or being "fat"
- Feeling "fat" or overweight despite dramatic weight loss
- Loss of menstrual periods
- Extreme concern with body weight and shape
Health Consequences:
- In anorexia nervosa's cycle of self-starvation, the body is denied the essential nutrients it needs to function normally. Thus, the body is forced to slow down all of its processes to conserve energy, resulting in serious medical consequences.
- Abnormally slow heart rate and low blood pressure, which mean that the heart muscle is changing. The risk for heart failure rises as the heart rate and blood pressure levels sink lower and lower.
- Reduction of bone density (osteoporosis), which results in dry, brittle bones.
- Muscle loss and weakness.
- Severe dehydration, which can result in kidney failure.
- Fainting, fatigue, and overall weakness.
- Dry hair and skin; hair loss is common.
- Growth of a downy layer of hair called lanugo all over the body, including the face, in an effort to keep the body warm.
Bulimia Nervosa
Characterized by a secretive cycle of binge eating followed by purging. Bulimia includes eating large amounts of food--more than most people would eat in one meal--in short periods of time, then getting rid of the food and calories through vomiting, laxative abuse, or over-exercising.
Symptoms:
- Repeated episodes of bingeing and purging
- Feeling out of control during a binge and eating beyond the point of comfortable fullness
- Purging after a binge, (typically by self-induced vomiting, abuse of laxatives, diet pills and/or diuretics, excessive exercise, or fasting)
- Frequent dieting
- Extreme concern with body weight and shape
Health Consequences:
- The recurrent binge-and-purge cycles of bulimia can affect the entire digestive system and can lead to electrolyte and chemical imbalances in the body that affect the heart and other major organ functions.
- Electrolyte imbalances that can lead to irregular heartbeats and possibly heart failure and death. Electrolyte imbalance is caused by dehydration and loss of potassium, sodium and chloride from the body as a result of purging behaviors.
- Potential for gastric rupture during periods of bingeing.
- Inflammation and possible rupture of the esophagus from frequent vomiting.
- Tooth decay and staining from stomach acids released during frequent vomiting.
- Chronic irregular bowel movements and constipation as a result of laxative abuse.
- Peptic ulcers and pancreatitis.
Binge Eating Disorder
Also known as compulsive overeating, it is characterized primarily by periods of uncontrolled, impulsive, or continuous eating beyond the point of feeling comfortably full.
Symptoms:
- Sporadic fasts or repetitive diets which often lead to feelings of shame or self-hatred after a binge.
- A struggle with anxiety, depression, and loneliness, which can contribute to their unhealthy episodes of binge eating.
- Body weight that may vary from normal to mild, moderate, or severe obesity.
Health Consequences:
- Binge eating disorder often results in many of the same health risks associated with clinical obesity.
- High blood pressure.
- High cholesterol levels.
- Heart disease as a result of elevated triglyceride levels.
- Type II diabetes mellitus.
- Gallbladder disease.
Disordered Exercise
Symptoms:
- Working out despite injury or illness
- Exercising without properly fueling or hydrating the body
- Obsessing over calories burned or miles logged
- Only working out on machines that show calories burned
- Repeatedly doing the same exercise, like running or the elliptical, over and over
- Training for hours a day or multiple times a day
- Missing social events or scheduling work or school around workouts
Muscle Dysmorphia
Also known as Reverse Anorexia or Bigorexia, it refers to the phenomenon of people feeling they are too small or weak. This often occurs in men, but can occur in women as well. In order to avoid feeling small, people with muscle dysmorphia tend to work out compulsively to increase muscle mass. This is often coupled with a regime of using steroids or over-the-counter products such as creatine, protein shakes, and nutritional supplements. In truth, people with muscle dysmorphia are often rather large, with well-developed muscles.
The consequences of muscle dysmorphia are physical and emotional. People often avoid public situations because they feel embarrassed from being "too small." Their work and personal relationships suffer because they build their lives around the gym and their exercise routine. Some people report a fear of "shrinking" if they miss a day at the gym. The use of steroids or other similar products often injures internal organs, causes acne, sexual problems, and hair loss.
Eating Disorders Not Otherwise Specified (EDNOS)
Can include some combination of the signs and symptoms of anorexia, bulimia, and/or binge eating disorder. While these behaviors may not be clinically considered a full syndrome eating disorder, they can still be physically dangerous and emotionally draining. All eating disorders require professional help.
CAUSES OF AN EATING DISORDER
While eating disorders may begin with preoccupations with food and weight, they are most often about much more than food.
Eating disorders are complex conditions that arise from a combination of long-standing behavioral, emotional, psychological, interpersonal, and social factors. Scientists and researchers are still learning about the underlying causes of these emotionally and physically damaging conditions. We do know, however, about some of the general issues that can contribute to the development of eating disorders.
People with eating disorders often use food and the control of food in an attempt to compensate for feelings and emotions that may otherwise seem overwhelming. For some, dieting bingeing, and purging may begin as a way to cope with painful emotions and to feel in control of one's life, but ultimately, these behaviors will damage a person's physical and emotional health, self-esteem, and sense of competence and control.
Psychological factors that can contribute to eating disorders:
- Low self-esteem
- Feelings of inadequacy or lack of control in life
- Depression, anxiety, anger, or loneliness
Interpersonal factors that can contribute to eating disorders:
- Troubled family and personal relationships
- Difficulty expressing emotions and feelings
- History or being teased or ridiculed based on size or weight
- History of physical or sexual abuse
Other factors that can contribute to eating disorders:
- Scientists are still researching possible biochemical or biological causes of eating disorders. In some individuals with eating disorders, certain chemicals in the brain that control hunger, appetite, and digestion have been found to be imbalanced. The exact meaning and implications of these imbalances remains under investigation.
- Eating disorders often run in families. Current research indicates that there are significant genetic contributions to eating disorders.
Eating disorders are complex conditions that can arise from a variety of potential causes. Once started, however, they can create a self-perpetuating cycle of physical and emotional destruction. All eating disorders require professional help.
HOW TO HELP SOMEONE WITH AN EATING DISORDER
You cannot force someone to seek help, change their habits, or adjust their attitudes. You will make important progress in honestly sharing your concerns, providing support, and knowing where to go for more information! People struggling with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, or binge eating disorder do need professional help. These is help available and there is hope!
If you are reading this, chances are you are concerned about the eating habits, weight, or body image of someone you care about. We understand that this can be a very difficult and scary time for you but, be assured, you are doing a great thing by looking for more information! This list may not tell you everything you need to know about what to do in your specific situation, but it will give you some helpful ideas on what to do to help your friend.
- Learn as much as you can about eating disorders. Read books, articles, and brochures.
- Know the differences between facts and myths about weight, nutrition, and exercise. Knowing the facts will help you reason against any inaccurate ideas that your friend may be using as excuses to maintain their disordered eating patterns.
- Be honest. Talk openly and honestly about your concerns with the person who is struggling with eating or body image problems. Avoiding it or ignoring it won't help!
- Be caring, but firm. Caring about your friend does mean being manipulated by them. Your friend must be responsible for their actions and the consequences of those actions. Avoid making rules, promises, or expectations that you cannot or will not uphold. For example, "I promise not to tell anyone." Or, "if you do this one more time I'll never talk to you again."
- Compliment your friend's wonderful personality, successes, or accomplishments. Remind your friend that "true beauty" is not simply skin deep.
- Be a good role model in regard to sensible eating, exercise, and self-acceptance.
- Tell someone. It may seem difficult to know when, it at all, to tell someone else about your concerns. Addressing body image or eating problems in their beginning stages offers your friend the best chance for working through these issues and becoming healthy again. Don't wait until the situation is so severe that your friend's life is in danger. Your friend needs as much support and understanding as possible.
Information provided by the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) and Body Image and Health Task Force.