By: Kelly, Emma, and Sydney

Having an Eating Disorder is much more than just being on a diet. An Eating Disorder is an illness that permeates all aspects of each sufferer's life, is caused by a variety of emotional factors and influences, and has profound effects on the people suffering and their loved ones.

Dieting is about losing a little bit of weight in a healthy way.

Eating Disorders are about trying to make your whole life better through food and eating (or lack of).

Dieting is about doing something healthy for yourself.

Eating Disorders are about seeking approval and acceptance from everyone through negative attention.

Dieting is about losing a bit of weight and doing it healthfully.

Eating Disorders are about how life won't be good until a bit (or a lot) of weight is lost, and there's no concern for what kind of damage you do to yourself to get there.

Dieting is about losing some weight in a healthy way so how you feel on the outside will match how good you already feel on the inside.

Eating Disorders are about being convinced that your whole self-esteem is hinged on what you weigh and how you look.

Dieting is about attempting to control your weight a bit better.

Eating Disorders are about attempting to control your life and emotions through food/lack of food -- and are a huge neon sign saying "look how out of control I really feel"

Dieting is about losing some weight.

Eating Disorders are about everything going on in life -- stress, coping, pain, anger, acceptance, validation, confusion, fear -- cleverly (or not so cleverly) hidden behind phrases like "I'm just on a diet".

Anorexia Nervosa Bulimia Nervosa Binge eating Night Eating Orthorexia Nervosa Anorexia Athletica

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94c43AlwLKo&feature=related

Anorexia is an eating disorder described where the suffering person cannot maintain a healthy body weight because of an obsessive fear of gaining weight. This is a mental disorder that has physical effects due to lack of food and nutrients. It is a serious mental illness with a high incidence of comorbidity and the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric disorder.

In other words Anorexia is deliberate starvation where the body does not get the necessary amount of daily calories to function properly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBYt9bYu194&feature=related

Dieting despite being thin – Following a severely restricted diet. Eating only certain low-calorie foods. Banning “bad” foods such as carbohydrates and fats.

Obsession with calories, fat grams, and nutrition – Reading food labels, measuring and weighing portions, keeping a food diary, reading diet books.

Pretending to eat or lying about eating – Hiding, playing with, or throwing away food to avoid eating. Making excuses to get out of meals (“I had a huge lunch” or “My stomach isn’t feeling good.”).

Preoccupation with food – Constantly thinking about food. Cooking for others, collecting recipes, reading food magazines, or making meal plans while eating very little.

Strange or secretive food rituals – Refusing to eat around others or in public places. Eating in rigid, ritualistic ways (e.g. cutting food “just so”, chewing food and spitting it out, using a specific plate).

Dramatic weight loss – Rapid, drastic weight loss with no medical cause.

Feeling fat, despite being underweight – You may feel overweight in general or just “too fat” in certain places such as the stomach, hips, or thighs.

Fixation on body image – Obsessed with weight, body shape, or clothing size. Frequent weigh-ins and concern over tiny fluctuations in weight.

Harshly critical of appearance – Spending a lot of time in front of the mirror checking for flaws. There’s always something to criticize. You’re never thin enough.

Denial that you’re too thin – You may deny that your low body weight is a problem, while trying to conceal it (drinking a lot of water before being weighed, wearing baggy or oversized clothes).

Severe mood swings; depression Lack of energy and weakness Slowed thinking; poor memory Dry, yellowish skin and brittle nails Constipation and bloating Tooth decay and gum damage Dizziness, fainting, and headaches Growth of fine hair all over the body and face

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIFAoRU1veo&feature=related

Bulimia is described as the restraining of food

intake for a period of time followed by an over

intake or binging period that results in feelings of

guilt and low self-esteem. Usually after a binge, the

person will intentionally vomit to avoid gaining

weight. This is a psychological disorder that has

physical effects on the body.

Known as the “Binge and Purge Diet”

Lack of control over eating – Inability to stop eating. Eating until the point of physical discomfort and pain.

Secrecy surrounding eating – Going to the kitchen after everyone else has gone to bed. Going out alone on unexpected food runs. Wanting to eat in privacy.

Eating unusually large amounts of food with no obvious change in weight.

Disappearance of food, numerous empty wrappers or food containers in the garbage, or hidden stashes of junk food.

Alternating between overeating and fasting – Rarely eats normal meals. It’s all-or-nothing when it comes to food.

Going to the bathroom after meals – Frequently disappears after meals or takes a trip to the bathroom to throw up. May run the water to disguise sounds of vomiting.

Using laxatives, diuretics, or enemas after eating. May also take diet pills to curb appetite or use the sauna to “sweat out” water weight.

Smell of vomit – The bathroom or the person may smell like vomit. They may try to cover up the smell with mouthwash, perfume, air freshener, gum, or mints.

Excessive exercising – Works out strenuously, especially after eating. Typical activities include high-intensity calorie burners such as running or aerobics.

Calluses or scars on the knuckles or hands from sticking fingers down the throat to induce vomiting.

Puffy “chipmunk” cheeks caused by repeated vomiting. Discolored teeth from exposure to stomach acid when

throwing up. May look yellow, ragged, or clear. Not underweight – Men and women with bulimia are

usually normal weight or slightly overweight. Being underweight while purging might indicate a purging type of anorexia

Frequent fluctuations in weight – Weight may fluctuate by 10 pounds or more due to alternating episodes of bingeing and purging.

Weight gain Abdominal pain, bloating Swelling of the hands and feet Chronic sore throat, hoarseness Broken blood vessels in the eyes Swollen cheeks and salivary glands Weakness and dizziness Tooth decay and mouth sores Acid reflux or ulcers Ruptured stomach or esophagus Loss of menstrual periods Chronic constipation from laxative abuse

Night eating is called night eating disorder or NES. Convince themselves in order to get a good sleep they

need to eat or snack during the time they are awake. These people ill consume almost their full days worth of

calories at night Obsessive eating after eight o’ clock, will usually result in

becoming overweight. More than 6 million Americans will suffer from this

disorder, thus it is very common. These people will not eat during the day, then over eat

after eight o clock.

an obsession with healthy eating very particular of what they are able to

consume in regards to nutritional value of food

deals with “healthy or righteous eating”. very dedicated to a healthy lifestyle will restrict themselves to only healthy foods fixation on healthy eating. sometimes leads to people being

undernourished

- This disorder is very similar to ‘anorexia athletica’, also known as compulsive exercising.

- People do NOT exercise for enjoyment, their only reason is to burn calories and become thinner and thinner.

- This disorder includes exercising to the point where it is unsafe, these people also take time of school, work and hobbies in order to focus on working out.

- They will very guilty and wrong if they are unable to workout that particular day

- These people will also feel addicted to exercise in order to relieve underlying stress and related issues.

- Someone with this disorder will encounter physical dangers later on such as heartburn, heart problems, stress fractures, dehydration etc.

Anorexia Athletica -Common type of eating disorder.

-The person feels liable to exercise or workout even though they are unmotivated to do so.

-This disorder includes an addiction to excessive exercise. -Only focus on exercise, thus cutting off family, friends

and other enjoyable hobbies. -never happy with the athletic goals that they have

achieved. -No longer see the joy in athletics or exercise.

-Whole lives become based on exercise -Usually affects females between 12-19 years old.

-Victims experience heartburn, constipation, nausea and other health side affects.

-Athletica Anorexia can be fatal to the people who have it.

A history of feeding problems as an infant Childhood obesity Excessive thinness Fad dieting Low self-esteem Severe stress An overwhelming need for control Preoccupation of family members on the

importance of weight Childhood trauma

An Eating Disorder could cause…. Malnutrition Paralysis (low levels of potassium & degeneration of nerve

cells) Cancer (due to acid refluxes in the throat) Diabetes (high blood sugar as a result of low insulin levels) Anemia Liver failure Depression (mood swings and depression occur because of

psychological imbalances such as electrolyte imbalances, and hormone & vitamin deficiencies

Infertility (loss of menstrual cycle and hormonal imbalances) Tearing of the esophagus (caused by self-induced vomiting)

1. Ask for help

2. Find a specialist

3. Address health problems

4. Make a long-term treatment plan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKUSGOB-0V8

Do… allow yourself to be vulnerable with people you trust fully experience every emotion be open and accepting of all your emotions use people to comfort you when you feel bad, instead of focusing

on food let your emotions come and go as they please without fear Don’t… pretend you don’t feel anything when you do let people shame or humiliate you for having or expressing

feelings avoid feelings because they make you uncomfortable worry about your feelings making you fall apart focus on food when you’re experiencing a painful emotion

Adapted from: The Food and Feelings Workbook by Karin R. Koenig, Gurze Books

Wear clothes you feel comfortable in - Dress to express yourself, not to impress others. You should feel good in what you wear.

Stay away from the scale - If your weight needs to be monitored, leave that up to the doctors. How much you weigh should never affect your self-esteem.

Stay away from fashion magazines - Unless you can look through these magazines knowing they are purely fantasy, it's just better to stay away from them.

Do nice things for your body - Get a massage, a manicure, or a facial. Pamper yourself with a candlelight bath, scented lotion, or a new perfume.

Stay active - Movement therapy helps improve your sense of wellbeing. Take up Yoga or Tai' Chi, play volleyball with the kids, or bike ride with friends. Make angels in the snow or sandcastles at the beach. Be active and enjoy life!

1 in 5 women struggle with an eating disorder or disordered eating

It is estimated that currently 11% of high school students have been diagnosed with an eating disorder

Studies suggest that 5 – 10% of people with anorexia and bulimia are males

In a study of girls aged 9-15, more than 50% claimed they exercised to lose weight, nearly 50% claimed they reduced food intake in order to lose weight, and approximately 5% claimed to use their parents' diet pills or laxatives in order to lose weighthttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFbYW6bNViw&NR=1

Many people realize that eating disorders are dangerous, what most people seem to miss is that these disorders are

life threatening and control the minds and lives of their victims. Almost 8 Million people per year are fighting to

break their bonds that hold them under the control of food and of the media’s image of ‘perfect.’ Eventually we

should hope to break free of the thoughts that food is ‘our enemy rather than a beneficial friend that helps to keep us

strong and healthy.