Eating disorders

By Alisha Dias

What Is a Eating Disorder?

An Eating Disorder is a compulsion to eat, or avoid eating, that negatively affects both one's physical and mental health.

Types of eating disorders

Anorexia nervosa

Bulimia nervosa

Compulsive over eating disorder

Anorexia Nervosa

It is defined as a psychosomatic

disease that generates dramatic

weight loss caused by self-

induced starvation.

Behavioral signs can be :

Obsessive exercise

Calorie and fat gram counting

Starvation and restriction of food

Self-induced vomiting

The use of diet pills, laxatives or diuretics to

attempt controlling weight

Be depressed, lethargic, and feel cold a lot

And a persistent concern with body image.

DSM-IV characterizes anorexia nervosa

as:

An abnormally low body weight (the

suggested guideline ≤ 85% of normal for

age and height, or BMI ≤ 17.5).

The absence of three consecutive menstrual

cycles.

An intense fear gaining weight or becoming

fat and a preoccupation with body weight

and shape.

CauseAnorexics set unattainable standards of

performance for themselves.

When they fail to meet these standards, they

look for a part of their lives they can control;

Food and Weight become that “Control” for

them.

Low self-esteem and constant self-criticism cause

anorexics to constantly fear losing control, and

even consuming a small amount of food could

be considered a loss of control.

Bulimia Nervosa

It is a cyclical and recurring pattern of

binge eating followed by guilt, self-

accusation and over compensatory

behavior such as crash dieting, over

exercising and purging to compensate

for the excessive caloric intake.

Bulimia Nervosa

Behavioral signs can be:

Recurring episodes of rapid food consumption followed by

tremendous guilt and purging (laxatives or self-induced

vomiting).

A feeling of lacking control over his or her eating behaviors.

Regularly engaging in stringent diet plans and exercise.

The misuse of laxatives, diuretics, or diet pills.

A persistent concern with body image.

Withdraw from social activities, especially meals and

celebrations involving food

Make excuses to go to the bathroom immediately after

meals.

Hiding food in strange places (closets, cabinets, suitcases,

under the bed) to eat at a later time.

Cause

They feel overwhelmed in coping with their

emotions.

In order to punish themselves for something they

feel they should unrealistically blame themselves

for.

This can be in direct relation to how they feel

about themselves, or how they feel over a

particular event or series of events in their lives.

Compulsive OverEating Disorder

It is characterized as an "addiction"

to food.

Food is eaten as a way to hide from

their emotions, to fill a void they

feel inside, and to cope with daily

stresses and problems in their lives.

Behavioral Signs

Fear of not being able to control eating, and while

eating, not being able to stop.

Holding the belief that food is their only friend.

Frequently out of breath after relatively light

activities.

Excessive sweating and shortness of breath.

Leg and joint pain.

Weight gain.

Decreased mobility due to weight gain.

Loss of sexual desire.

Mood swings, Depression, Fatigue.

Insomnia, Poor Sleeping Habits.

Health Risk

Heart attack

High blood-pressure and

cholesterol

Kidney disease and/or failure

Arthritis and bone deterioration

Stroke.

Treating Eating Disorders

Help them cope with their disordered eating

behaviors.

Help them to establish new patterns of

thinking about and approaching food.

This can involve medical supervision,

nutritional counseling, and therapy.

The professionals will address a child's

perception about his or her body size, shape,

eating, and food.

Famous people who have DIED

from Anorexia Nervosa

Karen Carpenter (musician)

Went on a water diet to lose weight

and, as she put it, to appear more

attractive. Continued to diet even

after losing 9kgs, until her death at

the age of 32. She died of cardiac

arrest and weighed only 36kgs

Ana Carolina Reston

Brazilian model, starved herself to

death in November2006.

Celebrities who have suffered of

Bulimia Nervosa

Felicity Huffman

Actress (Desperate Housewives)

battled both bulimia and anorexia

from her teens into her 20s.

Paula Abdul

Dancer, choreograph and singer

(American Idol Judge) battled

bulimia, with compulsive over-

exercise and decided to check

herself in a clinic, back in 1994.

Celebrities with Compulsive Over

Eating Disorders.

Wynonna Judd

The Country singer had admitted to have

been struggling with compulsive over-

eating. She has been through

rehabilitation, but continues to have

problems with her weight.

Oprah Winfrey (T.V Host)

Was raped at the age of nine by her

nineteen year old cousin and repeatedly

sexually abused, struggled with

compulsive eating. Oprah, who said

about her weight "It's always a struggle.

I've felt safer and more protected when

I was heavy. Food has always been

comforting.”

Thank you

Alisha Dias (T.Y. B.sc H.D)