Five to 10 million adolescent girls and women have an eating disorder. About 1 million males do. The 3 most common eating disorders are anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder. These eating disorders are a coping mechanism. They result in an obsession with food and/or weight; anxiety around eating; guilt; and severe and adverse effects on psychological and physical health. Eating disorders should be taken very seriously.
Causes
No specific cause has been found for these eating disorders. They affect persons
from all socioeconomic classes, ages, genders, and ethnic cultures. Risk factors include:
Possible biological and genetic
links, including a family history of eating disorders
Pressure from society to be thin
Personal and family pressures
A history of sexual, physical, or alcohol
abuse
Fear of entering puberty or of sexual
relations
Pressure for athletes to lose weight
(sometimes quickly to qualify for an event) or to be thin for competitive sports
Chronic dieting
Symptoms
For Anorexia Nervosa:
Loss of a significant
amount of weight in a short period of time
Intense, irrational fear of weight gain
and/or of looking fat. Obsession with fat, calories, and weight.
Distorted body image. The person feels and
sees himself or herself as fat when below normal weight for his or her height and age.
A need to be perfect or in control in one
area of life
Marked physical effects, including loss of
hair, slowed heart rate, low blood pressure, feeling cold due to decrease in body
temperature, and absence of menstrual periods in females
For Bulimia Nervosa:
Repeated acts of binge
eating and purging. Purging can be through vomiting; taking laxatives, water pills, and/or
diet pills; fasting; and exercising excessively to "undo" the binge.
Excessive concern about body weight
Being overweight, underweight, or normal
weight
Frequent dieting
Dental problems, mouth sores, and chronic
sore throat
Frequent time spent in bathrooms
Because of binge-purge cycles, severe
health problems, such as stomach damage, an irregular heartbeat, and kidney and bone
damage can occur.
For Binge Eating Disorders:
Periods of continuous and sporadic
eating that are unrelated to hunger
Impulsive binging on food without purging
Repeated use of diets or sporadic fasts
Weight can range from normal weight to
mild, moderate, or severe obesity.
Treatment
Treatment for eating disorders varies with the disorder and its severity. The earlier the
condition is diagnosed and treated, the better the outcome. Treatment includes:
Counseling. This can be in
individual, family, group, and/or behavioral therapy.
Support groups
Antidepressant medication
Nutrition therapy
Outpatient treatment programs or
hospitalization, if the condition is severe enough
Do you hoard food and/or leave the table right after meals to
“go to the bathroom” to induce vomiting and/or spend long periods of time in the
bathroom from taking laxatives and/or water pills? |
 |
Have you lost a significant amount of weight (more than 10 pounds)
by binging and purging, fasting, dieting, and/or exercising on purpose, with any of these
problems? An intense fear of gaining weight
or of getting fat You see yourself as fat even though you are
at normal weight or are underweight. You continue to diet and exercise
excessively even though you have reached your goal weight. |
|
| Do you have recurrent episodes of eating a large amount of food
within 2 hours, are not able to control the amount of food you eat or to stop eating, and
do you do at least 3 of the following? Eat very fast Eat until you feel uncomfortably full Eat when you are not hungry Eat alone due to embarrassment Feel depressed, disgusted, and/or guilty
after you overeat |
|
| Do you have a combination of the following problems with abnormal
eating behaviors? An irregular heartbeat A slow pulse and/or low blood pressure Rapid tooth decay Low body temperature; cold hands and feet Thin hair (or hair loss) on the head;
baby-like hair growth on the body Dry skin or fingernails that split, peel, or
crack Problems with bloating, digestion, or
constipation Three or more missed periods in a row or
delayed onset of menstruation Periods of depression, lethargy, euphoria,
and/or hyperactivity Tiredness, weakness, muscle cramps, tremors Lack of concentration |
|
Self-Care/Prevention
Eating disorders are too complex and physically harmful to be treated with
self-care alone. Get professional care. Along with professional care, do the following:
Accept yourself and your body. You
don’t need to be or look like someone else. Spend time with people who accept you as
you are, not people who focus on “thinness.”
Eat at regular times during the day.
Don’t skip meals; if you do, you are more likely to binge.
Remember that all foods are okay to eat.
Having a balance of foods is the goal.
Get regular, but moderate exercise 3 to 4
times a week. If you exercise more than your health care provider advises, make an effort
to do nonexercise activities with friends and family.
If you participate in competitive or other
sports, consult your coach, trainer, or sports nutritionist for sound advice to be at a
healthy weight for your sport. Don’t fast, use laxatives, etc., to “make
weight.” The health consequences could be devastating and definitely impair your
performance.
Find success in your work, hobbies, and
volunteer activities.
Learn as much as you can about eating
disorders from books and organizations that deal with them.
(See "Places to Get Information & Help" under Eating Disorders.)
Find and get involved in support groups for
people with eating disorders.
If You Have an Eating Disorder:
Follow your health care provider’s
treatment plan.
Attend counseling sessions and/or support
group meetings as scheduled.
Identify feelings before, during, and after
you overeat, binge, purge, or restrict food intake. What is it that you are hoping the
food will do?
Set small goals that you can accomplish
easily and congratulate yourself for every success. This is a process. Accept set backs
and learn from them.
Talk to someone instead of turning to food.
Work toward the point where weight is no
longer something by which you rate your success. Think about your accomplishments,
positive personal qualities, and valued relationships.
Learn to recognize your personal rights and
to state how you feel. You have the right to say no, the right to express your feelings
and your opinion, and the right to ask to have your needs met.
Keep a journal of your experiences,
feelings, thoughts, and insights, but not about what you eat. The journal is for your eyes
only, not for others to read or judge. This is a safe place to be honest with yourself.
The journal can also help you identify your “triggers” so that you may prepare
yourself to choose alternative strategies.
Don’t let the scale run your life.
Better yet, throw out the scale!
HEALTH AT HOME - Your Complete Guide to Symptoms, Solutions, and Self-Care © 2000 by Don R. Powell. American Institute for Preventive Medicine.
Date updated 03/02/01