Eating Disorders
Typically when one develops an eating disorder they are commonly misunderstood. Most people think that they are self-inflicted eating habits or a lifestyle choice when actually these eating disorders include major health problems and can be extremely life-threatening or fatal in some cases. These types of disorders typically derive from an extreme disturbance of people’s eating behaviors and thoughts and emotions. Eating Disorders can in some case be very serious and should not be taken lightly. National institutes say that more than 30 million Americans suffer from eating disorders.
There are three different types of eating disorders:
Anorexia Nervosa
Type of eating disorder commonly known as “Anorexia” is often a life-threatening eating disorder that derives from an extremely low body fat levels. People with Anorexia Nervosa often will restrict the amount of food they will intake daily, Put themselves thought rigorous workouts, sometimes several times a day, and may even force themselves to vomit or use of laxatives or diuretics, due to the intense fear of being overweight. Even when they are typically severely underweight. Out of all the eating disorders, Anorexia, by far, has the highest mortality rate per year.
- Extremely restricted eating
- Intense fear of gaining weight
- An overwhelming compulsion to maintain thinness or unwilling to maintain a normal healthy body weight
- Extreme thinness
- A distorted view of one’s self-image. One’s self-esteem is heavily skewed towards there perception of body weight and shapes. With the denial of the seriousness of one’s body weight level.
- Intense or excessive exercise
- Intense fear of weight gain
- Dry or yellowing skin
- Brittle nails or hair
- Lethargy, sluggishness or feeling tired all the time
- Multiorgan failure
- Brain damage
- Thining of the bones
- Mild anemia
- Muscle wasting or weakness
- Growth of fine hair all over the body
- Feeling cold all the time due to a loss in body temperature
- Feeling faint, dizzy, or weak
- Slowed Breathing or pulse rate
Bulimia Nervosa
Like anorexia, bulimia is typically formed in adolescence or early adulthood and is typically far more common in women than men. People with Bulimia nervosa often have an overwhelming urge of binge eating and purging, eating unusually large amounts of food while feeling a complete lack of control over these urges. Typically one binge’s on the food they would typically avoid. Then to maintain one’s desired figure, commonly one will force vomiting or purge, using laxatives or dietary supplements or excessive exercise to still encounter weight loss.
- Extremely inflamed or sore throat
- Lack of self-esteem due to body weight and shape
- Swollen salivary glands in the neck and jaw
- Worn tooth enamel or decay of teeth due to constant exposure to stomach acid
- Acid reflux disorder
- Severe dehydration due to vomiting or diarrhea
- Electrolyte imbalance either too low or too high levels of sodium, calcium, potassium and other minerals which can lead to stroke or heart attack
Binge Eating Disorder
Binge Eating Disorder is very similar to bulimia nervosa expect people eat a large amount of food in a short period of time and do not vomit or purge their food or use excessive exercise to control their weight. As a result one with a binge eating disorder will typically suffer from being overweight or obesity. Binge eating disorders are by far the most common, especially in the USA and can lead to an increased risk of medical complications such as heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.
- Eating large amounts of food within a short amount of time typically 2 hours or less
- Eating alone or in secret to avoid embarrassment
- Feeling a lack of control during binge-eating episodes
- Feeling shame, lack of self-esteem, or guilt
- No urge to vomit or use laxatives
- Increased blood pressure
- Increased risk of heart attack
- Increased risk of joint pain or arthritis
- Shortness of breath
- Stomach pain
People of all different ages, ethnicity/race, bodyweight, Backgrounds, and sex can be susceptible to eating disorders. This can start as early as adolescence or teenage years and can start out very slowly. One starts using food and a way to calm themselves or to comfort them. Then over time it quickly spirals out of control and before you know it you have an eating disorder. Commonly this will co-inside with psychiatric or mental problems such as depression, low self-esteem issues, anxiety, and substance abuse. Often people with eating disorders hide their behaviors, so it can often be hard to discover one’s disorder. Eating disorders are a serious problem and typically require treatment to overcome or manage their disease.