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Clearly, these potentially life-threatening conditions are a growing problem. Despite their collective label, these disorders are not about food. Eating disorders are a way of coping with deeper problems that a person finds too painful or difficult to deal with directly. They are complex conditions that signal difficulties with identity, self-concept and self-esteem. Eating disorders cross cultural, racial and socio-economic boundaries, and affect men and women.
Eating disorders can be difficult to detect. The media glamourization of so-called ideal bodies, coupled with the view that dieting is a normal activity, can obscure a person's eating problems. It can be difficult for a person with an eating disorder to admit they have a problem. Knowing how to support someone with an eating disorder is also a challenge. Treatment is available - it can be a long process, but an eating disorder can be overcome. If you think that you, or someone you know, has an eating disorder, it is important to learn the facts. Gaining an understanding of these conditions is the first step in the journey to wellness.
Anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge-eating
Three chronic eating disorders have been identified. Anorexia nervosa is characterized by severe weight loss due to extreme food reduction. Symptoms include:
refusal to keep body weight at or above the normal weight for one's body type
dieting to extremes, usually coupled with excessive exercise
feeling overweight despite dramatic weight loss
loss of menstrual periods
extreme preoccupation with body weight and shape
Bulimia nervosa results in frequent fluctuations in weight, due to periods of uncontrollable binge eating, followed by purging. As well as a preoccupation with body image, symptoms include:
repeated episodes of bingeing and purging,
usually by self-induced vomiting,
abuse of laxatives,
diet pills and/or diuretics
eating beyond the point of fullness
Binge-eating disorder, or compulsive eating, is often triggered by chronic dieting and involves periods of overeating, often in secret and often carried out as a means of deriving comfort. Symptoms include:
periods of uncontrolled, impulsive or continuous eating
sporadic fasts or repetitive diets
Warning signs
Eating disorders can be difficult to detect. Someone suffering from bulimia can have a normal weight, but the activities they are engaging in can be deadly. Here are some warning signs:
low self-esteem
social withdrawal
claims of feeling fat when weight is normal or low
preoccupation with food, weight, counting calories and with what people think
denial that there is a problem
wanting to be perfect
intolerance of others
inability to concentrate
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