Why
do people suffer with Eating Disorders?
Signs and Symptoms
Emotional Eating
Signs
and Symptoms
What
is anorexia nervosa?
Anorexia is
an eating disorder in which an individual becomes preoccupied
with an unhealthy pursuit of weight loss. Because of a distortion
in her/his body image s/he continues to believe she needs to lose
weight even when her weight has reached a dangerously low level.
To accomplish this desire, s/he starves her/himself, maintains
rigorous exercise regimes, and sometimes purges food s/he takes
in. Purging may be accomplished by vomiting, laxative use, or
diuretic abuse. Even when weight loss endangers a sufferer’s
health s/he may not understand s/he has a problem that must be
solved.
What
are the signs and symptoms of anorexia?
Behavioral:
- Starvation
and restriction of food
- Obsession
with food, calories, recipes (cooking for others, but not eating
anything themselves)
- Obsessive
exercise
- Purging
by vomiting, or using diet pills, laxatives, or diuretics
- Drinking
a lot of coffee or tea, and/or smoking
- Unusual
eating habits (e.g. picking at food, spreading it around the
plate, cutting food into tiny pieces)
- Excuses
to avoid eating (e.g. “I already ate,” “I’m
not feeling well”)
- Hiding
food they claimed to have eaten
- Suddenly
becoming vegan or vegetarian to avoid certain foods
- Social
withdrawal
- Wearing
baggy clothes to hide weight loss or warm clothes out of season
to keep warm
Physical:
- Weight
loss
- Fatigue,
muscle weakness
- Cold intolerance
- Irregular
menstruation or amenorrhea (loss of period)
- Fainting
spells, dizziness
- Headaches
- Pale complexion
- Constipation
- Dry skin,
especially hands
Emotional:
- Persistent
concern with body image; complaining of being fat, even when
thin
- Depression,
irritability, mood swings
- Perfectionist
attitude
What
is bulimia?
Bulimia involves
binge eating (often driven by hunger or emotional stress) followed
by purging or fasting. Someone who is bulimic eats an abnormally
large amount of food in a short period of time and then fasts
or purges by inducing vomiting, using laxatives, or abusing diuretics.
Purging can also be accomplished through excessive exercising.
Through purging, fasting, and exercise, bulimics hope to regain
a sense of control they lacked while bingeing, but unfortunately
they end up suffering such hunger that their cravings for food
will take hold once again, making binge eating more likely. In
contrast to anorexics, bulimics tend to be around average weight
and realize they have a problem. The most dangerous health risk
posed by bulimia is cardiac arrest due to an electrolyte imbalance
of the mineral potassium. Individuals who abuse laxatives will
find they can no longer have natural bowel movements, resulting
in constipation.
What
are the signs and symptoms of bulimia?
Behavioral:
- Binge eating
- Secretive
eating
- Going to
the bathroom after meals
- Vomiting
- Laxative,
diet pill, or diuretic abuse
- Intense
exercise regimen
- Fasting
Physical:
- Red, puffy
face and watery eyes (from vomiting)
- Weight
fluctuations (usually between 10 and 15 lbs.)
- Swollen
salivary glands
- Fatigue,
muscle weakness
- Tooth decay
- Irregular
heartbeats
- Chronic
sore throat
Emotional:
- Mood swings
- Depression
- Low self-esteem
- Persistent
concern with body image
- Feelings
of guilt and shame
What
is binge eating disorder?
Binge eating
disorder is similar to bulimia, but doesn’t involve purging,
or other compensatory behavior. Individuals feel out of control
as they ingest large quantities of food without regard to hunger
or fullness. Like bulimics, they feel ashamed, disgusted, and
guilty afterwards. Binge eating disorder may be difficult to detect
because sufferers prefer to eat alone due to embarrassment and
guilt. Without behavior to compensate for the calories consumed
during an episode of bingeing, patients become overweight, suffering
health complications similar to those of obesity. In fact, about
25% of obese individuals experience binge eating disorder, which
affects slightly more women than men.
What
are the signs and symptoms of binge eating disorder?
Behavioral:
- hiding
food
- going on
many different diets
- secretive
eating patterns
- avoidance
of social situations where food will be present
Physical:
- weight
gain
- fluctuations
in weight
Emotional:
- feeling
out of control over eating
- low self-esteem
- depression
- anxiety
- loss of
sexual desire
- feelings
of guilt and shame
- disgusted
with self
- suicidal
thoughts
What
is compulsive exercising?
Compulsive
exercising is not a formally recognized disorder because it is
usually a symptom of anorexia nervosa, bulimia, or obsessive-compulsive
disorder. People who suffer from compulsive exercising spend about
2 to 5 hours exercising everyday, often compromising other areas
of their life to maintain extremely high levels of physical activity.
Like individuals with other eating disorders, compulsive exercisers
are motivated by psychological factors. Their goal is not simply
good physical appearance and performance, but control and self-respect.
They seek to rid themselves of negative feelings and emotions
through exercise, even if that means running with an injured ankle
or through the snow. Other symptoms include lying about the amount
of time spent in the gym, skipping work or school to exercise,
continually increasing the intensity and frequency of workouts,
and continuing with exercise despite injury. Compulsive exercisers
are in danger of dehydration, stress fractures, osteoporosis,
heart problems, kidney failure, and other risks associated with
low body fat.
