I. What is an eating disorder?
“An eating disorder is an unhealthy relationship with food and weight that interferes with many areas of a person’s life. One’s thoughts become preoccupied with food, weight or exercise. A person who struggles with an eating disorder can have unrealistic self-critical thoughts about body image, and his or her eating habits may begin to disrupt normal body functions and affect daily activities. Eating disorders are not just about food and weight. People begin to use food as a coping mechanism to deal with uncomfortable or painful emotions or to help them feel more in control when feelings or situations seem over-whelming.” (National Association of Anorexia Nervosa And Associated Disorders)
II. What are the three most common eating disorders?
A. Anorexia Nervosa- A person having a fear of gaining weight or becoming fat which is their motivation to restrict calories, skip meals, self-starvation or extreme diet by only eating certain foods. B. Bulimia Nervosa- A person having a fear of gaining weight or becoming fat but instead of depriving themselves from food they binge and purge. a. Binging is eating large amounts of food in a short period of time. b. Purging is eliminating that food by inducing vomiting. c. A person may also use laxatives, diuretics or diet pills to purge weight C. Eating Disorders Not Otherwise Specified –
The Term Paper on Food Disorders
... of the disorder are secretive eating or missing food, frequent bathroom visits after eating, fasting and rapid weight fluctuation. As with anorexia nervosa, the person also ... major eating disorders that most people suffer from. This disorder is characterized by binge eating, where a person eats a vast amount of food and then purges ...
d. Those people who have symptoms of other eating disorders but do not meet the strict criteria for diagnoses of one specific disorder. e. 52% of people with eating disorders have EDNOS.
III. What Causes eating disorders?
A. Depression and Anxiety – One of the symptoms of depression is loss of appetite B. Psychological Factors – Every case is different but there are common patterns f. For anorexia: fear of growing up, needing to please others or be liked, perfectionism, need to have control, need for attention from family or friends, lack of self-esteem, high family expectations, parents encouraging dieting, being teased about weight or body shape g. For Bulimia: difficulty regulating mood, sexual abuse, family dysfunction, the need to be able to control a portion of their lives, impulsive activities (shoplifting, substance abuse etc.) D. Social-cultural Causes – Emphasis on thinness as the ideal, availability and indulgence of food, the media, obesity and the reaction to the larger body size
IV. What are the signs and symptoms of eating disorders?
A. Signs to look for: Preoccupation with food, weight, and body, Unrelenting fear of gaining weight, Refusal to eat except for tiny portions, Dehydration, Compulsive exercise, Excessive fine hair on face and body, Distorted body image, Abnormal weight loss, Sensitivity to cold, Absent menstruation, Rapid consumption of a large amount of food, Eating alone or in secret, Abuse of laxatives, diuretics, or diet pills, Depression, Shame and guilt, Withdrawal
B. Symptoms:
h. Mental Functioning: Depression, listlessness, difficulty concentrating/focusing i. Cardiovascular: Slow irregular pulse, low blood pressure, dizziness or faintness, chest pain, decreased potassium levels and electrolyte imbalances can result in life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias or arrest j. Muscular Skeletal: Stunted growth in children, stress fractures and broken bones more likely, osteoporosis at a younger age k. Mouth: Enamel erosion, loss of teeth, gum disease
l. Esophagus: vomiting blood from small tears, rupture may cause circulatory collapse and death m. Eating Disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness. The majority of deaths are due to physiological complications.
The Term Paper on Eating Disorders People Weight Women
... laxatives. Being secretive and lying Why do people develop eating disorders Eating disorders are the sufferers' way of coping with painful ... know that they are very ill. SYMPTOMS MAY INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING PHYSICAL. severe weight loss. periods stopping (in women). difficulty ... under control. During the process of growing up the body undergoes many changes both physically and emotionally. Slowing ...
V. How to help someone with an eating disorder:
Plan an intervention with 3-5 of the sufferer’s closest family or friends (parents, boyfriend, best friends, grandparents, etc.) a. Let them know your specific concerns about their actions b. Don’t give ultimatums
c. Find treatment options to present to them (counselors, self-help groups) d. Don’t comment on their weight specifically
VI. Treatment Strategies:
A. Restoring weight loss to severe dieting and purging
B. Treating psychological misconceptions such as distortion of body image, low self-esteem and interpersonal conflicts through use of a counselor or healthcare professional a. Psychotherapy
b. Cognitive-behavioral
c. Interpersonal psychotherapy
C. Achieving long-term remission and rehabilitation
a. Establishment of a pattern of regular meals
b. Encouragement of healthy exercise
c. Resolution of co-occurring conditions such as mood or anxiety disorders (sometimes by use of anti-depressants)
Conclusion:
Eating disorders are a serious mental and physical issue that easily slips through the cracks. If you feel that someone has an obsession with their weight and weight-loss and are being unhealthy about it, speak up. Early detection and intervention increases the chances for a successful treatment.
Works Cited:
“ANAD.” General Information National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders. National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, n.d. Web. 27 Oct. 2012. <http://www.anad.org/get-information/about-eating-disorders/general-information/>.
