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Amanda FoxEating disorders
What are some factors that can contribute to eating disorders?
Psychological Factors:
* low self-esteem
* feelings of lack of control in life
* depression, anxiety, anger or loneliness
* strong need to please others
Interpersonal Factors:
* troubled family and personal relationships
* difficulty expressing emotions or feeling
* history of being teased about size or weight
* history of physical or sexual abuse
Social Factors:
* cultural pressures that glorify “thinness” and the perfect body
* cultural norm valuing people by their appearance
Other Factors:
* possible biochemical or biological reasons
* family history of eating disorders
Anorexia Nervosa
Anorexia is essentially self-starvation, a refusal to maintain a minimum normal body weight. People with eating disorders also may engage in self-induced vomiting and abuse of laxatives, diuretics or exercise in order to control their weight. People with this disorder see themselves as overweight even though they are dangerously thin. The condition may lead them to become emaciated and, in severe cases, anorexia can be life-threatening.
Some signs and symptoms of anorexia include:
* weight loss, sometimes severe
* intense fear of gaining weight
* distorted body image
* electrolyte imbalance
Health consequences of anorexia nervosa:
* irregular heart rhythms and heart failure
* osteoporosis
* risk of suicide
* menstrual changes or absence of menstruation
Bulimia Nervosa
People suffering with bulimia follow a routine of secretive, uncontrolled eating followed by inappropriate ways of trying to rid the body of food before it is digested. This includes vomiting and /or misuse of laxatives, diet pills, water pills, excessive exercise or fasting. Because many people with bulimia “binge and purge” in secret and maintain normal or above the normal body weight, they can often hide the disorder from others.
Some signs and symptoms of bulimia include:
* preoccupation with food, body weight and shape
* feeling unable to control eating behavior
* self-induced vomiting, using laxatives or other medications, fasting or excessive exercise
* difficulty controlling impulsive behavior
Health consequences of bulimia nervosa:
* electrolyte imbalance
* damage of heart muscle
* inflammation of esophagus
* erosion of tooth enamel
* damage to salivary glands
Binge-eating disorder
People with binge-eating disorder experience frequent episodes of out-of-control eating, with the same binge-eating symptoms as those with bulimia. The main difference is that individuals with binge-eating disorder do not purge their bodies of excess calories. Therefore, many with the disorder are overweight for their age and height. Feelings of self-disgust and shame associated with this illness can lead to binging again, creating a cycle of binge eating.
Some signs and symptoms of binge-eating include:
* frequent episodes of eating large quantities of food in short periods of time
* feeling out of control over eating behavior
* feeling ashamed or disgusted by the behavior
* eating when not hungry and in secret
Health consequences of binge eating disorder:
* high blood pressure
* high cholesterol
* heart disease
* diabetes
* gallbladder disease
