MaryElise.com :: Modern Woman > Real Women Real Issues > Eating Disorders

Real Women Real Issues
Eating Disorders
By: Mary Elise Chavez
Posted February 2007

	Send Page to a Friend

<< Page 1 / Fashion, Celebrity, & Body Image

Types of Eating Disorders:

Anorexia nervosa
A mental disorder manifested by extreme fear of becoming obese and an aversion to food, usually occurring in young women and often resulting in life-threatening weight loss, accompanied by a disturbance in body image, hyperactivity, and amenorrhea.

People with anorexia starve themselves, avoid high-calorie foods and exercise constantly. People with bulimia eat huge amounts of food, but they throw up soon after eating, or take laxatives or diuretics (water pills) to keep from gaining weight. People with bulimia don't usually lose as much weight as people with anorexia.
Bulimia nervosa
An eating disorder involving episodic binge eating followed by feelings of guilt, depression, and self-condemnation. It also often involves measures to prevent weight gain, such as self-induced vomiting, excessive laxatives, dieting, or fasting.
Binge eating disorder
Eating an abnormally large amount of food within a certain amount of time. This is usually accompanied by a feeling of lack of control over eating.
Compulsive overeating disorder
A compulsion to eat excessively. Binges often involve consuming several thousand calories in one go, and purging is also a trait of this condition. Obesity is common and the sufferer uses food to deal with emotional issues in their life, hence the much misused term "comfort eating". Compulsive Overeating is also sometimes known as binge-eating disorder.
Eating disorders not otherwise specified (EDNOS)
EDNOS is a diagnostic category of sub-clinical mental disorders that involve disordered eating patterns. EDNOS is described in the DSM-IV-TR, the latest version of the diagnostic manual of the American Psychiatric Association, as a "category [of] disorders of eating that do not meet the criteria for any specific Eating Disorder".

Multidimensional Risk Factors:

*The more any one person has, the greater the probability of developing an eating disorder.

High weight concerns before age 14
High level of perceived stress
Behavior problems before age 14
History of dieting
Mother diets and is concerned about appearance
Siblings diet and are concerned about appearance
Peers diet and are concerned about appearance
Negative self-evaluation
Perfectionism
No male friends
Parental control
Rivalry with one or more siblings
Competitive with siblings' shape and/or appearance
Shy and/or anxious
Distressed by parental arguments
Distressed by life events occurring in the year before the illness develops
Critical comments from family members about weight, shape and eating
Teasing about weight, shape and appearance

Danger Signals:

Losing a significant amount of weight
Deliberate self-starvation with weight loss
Refusal to eat
Denial of hunger
Greater amounts of hair on the body or the face
Sensitivity to cold temperatures
Absent or irregular periods
Loss of scalp hair
A self-perception of being fat when the person is really too thin
Continuing to diet (even when already thin)
Feeling fat (even after losing weight)
Having an abnormal fear of gaining weight
Having a preoccupation with food and obsessively counting calories
Preferring to eat in isolation
Exercising compulsively
Abusing laxatives or other over-the-counter diuretics
Always having an excuse as to why you're not eating (for example, "I just ate" or "I'm feeling ill")
Becoming "disgusted" with former favorite foods
Obsessing about food labels
Drastically reducing or completely eliminating fat intake
Not believing others when they tell you you're thin
Detesting all or specific parts of your body
Denying that a problem exists

How Family & Friends Can Help
The most important thing that family and friends can do to help a person with anorexia is to love them. People with anorexia feel safe, secure and comfortable with their illness. Their biggest fear is gaining weight, and gaining weight is seen as loss of control. They may deny they have a problem. People with anorexia will beg and lie to avoid eating and gaining weight, which is like giving up the illness. Family and friends should not give in to the pleading of the anorexic patient.

Contacts:

Please email MaryElise by clicking here, if you would like additional information, help, or resources to aid in combating or learn more about eating disorders.

Please also see the below resources for guidance on recovery, education, counseling, and group support in your area.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

HELP & RECOVERY

If this story reminds you of yourself or a friend, don't be surprised. The American Anorexia/Bulimia Association (AA/BA) reports that more than five million Americans suffer from eating disorders. An even more frightening statistic reported by the AA/BA is that an estimated 1,000 women die each year from anorexia. And it has become a problem for an increasing number of guys, too.

Overcomers Outreach: (714) 491-3000; www.overcomersoutreach.org
Rapha: (800) 383-HOPE; www.rapha.org
Remuda Ranch: (800) 445-1900; www.remuda-ranch.com
National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD): (847) 831-3438; www.nsn.org
Anorexia Nervosa and Related Eating Disorders, Inc. (ANRED): (541) 344-1144; www.anred.com
The American Anorexia/Bulimia Association (AA/BA): (212) 575-6200; www.aabainc.org

Information gathered from:
. Anred.com
. Victoria'sSecret.com
. CNNMoney.com "Victoria's Secret teams up with coeds"
. Bergen.org
. Lilithgallery.com
. Helpguide.org
. Theage.com.au
. Faqs.org
. Anafriends.org
. News.scotsman.com
. Columbian.com

<< Page 1 / Fashion, Celebrity, & Body Image