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The types
of eating disorders that affect people typically take on the characteristics of
not eating enough or eating too much. Of course, people with eating disorders
also show more traits but you have to look very closely, in most cases, to see
the rest of these symptoms. Depending on which eating disorder the person
suffers from, by the time the symptoms become clear, he or she is in very real
trouble.
Eating
Disorders Defined
If you
suspect someone you care about is suffering from an eating disorder, you need to
begin by understanding the types of eating disorders and what their symptoms
are. The most common ones are anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge
eating.
-
Anorexia Nervosa:
People with this particular eating disorder tend to starve themselves due to
an extreme fear of becoming fat. Even though they appear to be severely
underweight even to the point of being emaciated, they never feel they are
thin enough. The person looking back at them from the mirror is still huge
and grossly overweight. Weight is also “controlled” through the use of
laxatives, diet pills, extreme exercising, and purging.
-
Bulimia Nervosa:
Of
all the types of eating disorders, this one is possibly the easiest to hide
for the longest period of time. People with eating disorders do their best
to conceal the symptoms from their friends and family but it’s not all that
easy to do with anorexia. Bulimics, however, appear to eat normal meals and
they will slip away following the meal to purge those calories they just
took in. This is usually not noticed for a while, or even at all if the
bulimic is quite crafty at sneaking away to do this. Bulimia symptoms
include binging on huge amounts of food, only to purge it all later. They
know they are eating way too much during these binge episodes, which is why
they later purge the food, take laxatives, diet pills, or indulge in extreme
exercise sessions.
- Binge
Eating Disorder:
People who
suffer from binge eating disorder uncontrollably consume enormous amounts of
food in one sitting. They often continue to eat even when they are
uncomfortably full. Of these three types of eating disorders, this one is
possibly the second one to be noticed quickly. There will be so many
different symptoms that will be evident with binge eating that questions
will start to arise.
There is
one more type that people with eating disorders may have and that is compulsive
over eating. This one is easy to spot as the weight gain will be quite
significant. These people eat for comfort or out of guilt for something.
Either way, food is their way of coping with life and feeling better.
Eating
Disorder Myths
Many
people talk themselves into believing that an eating disorder is not really a
big deal, or that they don’t have one at all. It’s very hard to accept that
people buy into some of these at all.
-
You
must be underweight to have an eating disorder.
There
is no set size for someone to develop an eating disorder. People with
eating disorders are all shapes and sizes. Some are even of average weight
and some are quite overweight.
-
Eating disorders affect only teenage girls and young women.
It is
true that most people affected by eating disorders are females between their
teens and twenties. However, a significant percentage of victims are males
and can be of any age.
-
Vanity causes people to develop eating disorders.
This
is a rather ridiculous assumption, as vanity has nothing to do with why
people develop an eating disorder. It has much more to do with a lack of
self-esteem, and feelings of shame, anxiety, and powerlessness.
- Eating
disorders aren’t really dangerous.
People with
eating disorders may WANT to believe this one, but all types of eating
disorders bring many health related problems with them. These include liver
and kidney damage, infertility, heart disease, bone loss, and even death.
As you
can see, it is best to become educated in just what an eating disorder is and
what it can do to the human body before making assumptions that can prove to be
dangerously inaccurate. |
