EATING DISORDERS

What Are Eating Disorders?

Eating disorders involve self-critical, negative thoughts and feelings about body weight, food, and eating habits that disrupt normal body function and daily activities

  Eating Disorders are more common among

girls, but can affect boys also   1 or 2 out of every 100 kids will struggle

with an eating disorder

Types of Eating Disorders

Anorexia Nervosa Bulimia Nervosa Binge Eating

Anorexia Nervosa

Anorexia nervosa is a complex eating disorder with three key features: Refusal to maintain a healthy body weight An intense fear of gaining weight A distorted body image

Signs and Symptoms

Dieting despite being thin – Following a severely restricted diet. Eating only certain low-calorie foods. Banning “bad” foods such as carbohydrates and fats.

Obsession with calories, fat grams, and nutrition – Reading food labels, measuring and weighing portions, keeping a food diary, reading diet books.

Pretending to eat or lying about eating – Hiding, playing with, or throwing away food to avoid eating. Making excuses to get out of meals (“I had a huge lunch” or “My stomach isn’t feeling good.”).

Preoccupation with food – Constantly thinking about food. Cooking for others, collecting recipes, reading food magazines, or making meal plans while eating very little.

Strange or secretive food rituals – Refusing to eat around others or in public places. Eating in rigid, ritualistic ways (e.g. cutting food “just so”, chewing food and spitting it out, using a specific plate).

Bulimia

Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by frequent episodes of binge eating, followed by frantic efforts to avoid gaining weight.

During an average binge, you may consume from 3,000 to 5,000 calories in one short hour.

Binging and Purging Cycle

Strict Dieting Tension and Cravings

 

 Shame and Disgust Binge Eating 

 

Purging to Avoid Weight Gain

Signs and Symptoms-Binging

Lack of control over eating – Inability to stop eating. Eating until the point of physical discomfort and pain.

Secrecy surrounding eating – Going to the kitchen after everyone else has gone to bed. Going out alone on unexpected food runs. Wanting to eat in privacy.

Eating unusually large amounts of food with no obvious change in weight.

Disappearance of food, numerous empty wrappers or food containers in the garbage, or hidden stashes of junk food.

Alternating between overeating and fasting – Rarely eats normal meals. It’s all-or-nothing when it comes to food.

Signs and Symptoms-Purging

Going to the bathroom after meals – Frequently disappears after meals or takes a trip to the bathroom to throw up. May run the water to disguise sounds of vomiting.

Using laxatives, diuretics, or enemas after eating. May also take diet pills to curb appetite or use the sauna to “sweat out” water weight.

Smell of vomit – The bathroom or the person may smell like vomit. They may try to cover up the smell with mouthwash, perfume, air freshener, gum, or mints.

Excessive exercising – Works out strenuously, especially after eating. Typical activities include high-intensity calorie burners such as running or aerobics.

Signs and Symptoms-Physical

Calluses or scars on the knuckles or hands from sticking fingers down the throat to induce vomiting.

Puffy “chipmunk” cheeks caused by repeated vomiting.

Discolored teeth from exposure to stomach acid when throwing up. May look yellow, ragged, or clear.

Not underweight – Men and women with bulimia are usually normal weight or slightly overweight. Being underweight while purging might indicate a purging type of anorexia

Frequent fluctuations in weight – Weight may fluctuate by 10 pounds or more due to alternating episodes of bingeing and purging.

Binge Eating

Binge eating disorder is characterized by compulsive overeating in which people consume huge amounts of food while feeling out of control and powerless to stop.

The key features of binge eating disorder are: Frequent episodes of uncontrollable binge

eating. Feeling extremely distressed or upset during or

after bingeing. Unlike bulimia, there are no regular attempts to

“make up” for the binges through vomiting, fasting, or over-exercising.

Signs and Symptoms

People with binge eating disorder are embarrassed and ashamed of their eating habits, so they often try to hide their symptoms and eat in secret. Many binge eaters are overweight or obese, but some are of normal weight.

Inability to stop eating or control what you’re eating Rapidly eating large amounts of food Eating even when you’re full Hiding or stockpiling food to eat later in secret Eating normally around others, but gorging when

you’re alone Eating continuously throughout the day, with no

planned mealtimes

Affects of Binge EatingOver time, compulsive overeating usually leads to obesity. Obesity,

in turn, causes numerous medical complications, including:

Type 2 diabetes Gallbladder disease High cholesterol High blood

pressure Heart disease 

Certain types of cancer

Osteoarthritis Joint and muscle

pain Gastrointestinal

problems Sleep apnea

Amy’s Story

Once again, Amy is on a liquid diet. “I’m going to stick with it,” she tells herself. “I won’t give in to the cravings this time.” But as the day goes on, Amy’s willpower weakens. All she can think about is food. Finally, she decides to give in to the urge to binge. She can’t control herself any longer. She grabs a pint of ice cream out of the freezer, inhaling it within a matter of minutes. Then it’s on to anything else she can find in the kitchen. After 45 minutes of bingeing, Amy is so stuffed that her stomach feels like it’s going to burst. She’s disgusted with herself and terrified by the thousands of calories she’s consumed. She runs to the bathroom to throw up. Afterwards, she steps on the scale to make sure she hasn’t gained any weight. She vows to start her diet again tomorrow. Tomorrow, it will be different.