At an age where body-image is being focused more and more, perceptions about the �ideal body-type� is constantly changing for the worse. The thinner the better is the message that is being stereotyped; forcing people to acknowledge and adapt. People are taking drastic measures as a result to adapt and cases of eating disorders are being more prevalent.
Eating disorders are often misconceived as a dietary or lifestyle choice rather than a disorder. It is in fact a serious mental illness that can quickly take a toll on the human body and in most cases can be life-threatening. The majority of those affected by this disorder are people in their early or mid 20�s but any man, woman or a child can be affected by this disorder at any given age. Children, especially affected by this at a small age will have a big impact on their growth and social development. Those affected by an eating disorder show an extreme disinterest in eating and find ways to eat as little as possible. Obsession with losing weight even though they look malnourished, a lot of exercise and very restrictive or binge eating is a regular feature of this disease.
What causes this disorder is still unknown, but genetics, environmental and psychological factors are seen to be present in those affected by it. Eating disorders can also be a repercussion of problems pertaining to life and emotions to define self-worth. Being body-shamed, bullied about weight in the past can also be traced as a cause of eating disorders. A lot content shown in movies and TV shows; show that being slightly overweight or fat is unacceptable in today�s world. Sadly, this message is often misinterpreted to be true.
Dietary restrictions, selective eating, frequent exercise and complaints about weight are early signs of eating disorders. The time frame for the symptoms is unpredictable as it can from a few months to a few years to properly present it in the host. Unwillingness to maintain a healthy weight, constant dieting, low self-esteem, mood swings, anxiety and depression are other common symptoms of this fatal disorder.
Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa are the two of the common recorded types of this disorder. Other eating disorders such as Binge Eating Disorder (BED), Other Specified Feeding and Eating disorders (OSFED) and Avoidant/Restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) and Orthorexia also affect people but they are not as common as anorexia and bulimia. Our focus today on will be on anorexia and bulimia.
Anorexia Nervosa
Self-starvation and unwillingness to maintain a healthy body weight can be best used to describe anorexia. Anorexic patients will always look to lose body weight by any means possible. They will follow a very strict diet, vomit immediately after eating, exercise excessively and refuse to eat and they would choose to starve even though they look malnourished. Anorexia has a very big impact on the overall functioning of the body. It can lead to serious health complications as a result. Anorexic people often live in a state of denial, refusing to admit that they have a problem. Intervention from a professional is required as quickly as possible if someone is showing signs of being anorexic. Genetics, peer pressure, psychological and physical trauma are possible causes for someone to develop anorexia, but the exact case for the cause of this disorder is still unclear.
Symptoms start small with changes in eating habits like avoiding certain food, frequent dieting and exercising. Over time these small changes become a part of their life and become more intense in nature. From avoiding certain foods to almost no food intake, dieting and exercising become more intense and more frequent. They will constantly be heard complaining about their body weight even when they are just skin and bones and dress in larger sized clothes to hide their thin body frame. Irregular patterns of menstrual cycles are also observed in women. However to properly diagnose a person as being anorexic a professional is required.
Anorexia has two sub-types as well. Binge eating/ purging and restrictive type. Binge eating involves consumption of large amounts of food and follow it up with immediate self-induced vomiting. Purging methods commonly include the misuse of laxatives and other dietary pills. Binge eating/ purging is done at least once a week if not more. The restrictive type as the name suggests, is losing weight primarily via intense dieting, self-starvation and a very unhealthy pattern of excessive exercise. Anorexic people generally follow both binge eating/purging and a restrictive routine to lose as much weight as possible.
Treatments for anorexia vary a lot. Different methods of treatment are applied while treating an anorexic patient. People whose lives are at a critical stage will need to be admitted to a hospital to be constantly monitored. Proper medication goes a long way in helping too. Psychotherapy is also a recommended form of treatment to help the person develop and maintain a positive and healthy outlook. A nutritionist or a dietitian can suggest healthy eating habits and help meet the desired and healthy weight. Most importantly constant moral support from the family is required to ensure the person is on the right path and doesn�t relapse. Encouragement from the family is needed to help and support the person affected at all times. However, treatment for adults and children vary.
Bulimia Nervosa
Bulimia nervosa is characterized by periods of uncontrollable binge eating where a person consumes unhealthily large amounts of food over a very short amount of time. This period of binge eating is followed by a sense of guilt and shame that encompasses the person and as a result they indulge in self-induced vomiting. The use of laxatives and other dietary pills are a frequent practice amongst those suffering from this disorder. Unlike anorexia, people suffering from bulimia maintain a fairly average weight. Both types of disorders have a common fear of gaining weight.
Physical and emotional trauma in earlier stages of life, hatred for one�s body, fear of gaining weight, genetics are known to be a common cause for bulimia. Pop-culture, peer pressure plays a big part in the development of this disorder. These causes are not definitive as the main reason for this disorder, like anorexia, is still unclear.
Bulimia often starts as a dieting and weight-loss process. Slowly, the lack of food and nutrition takes hold over the body. People then overcompensate for this by going on periods of binge eating. Depression and anxiety are commonly seen in people suffering from this disorder.
Recurring binge eating, severe mood swings, huge amounts of money spent on food, constant periods of eating after claiming that they aren�t hungry, hoarding food regularly are signs of a bulimic patient. Dehydration, fatigue, bloating and seizures are common physical symptoms of bulimia.
Bulimia nervosa has two sub-types as well. Purging type bulimia and non-purging bulimia. Self induced vomiting, misusing laxatives fall under purging type bulimia. Excessive exercising, fasting and other methods to avoid gaining weight are categorized under non-purging bulimia.
Treatments for bulimia and anorexia are very similar. Constant monitoring of the affected persons eating habits, medication, psychotherapy are the most common forms of treatments for this disorder. Support from the family is very important too. Consulting a nutritionist or a dietitian can help form healthy eating habits. Encouraging healthy eating habits and moral support from family and friends alike is a must for those trying to recover from any form of eating disorders.
If you know anyone who is suffering from an eating disorder, consult a medical professional immediately.
Dietary restrictions, selective eating, frequent exercise and complaints about weight are early signs of eating disorders. The time frame for the symptoms is unpredictable as it can from a few months to a few years to properly present it in the host. Unwillingness to maintain a healthy weight, constant dieting, low self-esteem, mood swings, anxiety and depression are other common symptoms of this fatal disorder.
Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa are the two of the common recorded types of this disorder. Other eating disorders such as Binge Eating Disorder (BED), Other Specified Feeding and Eating disorders (OSFED) and Avoidant/Restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) and Orthorexia also affect people but they are not as common as anorexia and bulimia. Our focus today on will be on anorexia and bulimia.
Anorexia Nervosa
Self-starvation and unwillingness to maintain a healthy body weight can be best used to describe anorexia. Anorexic patients will always look to lose body weight by any means possible. They will follow a very strict diet, vomit immediately after eating, exercise excessively and refuse to eat and they would choose to starve even though they look malnourished. Anorexia has a very big impact on the overall functioning of the body. It can lead to serious health complications as a result. Anorexic people often live in a state of denial, refusing to admit that they have a problem. Intervention from a professional is required as quickly as possible if someone is showing signs of being anorexic. Genetics, peer pressure, psychological and physical trauma are possible causes for someone to develop anorexia, but the exact case for the cause of this disorder is still unclear.
Symptoms start small with changes in eating habits like avoiding certain food, frequent dieting and exercising. Over time these small changes become a part of their life and become more intense in nature. From avoiding certain foods to almost no food intake, dieting and exercising become more intense and more frequent. They will constantly be heard complaining about their body weight even when they are just skin and bones and dress in larger sized clothes to hide their thin body frame. Irregular patterns of menstrual cycles are also observed in women. However to properly diagnose a person as being anorexic a professional is required.
Anorexia has two sub-types as well. Binge eating/ purging and restrictive type. Binge eating involves consumption of large amounts of food and follow it up with immediate self-induced vomiting. Purging methods commonly include the misuse of laxatives and other dietary pills. Binge eating/ purging is done at least once a week if not more. The restrictive type as the name suggests, is losing weight primarily via intense dieting, self-starvation and a very unhealthy pattern of excessive exercise. Anorexic people generally follow both binge eating/purging and a restrictive routine to lose as much weight as possible.
Treatments for anorexia vary a lot. Different methods of treatment are applied while treating an anorexic patient. People whose lives are at a critical stage will need to be admitted to a hospital to be constantly monitored. Proper medication goes a long way in helping too. Psychotherapy is also a recommended form of treatment to help the person develop and maintain a positive and healthy outlook. A nutritionist or a dietitian can suggest healthy eating habits and help meet the desired and healthy weight. Most importantly constant moral support from the family is required to ensure the person is on the right path and doesn�t relapse. Encouragement from the family is needed to help and support the person affected at all times. However, treatment for adults and children vary.
Bulimia Nervosa
Bulimia nervosa is characterized by periods of uncontrollable binge eating where a person consumes unhealthily large amounts of food over a very short amount of time. This period of binge eating is followed by a sense of guilt and shame that encompasses the person and as a result they indulge in self-induced vomiting. The use of laxatives and other dietary pills are a frequent practice amongst those suffering from this disorder. Unlike anorexia, people suffering from bulimia maintain a fairly average weight. Both types of disorders have a common fear of gaining weight.
Physical and emotional trauma in earlier stages of life, hatred for one�s body, fear of gaining weight, genetics are known to be a common cause for bulimia. Pop-culture, peer pressure plays a big part in the development of this disorder. These causes are not definitive as the main reason for this disorder, like anorexia, is still unclear.
Bulimia often starts as a dieting and weight-loss process. Slowly, the lack of food and nutrition takes hold over the body. People then overcompensate for this by going on periods of binge eating. Depression and anxiety are commonly seen in people suffering from this disorder.
Recurring binge eating, severe mood swings, huge amounts of money spent on food, constant periods of eating after claiming that they aren�t hungry, hoarding food regularly are signs of a bulimic patient. Dehydration, fatigue, bloating and seizures are common physical symptoms of bulimia.
Bulimia nervosa has two sub-types as well. Purging type bulimia and non-purging bulimia. Self induced vomiting, misusing laxatives fall under purging type bulimia. Excessive exercising, fasting and other methods to avoid gaining weight are categorized under non-purging bulimia.
Treatments for bulimia and anorexia are very similar. Constant monitoring of the affected persons eating habits, medication, psychotherapy are the most common forms of treatments for this disorder. Support from the family is very important too. Consulting a nutritionist or a dietitian can help form healthy eating habits. Encouraging healthy eating habits and moral support from family and friends alike is a must for those trying to recover from any form of eating disorders.
If you know anyone who is suffering from an eating disorder, consult a medical professional immediately.
