Information On The Different Types Of Eating Disorders And Their Impact

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There are many eating disorders. Many people assume an eating disorder is only classed as an eating disorder if it is extreme. This isn’t necessarily the case.

All eating disorders start somewhere, and usually they begin with very minor or very occasional aversions to either consuming food in the first place, or keeping food within the system.

Eating disorders aren’t always psychological and sometimes there are physical reasons why a person may not wish to eat or can’t keep food down which has absolutely nothing to do with aversions to food, so people mustn’t be too quick to make snap judgments. Underlying illnesses or internal defects often account for a large number of cases in which people simply assume a person has an eating disorder.

Many people, particularly women and an ever growing number of teenage girls, suffer from eating disorders. Majority of the time the reasons are psychological and have much to do with a persons’ self-image of themselves.

These days there is an immense pressure on women to look super slim and have model good looks, and this is simply an unrealistic expectation for the general populace to follow. Not every person has been blessed with such extraordinary genetics, and feel they are being judged by people for not matching up.

This can cause many women to consume ridiculously small amounts of food, and often the food they do consume they bring back up in the mistaken and dangerous belief they can somehow fulfil the mythical expectations that are being imposed upon them.

The most common eating disorders are anorexia and bulimia.

Typically, anorexia is an altogether loss of appetite which inevitably makes a person unable to eat as the condition worsens.

Bulimia is a disorder in which people often binge eat great amounts of food then purposely bring the food back up to avoid gaining weight.

Eating disorders are extremely dangerous. The human body needs to consume food and needs the food to stay in the system to be broken down into vital nutrients. Eating disorders, whether food is consumed to begin with or brought back up, is paramount to starvation and the effects of malnutrition will soon begin to show.

Eating disorders can be particularly distressing for the person suffering as well as loved ones who often feel powerless to help. If you suffer from an eating disorder it is important you are true to yourself and admit this, and seek professional help as soon as possible so you can begin to recover and deal with not only your eating disorder, but the issues in which sparked it to begin with.

Eating Disorders – An Overview Of The Types And Causes

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There are several different types of eating disorders. The most common being Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa and Binge eating. With Anorexia Nervosa the person starves themselves allowing their body weight to get to 85% or less than what it should be for their height and age.

A person with Bulimia is trapped in a downward spiral. They diet to a point where they feel so hungry that they have to eat, so they binge and then purge all of the food out because they feel guilty for eating. They go back on their diet and promise they will never do it again but when they break their promise the guilt means that they repeat the cycle.

Binging is where the person eats large quantities of food frequently and on more than one occasion. When a person binge eats they feel out of control and feel as if they cannot stop eating all the while feeling guilty about what they are doing. Those that suffer from this eating disorder have a tendency to be obese and depressed.

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A number of factors can trigger an eating disorder. It can be anything from psychological to genetic. Genetic factors actually account for more than half of the causes for developing Anorexia. Interestingly, a person who’s mother or sister suffered from Anorexia Nervosa are twelve times more likely to develop the eating disorder than someone with no family history.

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With the same situation a person is four times more likely to develop Bulimia. Everything from family to friends to one’s culture plays a role in the development of an eating disorder. Most people who develop this type of illness have a tendency to be perfectionists and have a lack of a sense of identity. These factors along with other personality traits can make one more susceptible.

Eating disorders can affect both sexes. For every four women who suffer from Anorexia Nervosa there is one man who suffers from it as well. Likewise one male to every eight to eleven females suffer from Bulimia.

When it comes to binge eating it is nearly an equal ratio of male to female victims of the disorder. Granted, the number of men reporting symptoms of eating disorders is on the rise but this can be attributed to a number of factors. This could be because there is a greater awareness of the possibility that they can suffer from it or because they are in activities that have a strict weight requirement. These men might be involved in a profession or sport that have a strict weight requirement like Law Enforcement, horse racing and wrestling. Interestingly, many men who develop eating disorders were overweight as a child.

Eating disorders are serious illnesses that can kill. The friend or loved one requires professional mental and physical help. What they are going through is not a fad that will pass away with time. As a loved one you can be there for them without judgment or condemnation being a gentle positive influence on how they perceive themselves.