Across the nation Americans are feeling the affect of an increased number on the scale and the pressure to be thin. Media images of rail thin celebrities and new diet trends equate size to success. Stigmas against overweight individuals exist in our society and can be associated with shame, self blame, low self-esteem and depression. These conditions can impair social functioning, leading to negative stereotypes and discrimination. Eating disorders develop due to a variety of emotional, social, biological and environmental factors. Anorexia, bulimia and binge eating have become more prevalent among all age groups and genders, not just young women.
Often, sufferers of an eating disorder have low self-esteem. Eating disorders don't develop due to one specific cause but by multiple, deeper issues that may be affecting the individual. Often times eating disorders will co-exist with other psychological disorders like obsessive compulsive disorder and depression. Research has shown a direct correlation between anorexia/bulimia and sexual, physical and emotional abuse.
Many sufferers are characterized as perfectionists and develop an eating disorder to control life through food intake. Dieting differs from an eating disorder in that weight loss is obtained in a healthy manner and is a way for the dieter to feel healthy just as much on the outside as on the inside. Commonly, individuals with an eating disorder have a very distorted perception of themselves. A mirror image does not reflect reality, and they become very judgmental.
Anorexia Nervosa is a psychiatric diagnosis that is characterized as an obsessive fear of gaining weight, distorted body image and low weight. Anorexics severely restrict the amount of calories and food, often consuming only a couple hundred calories a day. Obsessively counting calories and starving themselves is a way to control their weight and emotions. Anorexia puts a serious strain on the body and has been linked to heart failure, muscle weakness and death. The body cannot function without food for energy. Anorexia can be considered a reaction to stress, anxiety and the need to be in control.
Bulimia is another eating disorder related to bingeing and purging of food. Bulimia includes eating large consumptions of food in one sitting and then purging or getting rid of the food through vomiting, laxatives or over exercising. Bulimics feel they cannot stop eating or control what or how much they consume. Bingeing and purging is a way for bulimics to cope with emotions and situations or punish themselves for something that has happened. Binge eating is considered a separate eating disorder than bulimia in that binge eating is often followed by a time of extreme dieting or fasts, not purging.
Compulsive eating is another disorder characterized by periods of continuous eating, past the point of being full. Compulsive eaters often feel they have an “addiction” to food and use food to cope with stress. Compulsive overeaters are at health risks for high blood-pressure, heart attacks, kidney disease, stroke and arthritis. Many compulsive overeaters hide behind their physical appearance.
An eating disorder is a serious illness that needs to be taken seriously. Individuals don't always have to appear underweight in order to be suffering. Serious medical conditions can develop and death can occur.
Amanda Derby is the housing advocate for Options for Independence.
Many sufferers are characterized as perfectionists and develop an eating disorder to control life through food intake. Dieting differs from an eating disorder in that weight loss is obtained in a healthy manner and is a way for the dieter to feel healthy just as much on the outside as on the inside. Commonly, individuals with an eating disorder have a very distorted perception of themselves. A mirror image does not reflect reality, and they become very judgmental.
Anorexia Nervosa is a psychiatric diagnosis that is characterized as an obsessive fear of gaining weight, distorted body image and low weight. Anorexics severely restrict the amount of calories and food, often consuming only a couple hundred calories a day. Obsessively counting calories and starving themselves is a way to control their weight and emotions. Anorexia puts a serious strain on the body and has been linked to heart failure, muscle weakness and death. The body cannot function without food for energy. Anorexia can be considered a reaction to stress, anxiety and the need to be in control.
Bulimia is another eating disorder related to bingeing and purging of food. Bulimia includes eating large consumptions of food in one sitting and then purging or getting rid of the food through vomiting, laxatives or over exercising. Bulimics feel they cannot stop eating or control what or how much they consume. Bingeing and purging is a way for bulimics to cope with emotions and situations or punish themselves for something that has happened. Binge eating is considered a separate eating disorder than bulimia in that binge eating is often followed by a time of extreme dieting or fasts, not purging.
Compulsive eating is another disorder characterized by periods of continuous eating, past the point of being full. Compulsive eaters often feel they have an “addiction” to food and use food to cope with stress. Compulsive overeaters are at health risks for high blood-pressure, heart attacks, kidney disease, stroke and arthritis. Many compulsive overeaters hide behind their physical appearance.
An eating disorder is a serious illness that needs to be taken seriously. Individuals don't always have to appear underweight in order to be suffering. Serious medical conditions can develop and death can occur.
Amanda Derby is the housing advocate for Options for Independence.
