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Eating disorders are complex conditions that are caused by a combination of biological, emotional, interpersonal and social factors. They are not due to a failure of will or behavior. They are very real, treatable medical illnesses.
Although eating disorders are more common in women, they also occur in men. As many as 10 percent of women and one percent of men suffer from an eating disorder. Eating disorders often begin during high school or college. They can interfere with self-esteem, social interactions and performance at school or work. People who suffer from eating disorders can experience a wide range of physical health complications, including serious heart problems and kidney failure, which can lead to death.
Eating disorders often co-exist with other psychiatric problems, including depression, anxiety disorders and substance abuse. People with eating disorders need a comprehensive evaluation by a mental health professional with specific training and expertise in this area.
The major eating disorders include anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa.
Symptoms of anorexia include:
· Resistance to maintaining body weight at or above a minimally normal weight for a person's age and height.
· Disturbance in the way one's body weight or shape is experienced, undue influence of body weight or shape on self-esteem, or denial of the seriousness of the current low body weight.
· Infrequent or absent menstrual periods in women who have reached puberty.
People with anorexia see themselves as overweight even though they may be dangerously thin. They frequently become obsessed with the process of eating. They may develop unusual habits, such as avoiding food and meals, selecting a few foods and eating these in small quantities, or carefully weighing and portioning food. People with anorexia may repeatedly check their body weight. They may also engage in other techniques to control their weight such as intense and compulsive exercise, or purging by means of vomiting or abusing laxatives, enemas or diuretics.
Symptoms of bulimia include:
· Recurrent episodes of binge eating, characterized by eating an excessive amount of food within a discreet period of time, and by a sense of lack of control over eating during the episode.
· Recurrent, inappropriate compensatory behavior in order to prevent weight gain, such as self-induced vomiting or misuse of laxatives, enemas, diuretics, or other medications; fasting; or excessive exercise.