Eating Disorders

Eating disorders are abnormal eating habits that involve either eating too much or too little, and that have a negative effect on a person's psychological state.  It is very difficult to identify an eating disorder;  everyone has very different bodies with very different eating habits.  We have put together a list of three of the most currently prominent eating disorders and a little bit about them.  We do not claim to be experts in this area, so if you suspect that you might be suffering from an eating disorder talk to your doctor.


Anorexia
This eating disorder focuses on a person who suffers from an intense fear of weight gain as well as a very distorted body image.  Often these people will appear extremely skinny to the world, but when they look at themselves in the mirror they see a fat person.  Some of the symptoms of Anorexia include significant weight lose in a short period of time, fear of weight gain, obsession over extreme dieting, and social and emotional withdrawal. 


Bulimia
This disorder focuses on two steps: binging and purging.  Binging means that a person consumes large amounts of food in a very short period of time.  Purging on the other hand is getting the food out of the body in different ways.  Purging can be carried out through self-induced vomiting, the use of laxatives, fasting, or even intense exercise.  Bulimia can be difficult to diagnose because usually the person is at a healthy normal weight.  However, some symptoms of bulimia include the erosion of teeth from stomach acid, dehydration, vomiting, and inflammation of the esophagus.


Binge Eating Disorder (BED)
Binge Eating Disorder is different than Bulimia in the fact that there is no purging stage.  This is still a very new eating disorder, so the medical community is still working on defining it.  The most common current definition is a person who binges eats and does little to compensate for their caloric intake.  One of the major symptoms of BED is obesity.  It is estimated that 5.5% of the American population suffers from BED.


People with eating disorders can be helped.  If you or someone you know suffers from a disorder get help from a professional. 



If you have suffered from an eating disorder, and would like to talk about your story, check out our 'Share Your Story' page.


Sources: Wikipedia.org, randomhistory.com