EATING DISORDERS

Eating disorders are serious illnesses that affect up to ten percent of young men and women; females account for the largest percentage of individuals affected by eating disorders making up approximately 90 percent, however as the disorders become more common, the number of men affected continues to increase significantly. Because this disease kills, it is no problem to be taken lightly; one staggering statistic involving eating disorders is that out of all possible mental health illnesses, individuals who suffer from eating disorders have the highest mortality and morbidity rates. Eating disorders involve any eating disturbances and feelings of desperation or extreme concern about body shape, weight, and food consumption. People who have eating disorders also have distorted images of how their body currently appears, and how it should be under ideal circumstances.

There are three main types of eating disorders. The first, Anorexia Nervosa, is the most recognizable, but not the most common. It affects approximately 4 percent of females, and the onset is usually very early, occurring when a young adult is in their pre or early teenage years. People with this disorder are normally dangerously thin and are obsessed with their weight and have unusual eating habits, such as picking a few foods and eating very little of it, or being very careful to portion their food. Common symptoms include:

· Refusal to maintain minimal normal weight for age and height; weight is maintained at 15% or more below this range · Extreme fear of obesity, even though thin or underweight · Distorted body image, so much so they may deny the seriousness of their low body weight, or that their body weight is low at all

The second type of eating disorder is more common but more difficult to recognize. Bulimia Nervosa is distinctly different from Anorexia Nervosa, but they may coexist. This disorder is characterized by extreme binge eating, followed by purging, and people with Bulimia are often a normal weight. Because these behaviors are often done in secret, it may be hard to observe. Some symptoms include:

· Recurrent binges, when a person eats a large amount of food in a small amount of time and loses control while eating · Regular vomiting, laxative abuse, enemas, other medications, fasting, or excessive exercise to follow for compensation · The cycle of binge eating and compensatory purging occurs at least two times in a three-week period · Obsession with body shape and weight

The final type of eating disorder is Binge Eating. This disorder is very similar to Bulimia in the aspect that a person eats out of control over a short period of time, however with this eating disorder, there are no compensatory purging activities. Therefore, the person who suffers from Binge Eating will feel distressed about their activities, but is usually overweight.

If you believe that you or someone you love suffers from an eating disorder, please contact Gulf Coast Recovery today for more information on the illness and possible treatments.