Eating disorders are best described asproblems regarding one's attitude towards food and the process ofeating itself. Numerous factors can contribute to the onset of eatingdisorders and these factors can be social, aesthetic, family-related,psychological etc.
Either way, people who suffer fromeating disorders usually suffer from health problems typical fortheir conditions, leading to serious, even life-threateningproblems in the long run. While most eating disorders manifestthrough not eating enough food for your body's properfunctioning, eating too much food can also lead to the development ofan eating disorder. This disorder is called binge-eating or emotionaleating.
Types of Eating Disorders
The three most commonly seen eatingdisorders are anorexia, bulimia and binge eating. Anorexia andbulimia are conditions which lead to health problems related to alack of nutrients due to not consuming enough food. However, the two disorders are not thesame. Basically, while anorexic individuals choose to starve in orderto lose weight and become attractive according to the social andaesthetic standards, bulimic people eat but find ways of expellingthis food from their body before it gets digested.
Anorexic people search all possibleways of avoiding food, usually combining this bodyweight obsessionwith excessive exercising and bizarre diet plans. On the other hand,bulimic individuals tend to overeat, consuming fatty and unhealthyfood in most cases, turning to self-induced vomiting or takinglaxatives in order to expel the food from their bodies. This way,they manage to enjoy the eating and satisfy their cravings while, atthe same time, not gaining weight. However, the impact such actionshave on the health of an individual are tremendous.
People who suffer from anorexia andbulimia usually see themselves as overweight, even though, inreality, this is not so. Rather, bulimic people may maintain regularbodyweight, but anorexic people are usually extremely skinny.
Binge-eating, on the other hand, is acompletely different eating disorder. Here, the affected person turnsto excessive eating of fatty, sweet, salty or unhealthy food in orderto deal with some sorts of personal problems. Naturally, this eatingdisorder does not solve anything, but only leads to more healthissues such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes etc.
So, bulimia and binge-eating haveexcessive consumption in common. Yet, binge-eating does not involvepurging. Therefore, people who are prone to binge-eating are usuallyoverweight and completely aware of their problem, regardless of thefact that they cannot end their eating obsession.
Binge-eating may stem from childhoodhabits, when a person got rewards in forms of food whenever he/shedid something positive. In this case, later in life, people may turnto eating in order to feel the comfort and satisfaction they relateto this action.
However, the problem may be connectedto some other dysfunctions of the body. Basically, the brain maybe unable to send proper appetite-related messages, making a personfeel full after eating. In this case, the problem is biological oreven genetic.
Either way, people who suffer frombinge-eating disorder need to seek professional medical assistance,breaking the vicious circle of eating for comfort before too late.
How and Where to Get Help When You Havean Eating Disorder?
Eating disorders carry a heavy socialstigma and people who suffer from these usually meet with public ridiculeand harsh reactions of others, especially when it comes tobinge-eating and being overweight, let alone obese.
Still, people suffering from theseproblems need help and support since they cannot manage to battle thehealth issues they are facing on their own. Fortunately, counselors,doctors, therapists and nutrition experts, all may prove to be ofassistance, helping a person with an eating disorder to overcome thisstate of affairs and become healthy once again, normalizing his/hereating habits.
Emotional problems behind binge-eatingcan best be treated through psychotherapy, group therapy, familytherapy or some similar approaches. Of course, wholehearted supportand assistance of family members and friends can prove to be crucial factors towards treatment. Therefore, during your process ofrecovery, it is best to stay away from people who talk negativelyabout excessive body weight, potentially causing you problems.
Finally, rest assured that thetreatment for eating disorders might last for a long time, requiringall your strength and resilience. Nevertheless, stay motivated and donot give up until you manage to return to your normal eating habits,bringing balance back in your life. So, if you suffer from any formsof eating disorders, do not live like this for a second more; contactyour doctor and seek professional help before any serious healthproblems start affecting you.
All in all, there are many differenteating disorders people might suffer from, the most common beingbinge-eating, anorexia and bulimia, stemming from countless factors.Eating disorders may be a too much for you to deal with on your own.Thus, as soon as you notice signs of such problems, seek medicalhelp.
Your thoughts on this
Loading...