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► Eating Disorders

Are you worried about your eating habits? Or maybe those of a friend? Here is a list of symptoms and behaviours which characterise the most common eating disorders.

Anorexia Nervosa

The effects of anorexia on your body:

· In adults, extreme weight loss; in children and teenagers, poor or inadequate weight gain in relation to their growth or substantial weight loss.

· Constipation and abdominal pains

· Dizzy spells and feeling faint

· Bloated stomach, puffy face and ankles

· Downy hair on the body; occasionally loss of hair on the head when recovering

· Poor blood circulation and feeling cold

· Dry, rough, or discoloured skin

· Loss of ‘periods’, loss of interest in sex

· Loss of bone mass and eventually osteoporosis (brittle bones)

Psychological Signs of Anorexia

· Intense fear of gaining weight and obsessive interest in what others are eating

· Distorted perception of body shape or weight

· Denial of the existence of a problem

· Changes in personality and mood swings

· Becoming aware of an ‘inner voice’ that challenges your views on eating and exercise

Behavioral Signs in Anorexia

· Rigid or obsessive behaviour attached to eating, such as cutting food into tiny pieces

· Mood swings

· Restlessness and hyperactivity

· Wearing big baggy clothes

· Vomiting; taking laxatives

Bulimia

The Effects of Bulimia on Your Body

· Frequent weight changes

· Sore throat, tooth decay and bad breath caused by excessive vomiting

· Swollen salivary glands making the face rounder

· Poor skin condition and possible hair loss

· Irregular ‘periods’ or loss of interest in sex

· Lethargy and tiredness

· Increased risk of heart problems and problems with other internal organs

Psychological Signs of Bulimia

· Uncontrollable urges to eat vast amounts of food

· An obsession with food, or feeling ‘out of control’ around food

· Distorted perception of body weight and shape

· Emotional behaviour and mood swings

· Anxiety and depression; low self-esteem, shame and guilt

· Isolation - feeling helpless and lonely
 

Behavioural Signs of Bulimia

· Bingeing and vomiting

· Disappearing to the toilet after meals in order to vomit food eaten

· Excessive use of laxatives, diuretics or enemas

· Periods of fasting

· Excessive exercise

· Secrecy and reluctance to socialise

· Shoplifting for food; abnormal amounts of money spent on food

· Food disappearing unexpectedly or being secretly hoarded

Compulsive Over-eating

This is a variation on binge eating where you will eat at times when you are not hungry. This may happen all the time, or it may come and go in cycles. Most people who are compulsive eaters are overweight, and may use their weight or appearance as a shield they can hide behind to avoid social interaction. Others hide behind a happy or jolly façade to avoid confronting their problems. Sufferers often feel great shame at being unable to control their compulsion to eat. Compulsive overeating is a serious condition and needs professional support to ensure long term recovery.

Binge Eating Disorder (BED)

Like bulimia, binge eating disorder has only recently been recognised as a distinct condition. It was first acknowledged as a disorder in its own right in 1992. BED shares some of the characteristics of bulimia but the essential difference is that you binge uncontrollably but do not purge. It is believed that many more people suffer from binge eating disorder than either anorexia or bulimia nervosa. Because of the amount of food eaten, many people with BED become obese, this can lead to problems with blood pressure, heart disease and a general lack of fitness. The treatment for BED is in some ways similar to that for bulimia.

Signs of binge eating:

· Eating much more rapidly than usual

· Eating until feeling uncomfortably full

· Eating large amounts of food when not physically hungry

· Eating alone because of embarrassment at the quantities of food consumed

· Feeling out of control around food

· Feeling very self conscious eating in front of others

· Feeling ashamed, depressed or guilty after bingeing

· Being unable to purge yourself or compensate for the food eaten