The Women's Center

Eating Disorders

Eating Disorders include a range of conditions that involve an obsession with food, weight and appearance to the degree that a person's heath, relationships and daily activities are adversely affected. While commonly affecting young women, eating disorders are widespread and can impact people of all ages and sexes. It is estimated that several million people in the United States suffer from an eating disorder, and the statistics are growing. The number of men with an eating disorder has more than doubled in the last ten years.

By the numbers:

86% report onset of illness by the age of 20*
10% report onset at 10 years or younger
33% report onset between ages of 11-15
43% report onset between ages of 16-20

Here are a few signs and symptoms

Dramatic weight loss in a relatively short period of time.
Wearing big or baggy clothes or dressing in layers to hide body shape and/or weight loss.
Obsession with weight and complaining of weight problems (even if "average" weight or thin).
Obsession with calories and fat content of foods.
Obsession with continuous exercise.
Frequent trips to the bathroom immediately following meals (sometimes accompanied with water running in the bathroom for a long period of time to hide the sound of vomiting).
Visible food restriction and self-starvation.
Visible bingeing and/or purging.
Use or hiding use of diet pills, laxatives, ipecac syrup (can cause immediate death!) or enemas.
Isolation. Fear of eating around and with others.
Unusual Food rituals such as shifting the food around on the plate to look eaten; cutting food into tiny pieces; making sure the fork avoids contact with the lips (using teeth to scrap food off the fork or spoon); chewing food and spitting it out, but not swallowing; dropping food into napkin on lap to later throw away.
Hiding food in strange places (closets, cabinets, suitcases, under the bed) to avoid eating (Anorexia) or to eat at a later time (Bulimia).
Flushing uneaten food down the toilet (can cause sewage problems).
Vague or secretive eating patterns.
Keeping a "food diary" or lists that consists of food and/or behaviors (ie., purging, restricting, calories consumed, exercise, etc.)
Pre-occupied thoughts of food, weight and cooking.
Visiting websites that promote unhealthy ways to lose weight.
Reading books about weight loss and eating disorders.
Self-defeating statements after food consumption.
Hair loss. Pale or "grey" appearance to the skin.
Dizziness and headaches.
Frequent soar throats and/or swollen glands.
Low self-esteem. Feeling worthless. Often putting themself down and complaining of being "too stupid" or "too fat" and saying they don't matter. Need for acceptance and approval from others.
Complaints of often feeling cold.
Low blood pressure.
Loss of menstrual cycle.
Constipation or incontinence.
Bruised or calluses knuckles; bloodshot or bleeding in the eyes; light bruising under the eyes and on the cheeks.
Perfectionistic personality.
Loss of sexual desire or promiscuous relations.
Mood swings. Depression. Fatigue.
Insomnia. Poor sleeping habits

Remember a person doesn’t have to necessarily be underweight to have an eating disorder.

Take this self quiz to see if you might have an eating disorder: www.anad.org/site/anadweb/content.php?type=1&id=6983

Anorexia Nervosa

Individuals with anorexia nervosa are unwilling or unable to maintain a body weight that is normal or expectable for their age and height (most clinicians use 85% of normal weight as a guide). Individuals with anorexia nervosa typically display a pronounced fear of weight gain and a dread of becoming fat although they are dramatically underweight. Another typical symptom is missing 3 periods because of strict eating habits. People with Anorexia have body image problems. Sometimes they can accept that they are very thin but cannot accept how dangerous their situation really is.

Bulimia Nervosa

People with bulimia consume large amounts of food and then rid their bodies of the excess calories by purging (self-induce vomiting, misuse of laxatives or diuretics) or by non-purging (excessive exercise, fasting) behaviors. Some bulimics use a combination of purging and non-purging behaviors. The cycle of overeating and purging can quickly become an addictive behavior. Often, the individual will feel a loss of control during over eating and the purging/nonpurging behavior becomes a way of regaining control.

Binge Eating

The essential features of binge-eating disorder are recurrent, out-of-control episodes of consuming abnormally large amounts of food. If you suffer from this disorder you eat whether you are hungry or not and consume food well past being uncomfortably full. Binge-eaters are usually extremely distressed by their eating behavior and experience feelings of disgust and guilt both during and after bingeing. Most feel ashamed and try to hide their problem.

For more information or help on eating disorders

Contact the Womens Center or Cooks Counseling center

National Institute of Mental Health.
Phone: (301) 443-4513
Website: www.nimh.nih.gov

National Eating Disorders Association.
Phone: (800) 931-2237
Website: www.nationaleatingdisorders.org

Harvard Eating Disorders Center (HEDC)
Phone: (617) 236-7766
Website: www.hedc.org

National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD)
Phone: (847) 831-3438
Website: www.anad.org

Work Cited

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Article by: Carly Aubery