| Unhealthy eating patterns lead to an eating disorder. | | | | They are: |
| This is very common among teenage girls who are | | | | - Poor circulation of blood |
| obsessed about becoming thin, and start harming their | | | | - Irregular menstrual cycle |
| body by not eating. Poor nutrition harms their body | | | | - Brittle bones |
| organs. This is a very serious problem as it affects | | | | - Infertility |
| them mentally as well, and leads to depression and | | | | - Fainting and dizziness |
| anxiety. An eating disorder can be overeating as well. | | | | - Dehydration leading to kidney damage |
| When a person finds refuge in food to cover their | | | | - Slowed heartbeat |
| mental disturbance, then they are suffering from an | | | | - Low blood pressure |
| eating disorder. | | | | - Reduced body temperature |
| The three most common types of eating disorder are: | | | | - Hair loss |
| - Anorexia | | | | Compulsive eating: |
| - Bulimia | | | | When a person starts binging, leading to a feeling of |
| - Compulsive eating | | | | guilt and shame, she/he is said to be a compulsive |
| Anorexia: | | | | eater. This is not like bulimia where the person involves |
| This is a psychological disorder, mostly seen in teenage | | | | purging. This leads to weight gain and depression. Here |
| girls, as a result of low self esteem or emotional or | | | | the person has an uncontrolled urge to eat all the time. |
| physical abuse. Obsession to become thin is the main | | | | 40 percent of people who are obese are binge eaters. |
| reason for these people to start over dieting. The | | | | How would you know if you are a compulsive eater? |
| more they lose weight, the more they have the drive | | | | These are common signs of a compulsive eater: |
| to push further. They stop worrying about their body, | | | | - Eating uncontrollably |
| and they become only interested in losing weight. They | | | | - Depression |
| starve so as to take control over the body. They start | | | | - Dieting frequently |
| neglecting their health, which can sometimes even lead | | | | - Preoccupied about their weight |
| to death. This disorder is also a type of addiction. | | | | - Vigorous exercise or vomiting to lose weight |
| They develop psychological fear of food and fatness, | | | | - Health problems like heartburn, dental problems, |
| which leads them to the extent of vomiting out | | | | fatigue, weight gain, insomnia and high BP. |
| anything and everything that they eat. Some people | | | | Treatments: |
| also start using laxatives to reduce weight. No matter | | | | Recovery from these disorders is possible. The |
| how thin they grow, they are never satisfied. | | | | person must undergo certain lifestyle changes with the |
| Bulimia: | | | | help of the people around him/her. There are different |
| This is also similar to anorexia, where the person | | | | kinds of psychological therapy available to treat these |
| becomes obsessed with growing thin. Here the person | | | | problems. For a person suffering from anorexia, |
| may binge on food, then throw up everything she/he | | | | hospitalization may be necessary in extreme cases; |
| just ate. They may first eat a large amount of food, | | | | when due to severe weight loss different parts of the |
| and even indulge in rich food in a short period of time, | | | | body get affected. Intravenous feeding may be |
| then later force themselves to vomit. They may also | | | | required, and the focus would be on gaining weight. |
| start exercising excessively, use laxatives, or fast to | | | | Family support and assistance is very important. The |
| make up for the food they had, as they start to feel | | | | person is given nutritional education for a healthy |
| guilty about having eaten food. Bulimia is most common | | | | alternative to weight management. A lot of counseling |
| in adolescent and young adult women. | | | | is given, and therapy to boost up one's self esteem. |
| Unlike anorexia where the person stops eating, bulimic | | | | Everyone has the right to love his own body. |
| people do eat food, but they either force themselves | | | | So with the help of medical, psychological and |
| to vomit or use laxatives. | | | | nutritional assistance, people with eating disorders can |
| Health problems related to Anorexia/Bulimia | | | | be healed. |