Although anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are probably the best-known expressions of this condition, there are many kinds of eating disorders, some more extreme than others. Compulsive eating, compulsive dieting, binge eating, comfort eating, laxative abuse, and faddy eating are all forms of eating disorder.
People with eating disorders do not like food; for them it is an addiction. Anorexics regard it as an enemy to be avoided at all costs. Bulimics choose food that will be easy to regurgitate; binge eaters will eat whatever is in the refrigerator or cupboards, however unappetizing it may be; comfort eaters choose indulgent, easy-to-eat foods - cookies, cakes, candies, white bread, all of which produce short-term contentment by releasing serotonins in the brain.
Such distorted views of food and eating are different in every individual case and often have their roots in family history. Anorexia nervosa, for example; is characteristically associated with adolescent girls who suffer from low self-esteem and who may feel powerless in their relationship with the rest of the family. There are other factors that affect young people with this disorder; it is argued, with some success, that outside pressures have a great effect especially on adolescents who feel under pressure to conform to the current popular notion that "thin is beautiful."
However, other eating disorders will also respond to an examination of this area; staying fat in a world where thin is considered beautiful may allow you to step out of the arena of courtship, which may be a goal for people who are uncomfortable with sexual relationships. Deciding to be fat may be a form of revenge, especially in a mother-daughter relationship where the mother has been too dominant. Counseling and psychotherapy from a trained practitioner can help these cases, once the reason why the decision to either eat yourself to obesity or to starve yourself into a nonperson have been addressed.
Very few cases have a physical origin, although naturopaths and nutritionists may make a careful analysis of thyroid activity to see if any minor imbalance in the production of thyroxine may be causing excess weight gain or loss. People who eat for comfort may respond to a course of enjoyable exercise to produce serotonin. Once they have done that, a sensible eating regime can be established, and they can address the problem of why they are unhappy from a more rational standpoint.
However, once recovery is underway, a naturopath or nutritionist should be consulted to help establish a healthy, enjoyable, and nutritious diet and to prescribe supplements to support recovery and maintain the new status.
Bulimia is characterized by overeating, followed shortly by some form of purging. This is an attempt by the patient to control the weight after each session of overeating. Often, these methods involve incorrect ways of losing weight. They include vomiting, taking laxative or fasting.
Bulimia is often linked to depression, stress, or low self esteem. A person who suffers from Bulimia, when feeling stressful or depressed, experiences a loss of control. As a stop gap measure to help relieve the discomfort caused by the stress, the individual goes on an eating spree. Food consumed at this point usually include "comfort food" like sweets, ice-cream, and other tidbits.
The problem is, this state doesn't last for long. Soon, the individual calms down and feels regretful about taking so much food. He or she will then resort to some short term measure to get the food out of the system. Usually, these measures are unnaturally, as they involve forcing food out of the body. After that, the individual appears to be back to normal. However, when the individual encounters another stressful experience, the cycle starts all over again.
Unlike Anorexia, it is harder to detect a person who is suffering from Bulimia. This is because the individual usually looks just like a normal human being. He or she may not be overweight. And when the Bulimia cycle starts, eating and purging activities are often conducted privately. For this reason, some people don't even know that they are suffering from Bulimia. If wasn't until 1980s that Bulimia was officially recognized as an eating disorder.
In sharp contrast, Anorexia has much more devastating symptoms. Anorexia is characterized by an individual deliberately starving him or herself. There are many reasons why an individual will want to do this. Most suffer from Anorexia because they want to look slim. Some may be working in an industry that favors slim figures - like the modeling industry. Others may just want to look like their idols, so they start starving themselves. In the process, perhaps unknowingly, they started forming unhealthy eating habits. Over time, the condition worsens and they eventually find themselves suffering from Anorexia.
It is easier to spot someone suffering from Anorexia because an individual will look very pale and thin. There are other highly visible signs as well. For example, the individual may refuse to eat when in public. The skin surface may also appear to be brittle. The individual will try to avoid any unnecessary activities due to lack of energy. Without proper eating habits, the body has nothing to feed on and convert to energy.
Someone who is discovered to be suffering from Anorexia should seek treatment immediately. After all, the body is not designed to go for long periods of time without food. As the condition of the body continues to deteriorate, the life of the individual may be threatened.
Fortunately, both eating disorders can be treated. But professional assistance is highly recommended. Professionals will be able to recommend the right treatment programs depending on the severity of the disorders.
Both Richard Bean & Gen Wright are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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