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Eating Disorders

Symptoms

Although eating disorders are usually classified as falling into one of three categories- Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa and Binge Eating Disorder, some people experience problems which do not fit neatly into one category or another. The severity of symptoms also fluctuates. However, all disordered eating eventually puts a person at risk for serious medical problems, as well as additional mental health problems, like depression.

The following information is from the American Anorexia/Bulimia Association:

Anorexia Nervosa is a disorder in which preoccupation with dieting and thinness leads to excessive weight loss. The individual may not acknowledge that weight loss or restricted eating is a problem.

Anorexia danger signals include:

  • losing a significant amount of weight
  • continuing to diet (although thin)
  • feeling fat, even after loosing weight
  • fearing weight gain
  • losing monthly menstrual periods
  • preoccupation with food, calories, nutrition and/or cooking
  • preferring to diet in isolation
  • exercising compulsively
  • binging and purging
Bulimia Nervosa involves frequent episodes of binge eating, almost always followed by purging and intense feelings of guilt or shame. The individual feels out of control and recognizes that the behavior is not normal. Up to 5% of college women in the US are bulimic.

Bulimia danger signals include:

  • binging, or eating uncontrollably
  • purging by strict dieting, fasting, vigorous exercise, vomiting or abusing laxatives or diuretics in an attempt to lose weight
  • using the bathroom frequently after meals
  • preoccupation with body weight
  • depression or mood swings
  • irregular periods
  • developing dental problems, swollen cheeks/glands, heartburn and/or bloating
  • experiencing personal or family problems with drugs or alcohol
Compulsive Eaters and Binge Eaters also experience uncontrolled eating, sometimes kept secret. Both groups often experience depression and sometimes other psychological problems. Up to 40% of people who are obese may be binge eaters.

Binge eating danger signals include:

  • episodes of binge eating
  • eating when not physically hungry
  • frequent dieting
  • feeling unable to stop eating voluntarily
  • awareness that eating patterns are abnormal
  • weight fluctuations
  • depressed mood
  • social and professional success and failures attributed to weight