Eating Disorders

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Eating Disorders

• Intro to Psychology
• Purificato

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Eating Disorders

• Eating disorders are characterized by severe
  disturbances in eating behavior.
• The practice of an eating disorder can be viewed
  as a survival mechanism.
• Just as an alcoholic uses alcohol to cope, a
  person with an eating disorder can use eating,
  purging or restricting to deal with their
  problems. Some of the underlying issues that are
  associated with an eating disorder include low
  self-esteem, depression, feelings of loss of
  control, feelings of worthlessness, identity
  concerns, family communication problems and an
  inability to cope with emotions.
• .

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• The practice of an eating disorder may be an
  expression of something that the eating
  disordered individual has found no other way of
  expressing.
• Eating disorders are usually divided into three
  categories Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa and
  Compulsive Overeating

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Anorexia Nervosa

• Anorexia is a disorder where the main
  characteristic is the restriction of food and the
  refusal to maintain a minimal normal body weight.
  
• Any actual gain or even perceived gain of weight
  is met with intense fear by the Anorexic. Not
  only is there a true feeling of fear, but also
  once in the grasp of the disorder, Anorexics
  experience body image distortions.
• Those areas of the body usually representing
  maturity or sexuality including the buttocks,
  hips, thighs and breast are visualized by the
  Anorexic as being fat.
• For some Anorexics, weight loss is so severe
  there is a loss of menses. In the obsessive
  pursuit of thinness, Anorexics participate in
  restrictive dieting, compulsive exercise, and
  laxative and diuretic abuse.
• If Anorexia Nervosa is left untreated, it can be
  fatal.

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Bulimia Nervosa

• Bulimics are caught in the devastating and
  addictive binge-purge cycle.
• The Bulimic eats compulsively and then purges
  through self-induced vomiting, use of laxatives,
  diuretics, diet pills, ipecac, strict diets,
  fasts, chew-spitting, vigorous exercise, or other
  compensatory behaviors to prevent weight gain.
• Binges usually consist of the consumption of
  large amounts of food in a short period of time.

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• Binge eating usually occurs in secret. Bulimics,
  like Anorexics, are also obsessively involved
  with their body shape and weight. The medical
  complications of the binge-purge cycle can be
  severe and like Anorexia can be fatal.

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Compulsive Overeating

• Compulsive Overeaters are often caught in the
  vicious cycle of binge eating and depression.
• They often use food as a coping mechanism to deal
  with their feelings.
• Binge eating temporarily relieves the stress of
  these feelings, but is unfortunately followed by
  feelings of guilt, shame, disgust, and
  depression. Binge eating, like Bulimia, often
  occurs in secret. It is not uncommon for
  Compulsive

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• Overeaters to eat normally or restrictively in
  front of others and then make up for eating less
  by bingeing in secret.
• For other Compulsive overeaters, binges consist
  of grazing on foods all day long. Similar to
  Anorexics and Bulimics, Compulsive Overeaters are
  constantly struggling and unhappy with their
  weight.
• The number on the scale often determines how they
  feel about themselves. Medical complications can
  also be severe and even life threatening for
  Compulsive Overeaters.

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Night Eating Syndrome

• Night Eating Syndrome is a disorder where the
  affected individual wakes multiple times during
  the night and is unable to fall back asleep
  unless they eat something. Foods eaten during the
  binge are often high caloric in content and
  unhealthy. The night eating behavior seems
  totally beyond the effected individual's control.
• For these individuals, 35 or more of their
  calories are eaten after dinnertime. Following
  the night binge, the person is often not hungry
  in the morning. Individuals suffering from Night
  Eating Syndrome are often caught in the vicious
  cycle of binge eating during the night and eating
  less during the day.

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• Triggers for Night Eating Syndrome include
  depression, anxiety, interpersonal stressors,
  boredom, prolonged dieting, and body image
  dissatisfaction.
• Night eating may temporarily relieve the stress
  of these unwanted feelings, but for the night
  eater these episodes are unfortunately followed
  by feelings of guilt, shame, disgust, and further
  depression.
• For the person suffering from Night Eating
  Syndrome, the eating episodes usually occur in
  secret and any evidence is often hidden from
  others.

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• Similar to Anorexics, Bulimics, and Compulsive
  Overeaters, individuals suffering from Night
  Eating Syndrome are often struggling and unhappy
  with their weight.
• It is estimated that up to one percent of the
  population may be suffering from Night Eating
  Syndrome.
• Like Anorexia Nervosa Bulimia Nervosa, and
  Compulsive Overeating, Night Eating Syndrome is a
  disease and cannot be cured with willpower alone.