Eating Disorders ? the Three Types

There are three main types of eating disorder; these are Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa and Binge Eating Disorder. The term eating disorder is used to describe any eating patterns that are obsessive and long lasting. In the last 20 to 30 years or so there has been a marked increase in the amount of people troubled by these disorders. Let''s have a brief look at the three variants.

Anorexia nervosa

Anorexia is an eating disorder where individuals starve themselves of food, because they have an obsessive longing to be thin. This disorder tends to affect mainly teenage girls, but can also affect men, and it is serious and sometimes even fatal. About half of the people with anorexia who have hospital treatment still struggle with the disorder and have symptoms for a long time afterwards. One trait of sufferers seems to be a lack of self-esteem.

Bulimia nervosa,

Bulimia nervosa, usually shortened to bulimia, is an eating disorder where individuals have a binge-eating session; this is usually then followed by them making themselves sick. This self-induced vomiting is because of feelings of guilt at having eaten so much. People with bulimia tend to suffer from an unnatural preoccupation with their own body, and as with anorexic patients they have a fear of gaining weight. Individuals who suffer with bulimia will devour huge quantities of food in an attempt to reduce stress, and help them deal with feelings of anxiety.

Binge eating disorder

Binge eating disorder involves bouts of overeating high calorie foods on a regular basis, but unlike bulimia sufferers, they don''t make themselves vomit. People with this disorder not surprisingly, are usually overweight. This disorder was first recognized about 45 years ago; but it is only in recent times that it has been seen as a widespread problem. Studies have shown that binge eating disorder seems to run in families, so it looks like there is a genetic link.

The rather worrying news is that the big three eating disorders - anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder, are reported to be on the rise all around the world.

James Hunaban is the owner of http://eating-disorders.health-info4u.com/ a site full of Eating Disorders information.

Predisposing Factors

Written by: Fabio Piccini, doctor and Jungian psychotherapist, in charge of the "Centre for Eating Disorders Therapy" at "Malatesta Novello" nursing home in Cesena. Works privately in Rimini and Chiavari. E-mail: piccini@anoressia-bulimia.it
First version: 26 Nov 2006. Latest revision: 26 Nov 2006.

Question(s):
Which factors make it more likely that a person will get an eating disorder?

Answer:

Research on eating disorders has shown that it is not possible to attribute only one cause to an eating disorder development.

Eating disorder development has been described as a three-phase process where the presence of certain risk factors creates a predisposition to fall ill; for this reason some people become more vulnerable to eating disorder development.
When these more vulnerable people have to face up to very stressful events, there is a high probability that they will develop an eating disorder rather than psychological, psychosomatic or other kinds of pathology.

When the eating disorder is stable, it is prone to self-maintenance.

There are different factors that predispose people to develop an eating disorder. Some predisposing factors are:

* Being a woman. It is undeniable that a woman is more subject to the slimness cult than a man.
* Being between the ages of 15 and 35. Eating disorders reach their peak in this age bracket.
* Suffering from depressive disorders and having particular personality traits.
* Being overweight. It has been noticed that many eating disorders begin with a strict diet in overweight people.
* Having a family where weight and body fitness are considered important problems.
* Having been victims of sexual abuse during childhood and adolescence. An incidence of abuse victims is of statistical importance in eating disorder patients.
* Growing up in a family that had not transmitted enough self-esteem, trust in oneself and the capacity to recognize and elaborate emotions.

The presence of two or more factors will create in people a predisposition to suffer from eating disorders that will be stronger as the factors increase.

Hope for Those with Eating Disorders

Eating disorders that are increasing among teens and kids, especially among young women. Read on to understand more about how an eating disorder can affect

Eating disorders are often described as an outward expression of internal emotional pain and confusion. Eating disorders afflict millions of people, thousands of which will die from them yearly. There is good news though, eating disorders can be beaten.

An eating disorder involves a distorted pattern of thinking about food and size/weight there is a preoccupation and obsession with food, as well as an issue of control or lack of control around food and its consumption.

Eating is controlled by many factors, including appetite, food availability, family, peer, and cultural practices, and attempts at voluntary control. Dieting to a body weight leaner than needed for health is highly promoted by current fashion trends, sales campaigns for special foods, and in some activities and professions.

Eating disorders involve serious disturbances in eating behavior, such as extreme and unhealthy reduction of food intake or severe overeating, as well as feelings of distress or extreme concern about body shape or weight.

These are also the three most common eating disorders. Eating disorders can cause heart and kidney problems and even death.Eating disorders frequently co-occur with other psychiatric disorders such as depression, substance abuse, and anxiety disorders.

The main types of eating disorders are anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. A third type, binge-eating disorder. Eating disorders are not due to a failure of will or behavior; rather, they are real, treatable medical illnesses in which certain maladaptive patterns of eating take on a life of their own.

Eating disorders frequently develop during adolescence or early adulthood, but some reports indicate their onset can occur during childhood or later in adulthood. In addition, people who suffer from eating disorders can experience a wide range of physical health complications, including serious heart conditions and kidney failure which may lead to death.

Eating Disorders are about being convinced that your whole self-esteem is hinged on. Eating Disorders are about attempting to control your life and emotions through food/lack of food.

A person with anorexia nervosa typically starves himself or herself to be thin and experiences excessive weight loss, typically 15% below the weight that doctors consider ideal for his or her height and age.

A child with anorexia or bulimia may experience dehydration as well as other medical complications. Anorexia may affect a child''s growth, bone mass, cause puberty delays, an irregular heartbeat and blood pressure problems, and gastrointestinal problems.

Treatment of anorexia calls for a specific program that involves three main phases
(1) restoring weight lost to severe dieting and purging;
(2) treating psychological disturbances such as distortion of body image, low self-esteem, and interpersonal conflicts; and
(3) achieving long-term remission and rehabilitation, or full recovery.

Eating Disorders Treatment Tips

1. Treatment can include medical supervision, nutritional counseling, and therapy.

2. Supportive group therapy may follow, and self-help groups within communities may provide ongoing support.

3. Behavioral therapy has proven effective in achieving this goal.

4. Psychotherapy has proven effective in helping to prevent the eating disorder from recurring and in addressing issues that led to the disorder.

5. Family members or other trusted individuals can be helpful in ensuring.

6. Certain selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) have been shown to be helpful for weight maintenance.

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