Thinking About Eating Disorders

As health and wellness editors with young kids we worry about whether our kids are eating right or not, especially our daughters.  Society seems to place an unwritten rule on women that they must be thin or they are not attractive, sexy, successful etc… the list could go on and on.

Our Eating Disorders Information Portal is designed to contain all of our research we’ve done on eating disorders for your use and reference.  We all know someone who is too thin, or starves themselves to fit into the small clothes sizes. Most don’t think they have a problem and relatives sometimes don’t recognize it as a problem. There are many questions in the situation, the major one being do they have an eating disorder? If they do have an eating disorder, what type is it….anorexia, bulimia?

The interesting thing we found is it’s not just women who have eating disorders; men also have eating disorders and it is much hard for them to get the help they need. If you yourself have an eating disorder, or your helping a friend recognize they have an eating disorder, spend the time going through this information portal and start a plan today to find a solution to your problem, your life literally depends on it.

 

Bulimia Statistics

Bulimia nervosa is a terrible type of eating disorder which can really cause damage to the body and the mind. Bulimic individuals are overly concerned with their body image, and they often exhibit low self esteem. They achieve weight loss through unconventional and dangerous ways, most often through 'purging'. Bulimics often over-indulge in food, eating huge, sweet, high-calorie foods before retiring to the bathroom in order to vomit up the food and keep their body from ingesting the calories. It's a very serious condition, and in this article, we'll be relaying some statistics that we've found that discuss the complicated eating disorder known as bulimia nervosa. By better understanding the disease, you'll be able to see how many people are affected by it and exactly what kind of damage it can do.

Those who are facing a problem with bulimia may be good at hiding their problem. Many bulimics exhibit few physical symptoms, making it tough to discover if they've got a problem. Many college-aged females are affected by bulimia though, and studies have shown that a full ten percent of all college-aged females are afflicted with a case of bulimia.


While females are most often afflicted with bulimia nervosa, that's not to say that men aren't affected. Approximately ten percent of all cases of bulimia occur in males.


Bulimia can do a great deal of damage to the human body if left untreated. There are many problems that can develop through the disorder, and sadly, roughly one in ten individuals that are bulimic will die due to complications of the problem. These complications may include starvation, heart attack, or suicide.


One thing to note when trying to discover if an individual is afflicted with bulimia is their weight. The typical bulimic's weight fluctuates from between ten to fifteen pounds over their ideal body weight to ten to fifteen pounds below their ideal body weight.


While anyone may develop a case of bulimia, studies have shown that many cases of the disorder were developed at a young age. A study conducted showed that eighty six percent of all eating disorders were developed at an age of twenty or younger.


While anorexia is commonly considered to be the most prevalent eating disorder, cases of bulimia are more common. While about one percent of all women between the ages of twelve and twenty five have anorexia, as many as one in seven women between twelve and twenty five develop a case of bulimia.


The binge eating that bulimics engage themselves in often follow a pattern. Binges may range from caloric intakes of one thousand calories to over twenty thousand calories in one meal.


Now that you can see the problem that bulimia presents, you can be more alert when it comes to addressing the problem should it occur in someone that you know. When discussing the disorder, be sure to address the afflicted with compassion and love, and expect to be rejected. Do your best to help your loved one to seek assistance from a counselor or a doctor in order to help them to resolve their issue.

Written by: Scott Parat