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.

 

Determining Whether an Eating Disorder is Present

Eating disorders can present a very serious problem to an individual's health, both mentally and physically. Those who suffer from eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia often have a very low self image and a lack of self esteem, causing them to feel as if their body will never be good enough. When one is afflicted with an eating disorder, it is crucial that they receive counseling to help to put them back on the road to recovery. It can be tough to determine whether or not a person actually has an eating disorder, so in this article, we'll be giving you some tips so that you can better tell whether or not a person in your life is facing a problem.

Many people that are experiencing eating disorders do their best to hide the problem. They may try to explain away periods of rapid weight loss as the effects of a diet that they are on. To that end, you need to be able to determine whether or not a diet can truly merit the results that your loved one is experiencing. Examine how your loved one behaves when they are going about their weight loss - if they appear to be trying to garner attention in a negative manner, you may be right in suspecting an eating disorder. When dieting, one attempts to lose some amount of weight with a positive outlook. If an individual focuses on their weight in a negative manner, you should be suspect. Dieting should be positive, with an individual looking not to attain perfection, but to shed a few pounds. Those who experience eating disorders are often looking for acceptance by the world, and this should be noticeable if an eating disorder is present. If the person is overly critical of themselves, holding themselves to a perfectionist's standard, the conditions are ripe for an eating disorder. They may continue to state that they are fat even when it is clear that they are below a normal, healthy body weight. Eating disorders often are accompanied by a case of depression, so be sure to note the person's personality.

You should also be on the lookout for physical manifestations of the problem. If the person is afraid to eat in public, they may be going through anorexia and are trying to hide their problem. If you regularly dine with the individual, be sure to note if they retire to the bathroom immediately after eating, which can occur when bulimics are trying to purge themselves of the food they eat. If you see that they are taking diet pills or laxatives, a serious warning sign may be present. People with eating disorders often keep their problem holed up inside, and it can be quite difficult to get them to admit that they have a problem. Be sure to approach them with compassion and love, showing that you are concerned about their wellbeing. As many as ten percent of all people with eating disorders will die from the affliction, so it's important to address problems and not ignore them for the health and safety of your loved one.

Written by: Scott Parat