Common Eating Disorders

With how society views beauty today, it is no wonder eating disorders are as common as they are. There are many added pressures, especially for women, to be as thin as possible and it does not matter how they accomplish this. The most common eating disorders are anorexia nervosa and bulimia and both of them can do severe damage to the mind and body.

Bulimia, is characterized by binging and purging. What this means, is that the person will have no control over the amount of food they eat. There are moments when they will eat for hours straight. However, they will then feel ashamed of how much they have eaten and will force themselves to throw up. Many people suffering from bulimia can actually maintain a normal weight and so, it may be difficult to give that person help.

Anorexia nervosa deals more with very little or no food intake. There is a strong focus on constantly being thinner than they are. Those who suffer from anorexia have a distorted body image and no matter how thin they get, it is never enough. They cannot see the weight they are losing or how horrifying their bodies have become.

Very often with eating disorders, there is an obsession with food. Although it may seem like the person detests even the sight of food, it actually plays a major role in their lives. Especially with anorexics, food rituals are often practiced; they will eat a certain amount of calories a day or cut their food up very small while eating. No matter what they do, food remains a large part of their thoughts.

What many people do not understand is that although eating disorders revolve around food, the disorders themselves are not always about weight. Particularly with bulimia, there is a need to control the hectic world around them. Many of these eating disorders can be triggered by an event in the person’s life in which they lose all control, such as a move or the death of someone close to them; the amount of food they put into their bodies or remove seems to be the only thing they have a say in. Sadly, what many do not realize is that an eating disorder is the absolute opposite of that; the food is actually controlling them.

An estimated eight million Americans are suffering from an eating disorder, but only one in ten will receive treatment. Anorexia and bulimia are two of the most common eating disorders as well as the most dangerous. Twenty percent of those who suffer from anorexia will die from complications. Dealing with an eating disorder is extremely difficult and not something that should be taken lightly. It is vital for those who exhibit symptoms of these disorders to get the help they need as soon as possible.