Eating Disorders

HealthWatch for February 2009
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According to the Cleveland Clinic, eating disorders are a broad group of emotional illnesses that cause a person to adopt harmful eating habits.  Those affected by eating disorders are often so preoccupied with food and weight that they can focus on little else.  Most people with eating disorders are females, but males also have eating disorders. Eating disorders can develop at any age, but they tend to start during adolescence.

The main types of eating disorders are anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge-eating disorder.  Here are some of the signs and symptoms from the National Mental Health Information Center:

Anorexia nervosa: People who have anorexia develop unusual eating habits such as avoiding food and meals, picking out a few foods and eating them in small amounts, weighing their food, and counting the calories of everything they eat. Also, they may exercise excessively.
Bulimia nervosa: People who have bulimia eat an excessive amount of food in a single episode and almost immediately make themselves vomit or use laxatives or diuretics (water pills) to get rid of the food in their bodies. This behavior often is referred to as the “binge/purge” cycle. Like people with anorexia, people with bulimia have an intense fear of gaining weight.
Binge-eating disorder: People with this recently recognized disorder have frequent episodes of compulsive overeating, but unlike those with bulimia, they do not purge their bodies of food. During these food binges, they often eat alone and very quickly, regardless of whether they feel hungry or full. They often feel shame or guilt over their actions. Unlike anorexia and bulimia, binge-eating disorder occurs almost as often in men as in women.

If someone you know has an eating disorder, don’t wait to get help. Eating disorders get more difficult to treat the longer they go on.  Treatments for eating disorders usually involve psychotherapy, nutrition education, family counseling, medications and hospitalization.

For more information and resources on eating disorders click on these links.

Local
Cleveland Center for Eating Disorders (CCED)
Cleveland Overeaters Anonymous (OA)
Cleveland Clinic: Eating Disorders

National
National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA)
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH): Eating Disorders
National Mental Health Information Center: Eating Disorders
National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD)
Mayo Clinic: Eating Disorders