While statistics show that more than 28 million Americans will have an eating disorder at some point in their lifetime, it’s helpful to remember that each person suffering is living through a unique and difficult experience.
So, eating disorders result from persistent behavior that can negatively affect your health, emotional state, and ability to thrive. Most eating disorders stem from unhealthy attention to one’s weight, achieving a specific body type, or their relationship with food.
Also, anyone suffering from an eating disorder deserves compassion and understanding as they work to overcome this challenging time in their life.
What Exactly Are Eating Disorders?
An eating disorder is a serious illness that disrupts a person’s eating habits and distorts their self-image. Eating disorders have serious health consequences and can be deleterious.
Eating Disorders Have Various Types
Here are some examples of eating disorders:
Nervous Anorexia
Firstly, Nervosa Anorexia is a serious disorder characterized by severe food restriction. Sufferers become obsessed with the fear of gaining weight and may even binge purge after eating.
Nervosa Bulimia
Overeating and forced vomiting are common symptoms of sufferers. An individual with bulimia uses diuretics, fasts, and exercises excessively.
Binge Eating Disorder
While many people who binge eat may not believe they have an “eating disorder,” experts now classify this type of consumption as such.
Moreover, eating disorders can also be defined by the following mental and behavioral patterns:
- Eating restrictions
- Avoid eating Pica or consuming non-food substances.
- Orthorexia, or the practice of eating only “pure” foods
- Dysmorphia of the muscles
Non-Specified
Lastly, this umbrella term can refer to various other eating disorders: Pica, Symptom Disorder, Anxious Intake Disorder, and others. There are numerous reasons why our self-image, body image, or relationship with food can worsen. Many factors influence us as individuals, ranging from genetics to environment and even trauma. Finally, when we form unhealthy eating habits or relationships with food, it can have significant effects on our health.
Getting help
Finally, if you have an eating disorder, you should seek professional help for your specific needs. Feel free to contact us at Kazmo Brain Center and our professionals will help you determine the best course of treatment to get you back on track.
