The Nemours Foundation, ANAD, and other eating-disorders experts list a number of common signs associated with each type of eating disorder. One of the most recognizable and common symptoms of anorexia is a significant amount of weight loss. When anorexia occurs at a young age, when someone is still growing, he or she may not lose any weight at all. For that person, the fact that he or she hasn't gained weight is a symptom of anorexia. Doctors suspecting anorexia look for a patient's weight to be at least 15 percent below his or her healthy body weight.
People with anorexia are often unable to eat very much in a sitting, and they may have stomach pain, heartburn, constipation, and, if they vomit often, tooth decay. They usually feel cold all the time, and may also experience fatigue, dizziness, fainting spells, and low blood pressure. (Blood pressure refers to the pressure of the blood on the blood vessels, and when it is lower than normal, it can cause feelings of lightheartedness.) The hair on their head may get thinner and baby fine hair may appear on their face and arms. Female anorexics commonly lose their menstrual periods. Difficulty concentrating and depression are symptoms that also go along with anorexia.
People with bulimia have some of the same symptoms as anorexics, including fatigue, depression, digestive problems that cause stomach pain, heartburn and constipation, and the loss of menstrual periods.
Tooth decay and swollen salivary glands are common symptoms for bulimics because they vomit so often. Anxiety and difficulty sleeping are more symptoms associated with bulimia.
One of the most common symptoms of binge-eating disorder is weight gain. However, sometimes binge-eaters have periods in which they don't overeat and therefore don't have obvious weight gain. Other symptoms associated with binge-eating disorder are stomach pain, internal bleeding, and high blood pressure.
Certain behavioral changes may be a sign of an eating disorder. If someone suddenly acquires unusual eating habits, refuses certain foods or types of foods, or eats fewer meals with family and friends,
an eating disorder may be the reason. The compulsive need to weigh food and measure out portions, the tendency to check weight several times a day, and excessive exercising are other signs of a problem.
Secretive behavior is also a sign of an eating disorder. Often people with eating disorders become alienated from friends and family and ignore everyday activities as they retreat further into the eating, dieting, and exercising rituals.
2008年11月7日 星期五
THE SYMPTOMS AND EFFECTS OF EATING DISORDERS
Eating disorders are considered diseases because they have predictable symptoms and outcomes. In fact, there is a long list of symptoms associated with eating disorders. Some of these symptoms are physical and some emotional, while others are related to certain behaviors. Hit's not unusual to have a close friend or family member with an eating disorder and not even know it. Even if you spend a lot of rime with someone, the signs of an eating disorder can be hard to notice. Not only that, if you do see signs of unusual eating habits or an obvious change in weight in a close friend or family member, you still might have a hard time believing someone close to you has a real problem.
People with eating disorders often go to great lengths to hide their behavior and its effects. Those who have anorexia often wear baggy clothes to camouflage their weight loss. People with bulimia are usually careful to cover the sound of their vomiting with running water and clean up after themselves at home. Binge eaters usually plan their binges at times and in places where they are unlikely to be seen. People with eating disorders may also hide some of the physical symptoms
associated with eating disorders, such as fatigue. It is no wonder that detecting an eating disorder in a friend or family member can be so difficult. Still, the more you know about the signs and symptoms of eating disorders, the better prepared you will be to recognize a potential problem either in yourself or someone you care about.
People with eating disorders often go to great lengths to hide their behavior and its effects. Those who have anorexia often wear baggy clothes to camouflage their weight loss. People with bulimia are usually careful to cover the sound of their vomiting with running water and clean up after themselves at home. Binge eaters usually plan their binges at times and in places where they are unlikely to be seen. People with eating disorders may also hide some of the physical symptoms
associated with eating disorders, such as fatigue. It is no wonder that detecting an eating disorder in a friend or family member can be so difficult. Still, the more you know about the signs and symptoms of eating disorders, the better prepared you will be to recognize a potential problem either in yourself or someone you care about.
EATING DISORDERS IN MEN AND BOYS
While most research has focused on girls and women with eating disorders, eating disorders also affect boys and men. Male interest in athletics may be a cause of some eating disorders, but it is not the only cause. Males, like females, may be prone to eating disorders because of low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, or family influence.
Boys and men find more of a stigma attached to eating disorders than girls and women do and therefore may be less likely to seek treatment for the problem. Physicians, friends, and family may also be less inclined to notice the symptoms of eating disorders in boys and men because those illnesses are still more commonly associated with girls and women.
Boys and men find more of a stigma attached to eating disorders than girls and women do and therefore may be less likely to seek treatment for the problem. Physicians, friends, and family may also be less inclined to notice the symptoms of eating disorders in boys and men because those illnesses are still more commonly associated with girls and women.
TEENAGERS AND THEIR EATING HABITS
This blog includes statistics collected as part of the national Youth Risk Behavior Survey published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2001. The data reveals that many high school students are not as healthy as they could be. Only 21 percent of the
students surveyed ate the recommended five or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Although four out of five eat breakfast regularly—which Is a good thing—about 20 percent skip breakfast.
Nearly 8 percent of female and 3 percent of male high school students admitted to vomiting or taking laxatives to lose weight or avoid gaining weight. Also, 28.3 percent claimed to have experienced depression, a critical risk factor for developing an eating disorder.
students surveyed ate the recommended five or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Although four out of five eat breakfast regularly—which Is a good thing—about 20 percent skip breakfast.
Nearly 8 percent of female and 3 percent of male high school students admitted to vomiting or taking laxatives to lose weight or avoid gaining weight. Also, 28.3 percent claimed to have experienced depression, a critical risk factor for developing an eating disorder.
Normal Behaviors And Eating Disorders
Have you ever eaten when you were not hungry, just because something tasted good? Have you ever been too nervous or too upset to eat anything at all? Have you found yourself back at the refrigerator for a third time while struggling through a research paper? Maybe you've compared yourself to your friends and your family members and wondered whether your eating habits were normal. Statistically speaking, your eating habits are probably perfectly normal. Feelings and emotions often affect how often and how much people eat.
When you're in your teens, or at any other age, really, it's normal to think about food often-just as it's normal not to think about food very often. How large a role food plays in your life will vary based on your upbringing, your personality, and your likes and dislikes. Sometimes, though, food becomes a true obsession, and the result is an eating disorder. Eating disorders are serious illnesses that usually Involve eating way too little or way too much, and they can seriously endanger one's health.
At one time, eating disorders were rarely mentioned and poorly understood. Today experts throughout the world openly research, peat, and discuss eating disorders. These efforts have challenged many early assumptions about eating disorders. For example, the idea that they are limited to young, white girls has been debunked. Although many young, white girls suffer from eating disorders, they affect people regardless of gender, ethnicity, and age.
Experts now know that eating disorders ore mental health diseases that have recognizable causes, clear symptoms, and predictable outcomes. They also respond to treatment.
Between five and ten million Americans suffer from eating disorders, according to estimates from the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD), the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). The great majority are female, but males are not immune. The NIMH estimates that 5 to 15 percent of people with anorexia or bulimia and an estimated 35 percent of those with binge-eating disorder are male. Although eating disorders most often appear in the early teen years, they may also occur in young children, the middle aged, and the elderly.
There are three main types of eating disorders: anorexia, bulimia, and binge-eating disorder. Anorexia is self-imposed starvation and occurs when someone avoids food to the point that he or she is 15 percent or more below a healthy body weight. Bulimia is a disorder in which someone binges and then purges. Purging is a way of counteracting overeating through vomiting, excessive exercising, fasting, and/or taking laxatives.
Those who suffer from a binge-eating disorder binge regularly but do not purge. They may or may not be overweight. Many who have the disorder cycle between dieting and bingeing, which keeps them from being overweight but does not mean they are healthy. All of these eating disorders are serious mental health problems that should not be ignored. They can and sometimes do cause death.
Now that health experts have learned about eating disorders some are focusing on prevention, and education is critical. Increasing awareness of eating disorders can help reduce the stigma that may be associated with having one and may increase the number of people who get help early, when treatment has the best chance for success. Efforts to help young people build self-esteem by focusing on more than just body image can also go a long way in helping to prevent eating disorders.
When you're in your teens, or at any other age, really, it's normal to think about food often-just as it's normal not to think about food very often. How large a role food plays in your life will vary based on your upbringing, your personality, and your likes and dislikes. Sometimes, though, food becomes a true obsession, and the result is an eating disorder. Eating disorders are serious illnesses that usually Involve eating way too little or way too much, and they can seriously endanger one's health.
At one time, eating disorders were rarely mentioned and poorly understood. Today experts throughout the world openly research, peat, and discuss eating disorders. These efforts have challenged many early assumptions about eating disorders. For example, the idea that they are limited to young, white girls has been debunked. Although many young, white girls suffer from eating disorders, they affect people regardless of gender, ethnicity, and age.
Experts now know that eating disorders ore mental health diseases that have recognizable causes, clear symptoms, and predictable outcomes. They also respond to treatment.
Between five and ten million Americans suffer from eating disorders, according to estimates from the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD), the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). The great majority are female, but males are not immune. The NIMH estimates that 5 to 15 percent of people with anorexia or bulimia and an estimated 35 percent of those with binge-eating disorder are male. Although eating disorders most often appear in the early teen years, they may also occur in young children, the middle aged, and the elderly.
There are three main types of eating disorders: anorexia, bulimia, and binge-eating disorder. Anorexia is self-imposed starvation and occurs when someone avoids food to the point that he or she is 15 percent or more below a healthy body weight. Bulimia is a disorder in which someone binges and then purges. Purging is a way of counteracting overeating through vomiting, excessive exercising, fasting, and/or taking laxatives.
Those who suffer from a binge-eating disorder binge regularly but do not purge. They may or may not be overweight. Many who have the disorder cycle between dieting and bingeing, which keeps them from being overweight but does not mean they are healthy. All of these eating disorders are serious mental health problems that should not be ignored. They can and sometimes do cause death.
Now that health experts have learned about eating disorders some are focusing on prevention, and education is critical. Increasing awareness of eating disorders can help reduce the stigma that may be associated with having one and may increase the number of people who get help early, when treatment has the best chance for success. Efforts to help young people build self-esteem by focusing on more than just body image can also go a long way in helping to prevent eating disorders.
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