Eating Disorders

What is an Eating Disorders?  Any of several psychological disorders characterized by serious disturbances of eating behavior.  Millions of American teenagers suffer from an eating disorder, which can result in serious health problems if left untreated.

Essential Question  Why do you think some people develop eating disorders?  What would you do if you knew a friend had an eating disorder?  Answers will vary but might include talking to them about it, not being afraid to go to an adult for help, and being supportive during the recovery period.

What causes an eating disorder?  Difficulty accepting changes during puberty.  Outside pressures  High expectations  Need to achieve  Need to be “popular”

Types of Eating Disorders  Anorexia Nervosa  Bulimia Nervosa  Binge Eating  Overeating Disorder

Anorexia Nervosa

 An eating disorder characterized by a pathological fear of weight gain leading to faulty eating patterns, malnutrition, and excessive weight loss.  A person with anorexia nervosa may have an unrealistic body image and see fat where there is none.  Common among teenage girls and young women.  Related to how the person sees themselves (Fun House Mirror Effect)

Characteristics of Anorexic  Have a distorted body image  Preoccupied with food, calories and nutrition  Deny that they are hungry  Exercise obsessively  Weigh themselves frequently  See fat that doesn’t exist  Obsessed with thoughts of food  Woman(girls) may stop having their period  May feel cold even though it is a normal temperature – no body fat.

What are some health effects of anorexia?  May damage heart, kidney and other organs.  Dizziness  Irregular and slow heart beat  flaky skin  brittle nails  Loss of/or thinning of hair and dark hair covering body  Low blood pressure  Slow breathing  Death

Often called the “secret eating disorder” Bulimia Nervosa

 Characterized by a secretive cycle of binge eating followed by purging.  Bulimia includes eating large amounts of food  more than most people would eat in one meal  in short periods of time  then getting rid of the food and calories  through vomiting, laxative abuse, or over- exercising.

Characteristics of a Bulimic  Repeated episodes of bingeing and purging  Feeling out of control during a binge and eating beyond the point of comfortable fullness  Purging after a binge, (typically by self-induced vomiting, abuse of laxatives, diet pills and/or diuretics, excessive exercise, or fasting)  Frequent dieting  Extreme concern with body weight and shape

Health Problems due to Bulimia  injury of the stomach lining, mouth, throat, teeth and gums  Can cause menstrual irregularities  Swollen glands  Dehydration  Blood in bowels  Seizures and irregular heart beat  Damage to heart, kidneys and stomach  Bad breath  Loss of teeth  Destruction of nails, yellow fingers  Cramping of stomach pain

Bulimics  Have a lot of weight fluctuation  Attempt to diet but usually fail  feel out of control and are depressed  Bulimics use the bathroom frequently after meals  Bulimics react to emotional stress by overeating  Bulimics cannot voluntarily stop eating  Bulimics usually feel guilty or depressed for eating

Also Known as Compulsive Eating Disorder Binge Eating Disorder

BINGE EATING DISORDER  Periods of uncontrolled, impulsive, or continuous eating beyond the point of feeling comfortably full.  While there is no purging, there may be sporadic fasts or repetitive diets and often feelings of shame or self-hatred after a binge.  People who overeat compulsively may struggle with  Anxiety  Depression  Loneliness  Body weight may vary from normal to mild, moderate, or severe obesity.

Do Men Suffer from Eating Disorders? Yes

Reasons Why Eating Disorders Develop:  Society Pressures  Perfectionism  Abusive background  Athletic demands  Desire to be in control  Traumatic event  Family Issues  Conflict  Appearances  High expectations  -10% of all disorders are men

Recovery  Admit there is a problem  Seek Help  Counselors  Therapists  Nutritionists  Doctors  Figure out why the disorder began.

How can YOU help?  What would you do if you knew a friend had an eating disorder?  How are eating disorders related to a need for control?  What can encourage someone with an eating disorder to seek treatment?