Eating Disorders

If we are ready to tear down the walls that confine us, break the cage that imprisons us, we will discover what our wings are for
Michael Meegan

What is an Eating Disorder?

Anyone can have an eating disorder, regardless of their age, gender, ethnicity, or background.

Eating disorders are characterised by excessive concerns about shape and weight, leading to a number of harmful weight-control behaviours. A second criterion is a poor or distorted belief about appearance and weight leading to an unhealthy awareness of body image. Those most commonly diagnosed are binge eating, anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and obesity.

It’s important to remember that eating disorders are not all about food itself, but about feelings. The way the person treats food may make them feel more able to cope, or may make them feel in control, though they might not be aware of the purpose this behaviour is serving. Anyone who has an eating disorder deserves fast, compassionate support to help them get better.

Binge Eating

No eating disorder is as contentious as this due to the difficulty of deciding what exactly is a binge as opposed to overeating and when it becomes a disorder. A binge eater will regularly eat a large amount of food until they feel uncomfortably full or even sick. Food will be consumed in secret over a short period of time during which a binge eater may feel completely out of control. As a result binges are quickly followed by feelings of guilt or shame. Food consumed in a binge is typically regarded as forbidden or fattening, high in fats and sugars or cereal products. Binge eaters, however, do not follow up with vomiting or laxative abuse.

Anorexia Nervosa

Anorexia is specifically associated with feelings and behaviours related to the fear of ‘fatness’. These feelings include poor body image, phobic feelings about food and an intense fear of being a normal body weight. The condition usually starts in adolescence and is not exclusive to girls, boys can also suffer.

Weight is lost by dieting or avoiding foods believed to be ‘fattening’. Sometimes dieting is accompanied by excessive exercise. Low weight is regarded by most anorexics as a positive achievement, a sign of successful control and, as a result, individuals with anorexia will usually deny that there is a problem despite the physical symptoms.

Anorexia can cause severe physical problems because of the effects of starvation on the body. It can lead to loss of muscle strength and reduced bone strength. The illness can affect people’s relationships with family and friends, causing them to withdraw; it can also have an impact on their work or education. As with other eating disorders, anorexia can be associated with depression, low self-esteem, alcohol misuse and self-harm. The seriousness of the physical and emotional consequences of the condition is often not acknowledged or recognised, and sufferers often do not seek help – they may go to great length to hide their behaviour and sometimes might not realise that they’re ill.

Bulimia Nervosa

Bulimia is characterised by a cycle of eating large quantities of food (called bingeing), and then trying to compensate for that by purging. Purging includes vomiting, taking laxatives or diuretics, fasting, or exercising excessively in an effort to avoid weight gain.

The food eaten during a binge may include things the person would usually avoid. Episodes of binge eating are often very distressing, and people may feel trapped in the cycle of bingeing and purging. People with bulimia place strong emphasis on their weight and shape, and may see themselves as much larger than they are.

Not all Bulimic behaviour involves binges, sometimes the vomiting or laxative use will follow any meal or snack.

The binge/purge cycles associated with bulimia can dominate daily life and lead to difficulties in relationships and social situations. Bulimia can cause serious physical complications as well – frequent vomiting can cause problems with the teeth, and people may go to lengths to make themselves sick that could cause them harm. Laxative misuse can seriously affect the heart and digestive system. People with bulimia may also experience symptoms such as tiredness, feeling bloated, constipation, abdominal pain, irregular periods, or swelling of the hands and feet.

However, as sufferers are often a ‘normal’ weight and often hide their illness from others, it can be very difficult to spot from the outside. Moreover, people with bulimia are often reluctant to seek help. As with other eating disorders, people around a person with bulimia will probably notice changes to their mood and feelings before seeing any physical change. Low self-esteem, irritability and mood swings, and feelings of guilt, shame, and anxiety, especially after a binge, are also common.

Overweight and Obesity

Obesity is a complex issue. Being overweight or obese may be due to an eating disorder or it may not. It is often difficult to tell the difference, but it is possible to treat the problem and help people back to a healthier weight. Obesity has different physiological and psychological manifestations. The regulation of body weight is at least as complex as any other biological regulatory system.

There are no single, guaranteed treatment programmes for obesity but what we do know is DIETS DON’T WORK! For people who are overweight treatment must be tailored to individual need and circumstance. Motivation, the ability to act on intention to change eating and activity behaviours and to personal factors will all be considered for each person’s treatment. It is important to address our relationship with food and to develop new eating habits and patterns. It can also be beneficial to explore the causes of the over-eating and to try to identify the factors behind it.

There are no quick fixes for overweight and obesity but once a new relationship with food has been established weight loss can follow.