| Although eating disorders have been around for | | | | mindlessly all day long or can be a huge meal that |
| as long as there have been humans, the | | | | encompasses a full day's worth of calories in a |
| extensive research on them has existed for only | | | | single sitting. If this happens continually, the |
| about thirty years. It is known that there is a | | | | metabolism will slow and eventually stop working |
| distinct and definitive correlation between a | | | | altogether, leading to weight gain. Because stress |
| diagnosis of depression in the early to late teen | | | | is a major factor for binge eating, the weight gain |
| years and the development of eating disorders. | | | | alone is enough to trigger another binge episode, |
| The three eating disorders that are most | | | | leading to a vicious cycle of stress, binging, stress, |
| commonly studied and/or diagnosed are anorexia | | | | binging, etc. |
| nervosa, bulimia and binge eating. | | | | Other risk factors for binge eating include: |
| The debate over whether or not obesity should | | | | - Stressful situations |
| be considered an eating disorder continues; while it | | | | - Specific upsetting thoughts |
| is now considered a disease in and of itself, | | | | - Feeling guilty about something one has done |
| obesity may also become classified as an eating | | | | - Feeling socially excluded or isolated |
| disorder and treated as both a psychological | | | | - Worries about problems, the future or |
| disorder in addition to being a physical problem. For | | | | responsibilities |
| now, it is a medical disorder, as well as a risk | | | | - Boredom |
| factor for a number of serious conditions, but not | | | | Recovery Possibilities |
| an eating disorder. | | | | After five to ten years, half of those who were |
| Anorexia Nervosa | | | | treated for bulimia had recovered, 30% had |
| Anorexia is diagnosed when a person | | | | relapsed at least once and 20% were still |
| (predominantly females) refuses to allow her body | | | | diagnostically considered bulimic. Those who had |
| to be over 85% of the weight that is normal for | | | | double diagnoses, specifically substance abuse and |
| her height. Psychologically, the person who is | | | | bulimia, were the least likely to have full and |
| diagnosed with anorexia is obsessed with weight | | | | meaningful recoveries. |
| and body image and rigidly monitors everything | | | | Three Eating Disorders, Three Women |
| that goes into his or her mouth at every | | | | Elaine was diagnosed with anorexia nervosa at the |
| moment, even counting out the calories in the | | | | age of 20 and has been in counseling for about a |
| toothpaste that they might use that day. The | | | | year. She has slowly regained some of her |
| DSM-IV-TR, the diagnostic tool for the mental | | | | weight, but has relapsed several times during this |
| health field, has these criteria for diagnosing | | | | time period. Elaine has spent several months in the |
| anorexia nervosa: | | | | hospital to be given IV fluids and has even had a |
| - Unable or unwilling to keep body weight at or | | | | scare with her heart. After several months of |
| above 85% of the normal level | | | | renewed counseling efforts, she is making some |
| - Intense fear of gaining weight or, more | | | | slow progress. At this point, she is eating only |
| importantly, of becoming fat when they are | | | | small meals, mostly liquids and semi-soft meals. As |
| obviously and dangerously underweight | | | | part of a contract that Elaine signed with her |
| - Obsession with weight and body image to the | | | | counselor, she is only allowed to exercise at a |
| point of detriment to the self esteem | | | | slow to moderate pace no more than fifteen |
| - The absence of three menstrual cycles in a row | | | | minutes per day and must have something that |
| Some anorexics will spend hours exercising, even | | | | counts as a small meal at least every two hours. |
| when they are exhausted and their muscles are | | | | Elaine has agreed to add a liquid protein shot as |
| hurting. They may not be sleeping correctly and | | | | one of her mini meals, giving her 25 grams of |
| many of them will have heart problems as a | | | | highly digestible protein and all of the vitamin C |
| result of their extreme weight loss. | | | | that she needs every day. She is pleased with the |
| Warning Signs: | | | | fruit-based flavors and is progressing, slowly and |
| - Preoccupation with food, eating or dieting | | | | carefully. |
| - Compulsive or excessive exercising | | | | Evelyn, on the other hand, was diagnosed with |
| - Negative self esteem | | | | bulimia. Her method of choice is to binge, |
| - Withdrawal from friends and family, especially if | | | | consuming up to 5000 calories in a single sitting at |
| the social event will involve food | | | | times, and then forcing herself to vomit. At times |
| - A complete loss of menstruation | | | | when she is unable to vomit, she consumes a |
| - Intolerance to cold temperatures | | | | double dose of laxatives after an hour of jogging. |
| Bulimia | | | | She has destroyed the enamel on her teeth from |
| The bulimic will eat, either a small amount or a | | | | the constant vomiting; she no longer goes to the |
| large amount, and then compensate for the | | | | bathroom normally because she has developed a |
| calories that they have consumed by either | | | | dependence on the laxatives. She finds herself |
| exercising too much, taking laxatives or making | | | | plotting her next binge, including what she will eat |
| themselves vomit. The typical cycle is binge and | | | | and when. She always wakes the next day |
| purge, where the bulimic will eat huge amounts of | | | | vowing not to do it again, but by mid-afternoon, |
| food, often more than a full day's worth of | | | | she is thinking of the binge that she will have next. |
| calories at a single sitting, and then will vomit | | | | Part of her counseling program will be to start |
| immediately. If vomiting becomes problematic, | | | | eating healthy meals. She will also be treated for |
| laxatives might be used. | | | | the health conditions that she has brought on |
| Diagnostic Criteria | | | | herself, including the damage that she has done to |
| - Consumption of large amounts of food, or a | | | | her intestinal tract. Using the liquid protein shot will |
| total lack of control during the eating cycle | | | | help her to keep her metabolism high and keep |
| - Recurrent behavior of trying to compensate for | | | | from being hungry throughout the day. Evelyn will |
| the eating/overeating. | | | | also keep a diary of her trigger foods so that |
| - Binge eating and compensatory behaviors at | | | | whenever she feels that she might binge, she can |
| least twice a week for at least a three month | | | | find an alternative behavior. |
| period | | | | Becca is 43, newly single and a binge eater. She |
| - Self evaluation that is overly influenced by | | | | has always been a little overweight, however, in |
| weight and body shape | | | | the last few years she has really picked up |
| - Bulimic behavior that does not occur only during | | | | weight - whenever she has had a bad day or |
| episodes of anorexia | | | | feels lonely, she turns to food for comfort. The |
| (DSM-IV-TR) | | | | food has been increasing in amount and the binges |
| Like anorexia, the presence of depression tends | | | | are coming more often as she spirals out of |
| to increase the likelihood of developing an eating | | | | control. Her doctor tells her that she is borderline |
| disorder. The group that is most affected by this | | | | for hypertension and diabetes and that her |
| eating disorder is adolescent Caucasian females | | | | cholesterol is completely out of control. She starts |
| who are also more likely to abuse diet pills and | | | | a new, healthy dieting plan and starts walking in |
| laxatives. | | | | her neighborhood once a day. To keep herself |
| Binge Eating | | | | from feeling hungry, she uses the 25-gram liquid |
| Binging is different from the other two eating | | | | protein shot as a between-meal snack. The |
| disorders in that there is no effort to lose weight, | | | | protein keeps her from feeling hungry and she |
| no obsessive compulsion to exercise and no | | | | gets additional vitamins from the small shot as |
| supreme need to exercise after eating. The binge | | | | well. |
| can be compulsive snacking that happens | | | | |