If you know of someone that is enduring an eating disorder, there is help for such individuals. An eating disorder can be dangerous and it can ultimately lead to poor health and death. There are three primary eating disorders, Anorexia, Bulimia, and Overeating. Although the latter is rarely viewed as an eating disorder, but because overeating can lead to dangerous health effects, it too must be counted among eating disorders. Anorexia is a disease in which the victim starves themselves. The starvation is brought on by an extremely poor body image and the person, although they are in no way overweight, believes themselves to be fat. In a continued effort to lose weight, a victim of Anorexia will go on a starvation diet, depriving themselves of all the nourishment a healthy body requires. They will also induce vomiting when forced to eat, begin strange and overly cumbersome exercise regimens and most of all, will lie and hide their actions from others. The reason an individual with Anorexia will lie is because the disease makes them desire the thinnest body possible and they will do whatever they have to to keep thin. Anorexia is a disorder that affects both males and females, although it is more commonly reported in females. The symptoms of Anorexia can be revealed in the sudden appearance of dramatic weight loss, brittle hair, extremely dry skin from lack of nourishment, the individual partaking in bizarre eating habits (like counting how many times they chew their food), and a poor image of the self. Bulimia, a cousin to Anorexia, is the result of a poor body image. Yet, with Bulimia the victim will eat massive amounts of food and then work feverishly to rid the body of the food that has been ingested. Bulimia victims will use laxatives, will induce vomiting and will abuse diuretics, all to rid themselves of the food or drink they have taken in. Like Anorexia, Bulimia is extremely dangerous and can eventually result in death. The imbalances created within the body from binging and purging can ultimately affect the heart of the victim, the esophagus can be damaged or ruptured from repeated acts of vomiting, and the enamel can erode from the victim's teeth because of repeated vomiting. Overeating is also a disorder. Some people engage in overeating as a way to quell emotions they have difficulty dealing with while other individuals may overeat because of an addiction to certain foods. Obviously, overeating can result in weight gain and significant weight gain has consequences of its own. For example, high blood pressure, heart trouble, diabetes, and respiratory problem can be caused by obesity. There are associations aimed at battling disorders that evolve from issues with eating. Such organizations aim to educate the public about the different disorders that exist, the symptoms associated with such disorders and what steps should be taken to help people with disorders that have evolved from food issues. Thus, there is help available for individuals in need and the sooner the victims of such disorders get the help they need, the better off they will be. |
