by
Katrina Welch
BOTH OF THESE
ISSUES REPRESENT
COMMON
EATING DISORDERS
WHICH PLAGUE PEOPLE THE
WORLD OVER
We all need to eat to live, but there are some people who will admit that they live to eat. Beyond satisfying their hunger, food is consumed to quell boredom, to relieve anxiety, to distract from sadness and depression and as a reward for a personal achievement. This type of emotional eating happens more frequently when people are under stress, or seeking to fill a void. Feeling full from the food may create a false sense of feeling emotionally ‘full’.
On the flip side, there are others with the opposite problem. They do not over indulge when bored, anxious or depressed. In fact, for some, they struggle with their consumption of food, and when experiencing difficult times they find themselves unable to eat sometimes for days at a time.
Both of these issues represent common eating disorders which plague people the world over. As alluded to, some eating disorders emerge due to psychological issues or an unhealthy obsession with food but there are others which occur when a person has an unhealthy perception of their body weight or the overall, shape, size and appearance of their body. Even though these eating disorders can occur in both men and women of any age, they are most prevalent in young women.
As obvious as it may be to friends and family members, some people with an eating disorder do not recognise that they suffer with such. Here are a few of the common disorders:
Binge Eating
This overeating disorder is commonly portrayed on television shows and in movies. Think back to the scene with the distraught woman who was just dumped by her long-term boyfriend, sitting in front of her television surrounded by snack wrappers and a large tub of ice cream. For days on end she binges on junk food to curb the pain of her heartache.
Some people experience this in reality. Eating is not just limited to when the person feels hungry, but occurs consistently when they simply feel like eating. A loss such as the death of a loved one, the end of a relationship or the termination of a job can all be triggers for this disorder. Binge eaters tend to:
• Consume large amounts of food in a short space of time.
• Never feel ‘full’; they always have room to eat more food.
• Lack the self-control to resist their comfort food or offers of more food.
• Hide from others when they are eating excessively.
• Become ashamed when they think about how much and how regularly they eat.
Becoming overweight, or even obese is one consequence of binge eating. Thus, they are at greater risk for developing non-communicable diseases such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular diseases.
Bulimia Nervosa
Bulimia nervosa is a well-known type of binge eating disorder. It commonly develops in teenaged girls with body image disorders but it can also occur in adult women, and in rare occurrences, in males.
Even though there are some similarities between the two disorders, there are also some core differences.
Bulimics also consume large amounts of food within a certain period of time even when they aren’t hungry. They eat until they feel stuffed. The major difference between the two disorders lies in the fact that after bulimics have gorged themselves, they purge.
Here are some key characteristics of bulimics:
• Binging on foods the individual does not usually eat.
• Gorging oneself.
• Using laxatives, enemas, vomiting, diuretics, and fasting to purge.
• Exercising suddenly and excessively as a means of purging.
• Poor self-image and an extreme dissatisfaction with one’s weight.
The concept of eating to expel the food might seem nonsensical to many, but to bulimics this allows them to eat what they want to without gaining weight. It is interesting to note that most bulimics already have a normal weight, but they have a skewed perception of their body weight and body image.
Strokes and or heart attacks can result from bulimia nervosa as people with the disorder are at risk of experiencing electrolyte imbalances in their levels of sodium, potassium, and calcium.
Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder
As the name suggests, people who experience this disorder have the opposite problem. While there are many people who cannot begin to imagine their lives without eating, for some consuming food can be a struggle.
People with this disorder tend to be extremely picky eaters; and while this characteristic is often attributed to children, the disorder occurs in both children and adults. Studies show that in children, the disorder is more common in boys than in girls but in adulthood, it is equally found in both men and women.
• A person might have avoidant/ restrictive food intake disorder if they:
• Have very limited options for the foods which they are willing to eat.
• Only eat very small portions of food at meal times.
• Are severely underweight based on their age and height.
• Experience severe nutrient and caloric deficiencies.
• Require nutritional supplements.
It is important to note that this disorder should not be used to label people who do not consume certain foods due to their economic status, religious beliefs or cultural practices.
Many times the food aversions are linked to other factors such as texture, colour, smell, temperature and tastes of the foods being avoided.
Anorexia Nervosa
Another common eating disorder which is related to restricted food consumption is anorexia nervosa. Much like bulimia nervosa, it is more common in females and tends to develop within teenage years or early adulthood.
This disorder is also due to skewed perception of one’s body image.
Anorexics are usually characterised as people who are:
• Underweight compared based on their height and age.
• Extremely strict in their food consumption.
• Fearful of gaining weight.
• Found to have a low self-esteem and poor perception of self.
• Obsessed with weight loss even though they are underweight.
• Very uncomfortable eating in public.
Researchers into this disorder have found that persons who suffer from anorexia nervosa often exhibit obsessive compulsive behaviours. This unusual trait results in persons experiencing obsessive thoughts about food.
Additionally, others find themselves hoarding food and or food recipes.
The consequences of anorexia nervosa range from brittle hair and nails, thin bones and infertility, to failure of critical organs such as the heart and brain, and ultimately death.
