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Eating Disorders

Eating disorders are severe emotional disorders of self-esteem that are focused on food. For persons with an eating disorder, food becomes an obsession. Although compulsive overeating is a form of eating disorder, the most common forms are anorexia and bulimia. Eating disorders can be fatal when malnutrition becomes severe.

Risk Factors for Anorexia

Persons with anorexia often have a terrible fear of being overweight. They fear that they are too fat and place themselves on extreme diets that lead to severe and dangerous weight loss. Convincing anorexics that they are actually dangerously thin or malnourished is difficult or impossible.

Risk Factors for Anorexia

Anorexics in particular seem to be particularly sensitive to being perceived as too fat. They may also fear losing control of their eating habits and may have a strong desire to control or contain powerful emotions. Anorexics may compulsively exercise, count calories, starve or severely restrict food, self-induce vomiting, and irresponsibly use diet pills, laxatives, or diuretics.

Some personality characteristics, behaviors, and physical attributes are also warning signs of anorexia.

Personality Characteristics

Low self-esteem
Overachiever
Compliant
Perfectionist
Compulsive

Behaviors

Eats alone
Fights with family
Becomes isolated from friends and family

Physical Attributes

Fatigued
Increased body and facial hair
Weight loss
Cessation of menstrual cycle
Joint pain
Emaciated appearance (in later stages)

Warning Signs of Bulimia

Bulimics tend to eat large amounts of food at one time (usually sweets), and then they induce vomiting or take laxatives to get rid of the food. This pattern is called "binging and purging."

Personality Characteristics

Low self-esteem
Self-indulgent
Depressed or anxious
Fatigued
Apathetic

Behaviors

Eats alone
Self-induces vomiting
Experiments with laxatives or diuretics
Becomes isolated from friends and family
Lies
Steals food or money
Abuses drugs
Has suicidal behavior

Physical Attributes

Normal body weight
Stomach problems
Tooth damage
Abnormal potassium and electrolyte levels
Chronic sore throat
Heartbeat arrhythmia

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