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In a society that is increasingly placing standards of beauty upon the youths of our population, people are at more of a risk than ever of developing an eating disorder. Celebrities in television and the media display stick-thin figures which can create a high standard of beauty. This ‘model of beauty’ can lead to many problems with an individual’s self esteem. On the other side of the spectrum, we are dealing with an obesity epidemic that is claiming more and more people in the developed world.

It is important to have a full understanding of the eating disorders which are prevalent in society today in order to be able to catch the warning signs when an individual you know is afflicted. Eating disorders are a mental condition, and while many discount the problem as situational and fixable if an individual desires to be healed, they can be very difficult to overcome. In this article, we’ll be giving a basic overview of some of the more common eating disorders that our culture faces today.

One of the most commonly occurring eating disorders within our society today is anorexia nervosa. Many are familiar with the affliction, in which one suffers from such an intense occupation with their self image that they literally starve their bodies in hopes of attaining a slimmer figure. While dieting and exercise are efficient ways of losing weight, those with anorexia resort to drastic methods for trying to attain a body figure with which they will never be satisfied. Anorexia is marked by a preoccupation with weight loss and a poor self image. In advanced cases of anorexia, women may lose the ability to have a period. In severe cases, the woman can die of starvation.

Bulimia is another eating disorder that permeates our culture today. As opposed to anorexics, which use dieting techniques and weight-loss pills to a high degree, bulimics find solace in ‘purging’. Bulimic individuals usually eat a large amount of food, then retreat to a bathroom in order to regurgitate, or ‘purge’ the food from their system, causing them to lose the nutritional value and calories that the food they consume.

Bulimics may also use laxatives, causing bouts of diarrhea and eliminating the nutritional value that bulimics should be receiving from the food they eat. You may be able to see warning signs for bulimia if an individual binges upon foods that are high in fat and sweets, engorging as much food as possible, then retires to the bathroom in order to purge the foods. Poor self image is also a leading reason why people may become bulimic, and it’s an important thing to note when considering the health of a friend or family member.

These are just a few of the eating disorders that can cause excessive trauma to the body and mind of an individual. If you know someone who you suspect has an eating disorder, you may want to discuss the problem with them with love and compassion, being sure to let them know that you are there for them. In severe cases, you should speak with a doctor in order to determine the best course of action for helping an individual.

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Scott Meyers is a staff writer for It’s Entirely Natural, a resource for helping you achieve a naturally healthy body, mind, and spirit. You may contact our writers through the web site. Follow this link for more information on Eating Disorders.

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Tags: anorexia nervosa, bulimia, Eating Disorders, obesity

Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder that many know but few talk about. It’s a disorder that can be very shameful, and difficult to conquer. Many anorexics are in denial about their condition. Few realize how tough it can be to determine the disease, and how seriously distorted an anorexic can feel about their body image. In this article, we’ll give you a basic idea of what anorexia is, and give you some diagnostic signposts to determine when you or someone close to you has a problem with the disorder.

Anorexia is, above all, a form of mental illness. That’s not to say that anorexics are crazy; it simply alludes to the fact that the brain functioning of someone with the disorder suffers from an unhealthy response to their environment. Anorexia can be especially ingrained in one’s behavior, and can be very difficult for anorexics to simply stop their behavior without professional help.

Here are some of the things that doctors look for when it comes to diagnosing anorexia. If you think that some of the criteria fit the situation that you are in, you may want to seek outside help for dealing with your nutrition:

Most doctors diagnose anorexia first and foremost by the weight that an individual is. If you are 85 percent or less of your recommended body weight and you refuse to take action against it to gain weight, you may have a problem with anorexia. This weight level can be extremely unhealthy, and it can result in serious damage to one’s body.

Another thing that doctors look for is a particular fear of gaining weight. The anorexic can have an inordinate fear of being fat, even if they are rail-thin. This fear of gaining weight and ignoring one’s actual body image can be a major detective sign of the illness.

If you tend to deny the fact that your body weight is insufficient, and you have low feelings of self worth, doctors may have to be involved in your treatment. Remember, anorexia is a problem that is rooted psychologically, and physically changing behavior patterns alone will not be a sufficient solution. If you feel that you or someone you love may have anorexia, you should at least give yourself the opportunity to speak with a doctor or another professional about your problem.

If you think that a friend may be anorexic, there are some warning signs that you may be able to note. Those with the disorder will often avoid questions about their weight as well as they can, and may get angry if you try to discuss the issue with them. Also, they may avoid eating in public as to disguise their diet. If you see some of these warning signs, do your best to get your friend to a physician. If you wait too long, the damage that the disorder does to the body can become so severe that it can be tough to recover from them, and the use of an IV may be employed to try to bring your loved one back to health. The danger that eating disorders present are many, so addressing the problem is paramount to keeping your friend in proper health.

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Scott Meyers is a staff writer for It’s Entirely Natural, a resource for helping you achieve a naturally healthy body, mind, and spirit. You may contact our writers through the web site. Follow this link for more information on Eating Disorders.

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Tags: anorexia, anorexia nervosa, Eating Disorders

One of the most prevalent eating disorders within our society today is bulimia. It’s a disease that is often thought of as being merely a physical manifestation. Few realize that bulimia is actually a mental condition which causes the sufferer to regurgitate their food. In this article, we’ll be discussing bulimia, in order to inform you of the causes, the symptoms, and the possible methods of treatment.

Bulimia is also known as bulimia nervosa. It’s much different than anorexia nervosa, which is another common eating disorder. With anorexia nervosa, individuals decrease the amount of food that they eat and may over-exercise or use laxatives in order to get their body as thin as possible. Bulimics are also concerned with getting their body weight as low as possible, but they often over-indulge in eating food before ‘purging’ it.

Those with bulimia may gorge themselves with heavy amounts of food, with some bulimics consuming as much as twenty thousand calories in a meal. This is known as the ‘binging’ phase of bulimia, which is quickly followed by a purging phase. Individuals with bulimia ‘purge’ their body of the nutrition that the foods that they eat supply them with by a variety of methods, most commonly through inducing vomiting. Other methods of purging include the use of laxatives or diuretics, and even enemas to remove food from the body.

Bulimia is caused by a poor self-image. Those with bulimia are never satisfied with the appearance of their body. Even when they are at a very low body weight, they may continue to try to lose weight, damaging their body within the process. Those that express high levels of concern when it comes to the appearance of their body and low self esteem, with a constant fear of being seen as fat, are most often afflicted with the disease.

Some individuals exhibit no symptoms or signs of the disorder, but one method of identifying symptoms includes eating with the individual and noting if they go to the bathroom immediately afterwards. Long-term bulimics may exhibit a dental problems such as tooth decay due to stomach acids eroding the enamel of the teeth, or problems with the throat. The glands of the neck and the face may appear to be swollen and a general sense of weakness may be present.

Bulimia is prevalent within society, with a full ten percent of college-aged girls affected by the disorder.

While weight loss may occur with bulimics, the damage that this illness does to the body is drastic and often irreversible. Dehydration is a common side-effect, and the dental health of an individual is often drastically altered. Stomach ulcers may develop, and after an extended period of time, an irregular heartbeat may occur. Bulimics also face an increased occurrence of suicidal behavior. If you know an individual that you suspect may be suffering from the disease, confront them with love and compassion. Expect to be rejected, but suggest that they speak to a counselor or a doctor about the problem to see what they can do about overcoming it.

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Scott Meyers is a staff writer for It’s Entirely Natural, a resource for helping you achieve a naturally healthy body, mind, and spirit. You may contact our writers through the web site. Follow this link for more information on Eating Disorders.

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Tags: anorexia nervosa, bulimia, bulimics, Eating Disorders

In today’s fashion-conscious culture impossible standards of beauty are pressured upon everyone.

This pressure comes from sexual innuendo used to sell goods and services. By projecting impossible images for one to model their body after, companies can more accurately market to people who feel that they have a problem with the way that their body looks as compared to others.

Many feel such pressure to maintain a perfect body that they develop eating disorders. One of the most commonly occurring eating disorders is known as anorexia nervosa, and in this article, we’ll discuss the disorder in-depth in order to help you to understand it and so that you’ll be able to see when someone you know is exhibiting warning signs.

Anorexia is a disease. Those with anorexia starve themselves in order to lose weight. It’s a mental disorder that most often occurs in adolescents, who feel added pressure to fit into the ‘norms’ of society, which are unachievable. A common aspect of those who are anorexic includes a body weight that is less than eighty-five percent of what it should be for a healthy individual. Sufferers may resort to many different methods in order to lose weight, including over-exercising, the use of laxatives to decrease the calories that their body takes in, and extreme dieting, sometimes coupled with the use of weight-loss supplements. Those who are afflicted with anorexia are never satisfied with the state of their body, and even those who are stick-thin may still feel fat.

Are you concerned that you may have anorexia? Here are the warning signs: A drastic weight loss is a prime signal. You may decline a meal when in a public setting, to lead friends and family to believe that you simply aren’t hungry. Girls who suffer from anorexia will experience a loss of their menstrual period, and when it occurs for at least three months in a row, anorexia is generally the cause. You may also exhibit signs of weakness such as anxiety, weakness of the body, and shortness of breath.

Anorexia can have a drastic effect on your health. Those who are afflicted often experience an amount of bone loss and mineral loss. You may exhibit lowered body temperature. An irregular heartbeat can develop from your body’s lack of nutrition. Growth may permanently cease after a period of time, and osteoporosis may occur.

Anorexia is relatively common: with one out of a hundred teenage girls in America has or will develop anorexia. Ten percent of these girls will die due to the disease’s effects on the body, clearly illustrating the damage that it can do. Those with anorexia require a high level of support to kick this disease. You may want to suggest your friend or family member who may be afflicted with the problem to discuss it with an eating disorder therapist. Doctors and counselors can be of great assistance when it comes to conquering anorexia.

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Scott Meyers is a staff writer for It’s Entirely Natural, a resource for helping you achieve a naturally healthy body, mind, and spirit. You may contact our writers through the web site. Follow this link for more information on Eating Disorders.

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Tags: anorexia nervosa, Eating Disorders