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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

Bulimia is a type of eating disorder that the sufferer often keeps a well-hidden secret.

It has been said that bulimia is in fact the most secretive of all eating disorders. The individual suffering from bulimia learns to keep the eating disorder sometimes hides their condition from public view for many years. The actress Jane Fonda, for instance, confesses to suffering from bulimia from age 12 to 35, when she was finally able to recover. The cycle of binging and purging that define bulimia can be hard to eradicate once it has become established.

Bulimia often begins innocently enough. Most of the time, the eating disorder begins when the individual begins to binge and purge as part of a diet to lose weight. Soon, the binge and purge cycle becomes firmly entrenched, and the bulimic patient may feel incapable of stopping.

Most people understand that bulimia is characterized by an unhealthy binge and purge cycle. But many people don’t realize that individuals afflicted with bulimia tend to consume many more calories very quickly, much faster than most people eat. For instance, the normal caloric intake for a woman may be somewhere in the range of 2,000 to 3,000 calories in the course of one day. A person suffering from bulimia may consume around 3,400 calories in two hours!

Obviously, this manner of consumption has many implications. First, eating such a large amount of food in a relatively short amount of time can greatly upset the body’s digestive system, and purging only further disrupts the digestive organs. There are also a number of social and financial implications. The individual may isolate themselves from friends and family in order to binge and purge, and they may spend money each day in order to purchase food for their sessions of binging and purging.

The secretive nature of bulimia can make it particularly difficult to diagnose. Most people with bulimia develop the first symptoms of the disease during their early teens or 20s. Because bulimia can be relatively easy to hide, the individuals may not demonstrate overt signs of the disease until reaching their 30s or 40s.

Why is bulimia so difficult to diagnose? Unlike some cases of anorexia nervosa, bulimia may not be physically evident. This is because most people with bulimia are able to maintain a healthy weight. They may even project a healthy image. Many bulimics often seem to be healthy, successful “put together” individuals.

In fact, many researchers have pointed to the “perfectionism” associated with bulimia. Many bulimics express a need to be “perfect” when it comes to their weight and appearance. In addition to striving for perfection, some bulimics may also be privy to other types of compulsive behavior. Some doctors report that their bulimic patients are drawn to compulsive behaviors such as alcohol abuse, substance addiction, and shoplifting.

Clearly, bulimia can affect every part of a person’s life. It is considered a serious health risk that should be treated as early as possible to prevent permanent health damage.

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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: binge and purge, bulimia, 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