Eating disorders

1
Eating disorders
By Kendra L. Moore
2
What are the three most common types of Eating
Disorders?
Anorexia Nervosa Bulimia Nervosa Binge-eating
Disorder
3
Anorexia Nervosa

• Anorexia Nervosa is a serious, potentially
  life-threatening eating disorder characterized by
  self-starvation and excessive weight loss.

4
Who is at risk for Developing Anorexia Nervosa?

• People who become anorexic were often good
  children- eager to please, conscientious, hard
  working, and good students.
• Typically they are people pleasers who seek
  approval and avoid conflict.
• They may take care of other people and strive for
  perfection, but underneath they feel inadequate.
• People who develop anorexia often feel stressed
  and anxious when faced with new situations.
• Many have low tolerance for change, feeling that
  it represents chaos and loss of control.
• Many fear growing up, although they dont want to
  admit it.
• They use dieting and weight preoccupations to
  avoid or cope with the demands of a new life
  stage.

5
Warning Signs of Anorexia

• Denial of hunger.
• Development of food rituals.
• Consistent excuses to avoid mealtimes or
  situations involving food.
• Excessive, rigid exercise regimen to burn off
  excess calories taken in.
• Withdrawal from usual friends and activities.

• Dramatic weight loss.
• Preoccupation with weight, food, calories, fat
  grams, and dieting.
• Refusal to eat certain foods, restricting whole
  categories of food.
• Frequent comments about feeling fat or
  overweight despite weight loss.
• Anxiety about gaining weight or being fat.

6
Primary Symptoms of Anorexia

• Refusal to maintain body weight at or above a
  minimally normal weight for height, body type,
  age, and activity level.
• Intense fear of weight gain or being fat.
• Feeling fat or overweight despite dramatic
  weight loss.
• Loss of menstrual period in girls and women
  post-puberty.
• Extreme concern with body weight and shape.

7
Health Consequences of Anorexia

• Abnormally slow heart rate and low blood
  pressure, increasing the risk for heart failure.
• Reduction of bone density leading to
  osteoporosis.
• Muscle loss and weakness.
• Severe dehydration which can result in kidney
  failure.

• Dry hair and skin, hair loss is common.
• Growth of a downy layer of hair called lanugo all
  over the body, in an effort to keep the body
  warm.
• Fainting, fatigue, and overall weakness

8
Statistics About Anorexia Nervosa

• Approximately 90-95 of anorexia nervosa
  sufferers are girls and women.
• Between 1-2 of American women suffer from
  anorexia nervosa.
• Anorexia nervosa is one of the most common
  psychiatric diagnoses in young women.
• Between 5-20 of individuals struggling with
  anorexia nervosa will die. The probabilities of
  death increases within that range depending on
  the length of the condition.
• Anorexia Nervosa has one of the highest death
  rates of any mental health condition.
• Anorexia nervosa typically appears in early to
  mid-adolescence.

9
Bulimia Nervosa is a serious, potentially
life-threatening disorder characterized by a
secretive cycle of binging and purging.
Three Primary Symptoms of Bulimia Nervosa

• Eating large quantities of food in short periods
  of time, without regard to feelings of hunger or
  fullness.
• Following these binges with some form of purging
  or compensatory behavior to make up for the
  excessive calories taken in self-induced
  vomiting, laxative or diuretic abuse, fasting,
  and/or obsessive or compulsive exercise.
• Extreme concern with body weight and shape.

10
Who is at risk for developing Bulimia?

• People who become bulimic often have problems
  with anxiety, depression, and impulse control.
• They do not handle stress gracefully.
• They may be dependent on their families even
  though they fiercely profess independence.
• Many have problems trusting other people.
• They may diet, thinking to improve their lives
  and feel better about themselves.

11
Warning Signs of Bulimia Nervosa

• Evidence of binge-eating, including disappearance
  of large quantities of food in short periods of
  time.
• Evidence of purging behavior, including frequent
  trips to the bathroom after meals, signs and/or
  smells of vomiting, presence of packages of
  laxatives or diuretics.
• Excessive, rigid exercise regimen.
• Unusual swelling of the cheeks or jaw area.
• Calluses on the back of the hands and knuckles
  from self-induced vomiting.
• Discoloration of staining of the teeth.
• Withdrawal from usual friends and activities.
• Creation of complex lifestyle schedules to make
  time for binge-and-purge sessions.

12
Health Consequences of Bulimia Nervosa

• Electrolyte imbalance that can lead to irregular
  heartbeats and possibly heart failure and death.
  Electrolyte imbalance is caused by dehydration
  and loss of potassium and sodium from the body as
  a result of purging behaviors.
• Potential for gastric rupture during periods of
  bingeing. Inflammation and possible rupture of
  the esophagus from frequent vomiting.
• Tooth decay and staining from stomach acids
  released during frequent vomiting.
• Chronic irregular bowel movements and
  constipation as a result of laxative abuse.
• Peptic ulcers and pancreatitis.

13
Statistics about Bulimia Nervosa

• Bulimia nervosa affects 1-3 of middle and high
  school girls and 1-4 of college age women.
• Approximately 80 of bulimia nervosa patients are
  female.
• People struggling with bulimia nervosa will often
  appear to be of average body weight.

14
Binge-eating disorder is a newly recognized
eating disorder characterized by frequent
episodes of uncontrolled overeating.

• Primary Symptoms
• Frequent episodes of eating large quantities of
  food in short periods of time, without regard to
  feelings of hunger or fullness.
• Frequent feelings of being out of control
  during binges.
• Eating large quantities of food rapidly, without
  really tasting the food.
• Eating alone.
• Feelings of shame, disgust, or guilt after a
  binge.

15
Health Consequences of Binge-Eating Disorder

• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol levels
• Heart disease as a result of elevated
  triglyceride levels
• Secondary diabetes
• Gallbladder disease

16
Prevalence of Eating Disorders

• In the United States, 5-10 million girls and
  women and 1 million boys and men are struggling
  with eating disorders.
• 80 of American women are dissatisfied with their
  appearance.
• 42 of 1st-3rd graders want to be thinner.
• 81 of 10 year olds are afraid of being fat.
• The average American woman is 54 tall and
  weighs 140 pounds. The average American model is
  511 tall and weighs 117 pounds.
• Most fashion models are thinner than 98 of
  American women.

17
Are some people at special risk for developing
eating disorders?

• Because of intense demands for thinness, some
  people are at high risk for eating disorders
• Wrestlers
• Jockeys
• Cheerleaders
• Sorority Members
• Dancers
• Gymnasts
• Runners
• Models
• Actors/Actresses/Entertainers

18
Prevention Guidelines and Strategies (For
Parents, Coaches, and Educators)

• Examine your own attitudes, beliefs, prejudices,
  and behaviors about food, weight, body image,
  physical appearance, health, and exercise.
• Replace unhealthy attitudes with healthy ones.
• Do not talk about or behave as if you are
  constantly dieting.
• Encourage balanced eating of a variety of foods
  in moderation.
• Allow all foods in your home.
• Notice often and in a complimentary way how
  varied people are.
• Pay attention and openly challenge media
  messages.
• Convey to children that weight and appearance are
  not the most critical aspects of their identity
  and self-worth.
• Build self-esteem.
• Encourage open communication.
• Encourage open communication.
• Encourage critical thinking.
• Dont constantly criticize your own shape.
• 14. Dont use food as a reward or punishment.

19
Where to go for help

• National Eating Disorders Association
• 1-800-931-2237
• National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and
  Associated Disorders
• www.anad.org or Hotline [phone]
• Anorexia Nervosa and Related Eating Disorders,
  Inc.
• www.anred.com
• The Something Fishy Website on Eating Disorders
• www.something-fishy.org