For more information on the signs and symptoms of eating disorders visit somthing-fishy.org
Anorexia Nervosa
When someone with Anorexia becomes dangerously underweight, it can become imensely difficult to make steps to overcome the eating disorder. This is due to a variety of factors such as reduced brain function caused by starvation, extreme anxiety towards foods and weight gain which keep someone trapped in their eating disorder, and the dependence of their disorder as a coping mechanism from difficult emotions and situations. Therefore it is important that someone diagnosed with Anorexia Nervosa gets treatment as early as possible to ensure a higher chance of recovery.
Common signs and symptoms of someone with Anorexia Nervosa are:
- Dramatic weight loss - often this is rapid over a short period of time (BMI below 17.5)
- Obsession with calories/grams of fat/nutrition - reading labels, only allowing themselves to eat below a specific calorie limit / grams of fat (often very low)
- Amenorrhea - loss of menstruatuin (for longer than 3 months)
- Preoccupation with food - obsessions with cooking programmes, cookery books, collecting images of food, cooking for others whilst not eating themselves, talking about food, planning meals whilst eating little
- Strange or secretive food rituals - such as cutting food so many times, chewing for a specific number of times, using specific plates and cutlery, eating alone
- Feeling fat/dieting despite being underweight - often weighing self several times a day, hiding specific parts of body that they feel is fat/they don't like
- Obsessed with body image - avoiding mirrors or frequently checking in mirrors, feeling areas of body for fat/bones, obsessed with clothes sizes, contantly comparing self with others
- Denial that they are too thin - unable to see that they are underweight, passing off comments about their weight, denying that they're low weight is a problem.
- Compulsive exercise / laxitive use / vomiting - in order to compensate for eating, or feeling of fullness and overeating.
Anorexia can have serious health problems - see the diagram below taken from this website.
Bulimia Nervosa
This eating disorder is characterised by periods of binge eating where large amounts of food are eaten that would not be considered normal by a healthy person in the same circumstances. The binges are followed by a need to compensate for the binge, e.g. induced vomiting, excessive exercise, use of laxatives / diuretics, restricted diet.
This eating disorder is characterised by periods of binge eating where large amounts of food are eaten that would not be considered normal by a healthy person in the same circumstances. The binges are followed by a need to compensate for the binge, e.g. induced vomiting, excessive exercise, use of laxatives / diuretics, restricted diet.
Often the sufferer can become trapped in a binge / purge cycle. Often someone with bulimia will restrict for long periods after a binge, however starvation makes them more likely to binge. In addition they often feel extreme guilt, disgust and shame after purging making it more likely that they will binge again.
It’s very likely that the person suffering from bulimia is at a normal weight, and due to the secretive nature of binging and purging, it can make it difficult to recognise that someone is suffering from an eating disorder.
Some on the signs and symptoms of Bulimia include:
- Going to the bathroom after eating – to vomit
- Excessive exercising and obsession with weight
- Disappearance of food / hiding food – empty wrappers hidden, food stored for binges
- Secrecy around food – sneaking into the kitchen after people have left
- Swollen cheeks – from excessive vomiting
- Calluses on knuckles – from using hands to induce vomiting
- Broken veins in and around the eyes – from repeated vomiting
Health risks caused by Bulimia include:
- Erosion of enamel on teeth – from the acid in vomit
- Ulcers, bleeding, or tearing of the oesophagus – from excessive vomiting
- Edema – swelling and excess water from frequent use of diuretics
- Loss of normal bowel function – from persistent laxative use
- Electrolyte imbalance – due to frequent vomiting or laxative / diaretic abuse – this can lead to severe heart complications such as irregular heart beats and in severe cases can cause death by heart failure.
It is important to note that someone suffering from Bulimia can also experience bouts of Anorexia as both eating disorders are similar on many levels. In addition, someone with Anorexia could also purge after eating or binge at less frequent periods / on smaller amounts of food that they might see as a binge or ‘mini binge’. It is very common for someone to suffer from both Anorexia and Bulimia at different points in their life.
Binge Eating Disorder (BED)
This eating disorder is characterised by compulsive overeating where the person eats large amounts of food, either in a short period of time or throughout the entire day, that leaves them feeling unable to stop and out of control. Often they will continue to eat even when not hungry, eating beyond the point of fullness. Unlike Bulimia, the sufferer does not take part in any compensatory behaviour.
It’s easy for the sufferer to get stuck in a binge cycle, whereby the feelings of guilt, disgust, and depression after a binge can lead that person to return to food as temporary relief and comfort, using food as a way to cope from their difficult emotions. In addition, continuous overeating usually leads to weight gain where the person begins to feel increasing unhappy with their appearance and situation, turning even more to food as a way to cope.
Signs and Symptoms of BED include:
- Feeling out of control when eating – not feeling able to stop
- Rapidly eating large amounts of food
- Eating even when you’re full
- Hiding food – in order to eat in secret later
- Eating normally around others – but later binging when alone
- Eating continuously throughout the day – often with no set meal times
- Feeling that food relieves stress and tension
- Embarrassment over how much you’re eating
- Feeling numb while bingeing—like being on auto pilot
- Never feeling satisfied - no matter how much you eat
- Feeling guilty, disgusted, or depressed after overeating
- Desperation to control weight and eating habits
Health Impacts include:
- Type II Diabetes
- High cholesterol / blood pressure
- Heart Disease
- Joint and muscle pain
- Osteoarthritis
- Gallbladder disease
Orthorexia
This is an eating disorder that was only diagnosed in the late 90’s and is characterised by an unhealthy obsession with eating healthily. Usually it starts as a genuine desire to live a healthy lifestyle, but can develop into a limited, restricted diet. For example, someone might choose to emit red meat from their diet, but over time completely eliminate all meats from their diet. Orthorexia is similar to Anorexia, although it focuses more on eating foods that are seen as ‘good’ or ‘healthy’, often becoming obsessed with the health benefits of food and how it is prepared or processed.
Orthorexia is not as severe as other eating disorders such as Anorexia and Bulimia, the sufferer is at risk of developing these eating disorders over a longer period of time. For example, as a diet becomes more limited and restricted it could easily develop into Anorexia. Alternatively, as the sufferer becomes more undernourished, it could lead to binges, and there is a possibility that the guilt could lead to purging behaviours, developing into Bulimia.
Orthorexia.com
Disordered-Eating.co.uk
Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (EDNOS)
When someone does not fit neatly into a specific eating disorder, they will most likely be classed as eating disorder not otherwise specified (EDNOS). For example they may fit into most of the criteria of Anorexia but they still have a regular period or have a BMI above 17.5. Or perhaps they fit into the Bulimic category only periods of binging are less frequent, or they are more frequent but involve smaller amounts of food.
Often people think that someone with EDNOS is not as serious as other eating disorders. In fact, more people with EDNOS are diagnosed than that of Anorexia and Bulimia put together. Often people with EDNOS still engage in the same risky behaviours as Anorexia and Bulimia, so they are at just as much risk of the negative health consequences of their eating disorder.
Somethingfishy.org
The facts about eating disorders are not limited to what is written on this page. There are many more types of disordered eating. Please feel free to explore more by visiting the links I've provided.
K this is amazing!
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