Learn About Eating Disorders
Typical onset, such as restricting or limiting food or negative thoughts about one’s body, occurs between the ages of 10 to 19.
Eating disorders are serious conditions that can harm a person’s health and even be life-threatening. They happen when someone has unhealthy thoughts and feelings about food and eating. While many people make choices to stay healthy or look a certain way, those with eating disorders become overly focused on food, body weight, and how they look. This can cause feelings like guilt, shame, and anxiety.
Click on the tabs and links below for additional information and resources related to eating disorders.
Symptoms include:
- Restrictive dieting (skipping meals, avoiding wide groups of food, etc.)
- Frequent trips to the bathroom after meals
- Changes in period/menstrual cycle
- Shame around food or discomfort eating around others
- Brittle hair, skin, and nails or hair loss
- Difficulties with focusing
- Frequently feeling cold
- Noticeable weight loss or weight gain
- Unusually high concerns about body image
- Sleeping much more or much less than normal
- Big differences in energy levels
- Passing out
- Extreme exercise
Risk factors include:
- Bullying
- Family history
- Other mental health issues
- Stress
Types of Eating Disorders:
Anorexia Nervosa: This eating disorder happens when someone is very afraid of gaining weight. They may see their body differently than it really is and eat much less food than they need, which can lead to serious health problems and very low body weight. There are two types of anorexia. In the “restrictive” type, people limit the amount and kinds of food they eat. In the “binge-purge” type, even though the person has very low body weight, they may have episodes of eating a lot of food at once (bingeing) and then try to get rid of it by throwing up or using other methods, like taking laxatives. This is different from bulimia, where the person’s weight is usually normal or above average.
Bulimia Nervosa: This eating disorder happens when someone eats a lot of food in one sitting (bingeing) and then tries to get rid of the food afterward (purging). Purging can include making themselves throw up, taking laxatives or diuretics, fasting, exercising too much, or a mix of these behaviors. People with bulimia can be slightly underweight, a normal weight, or slightly overweight.
Binge-Eating Disorder: This eating disorder happens when someone eats a lot of food in a short amount of time. They may feel like they can’t stop or control how much they are eating. Binge-eating disorder can lead to weight gain and health problems related to being overweight, but being overweight is not always a symptom of this disorder.
Click HERE to find a provider.
