Eating Disorders

• Anorexia Nervosa

What is anorexia?

Anorexia (a-neh-RECK-see ah) nervosa, typically called anorexia, is a type of eating disorder that mainly affects girls and young women. A person with this disorder has an intense fear of gaining weight and limits the food she eats. She

* has a low body weight
* refuses to keep a normal body weight
* is extremely afraid of becoming fat
* believes she is fat even when she's very thin
* misses three (menstrual) periods in a row—for girls/women who have started having their periods.

What causes it?

Anorexia is more than just a problem with food. It's a way of using food or starving oneself to feel more in control of her life and to ease tension, anger, and anxiety. While there is no single known cause of anorexia, several things may contribute to the development of the disorder:

* Biology. Several biological factors, including genetics and other related hormones, may contribute in the onset the disorder.
* Culture. Some cultures in the U.S. have an ideal of extreme thinness. Women may define themselves on how beautiful they are.
* Personal feelings. Someone with anorexia may feel badly about herself, feel helpless, and hate the way she looks. She has unrealistic expectations of herself and strives for perfection. She feels worthless, despite achievements and perceives a social pressure to be thin.
* Stressful events or life changes. Things like starting a new school or job or being teased to traumatic events like rape can lead to the onset of anorexia.
* Families. People with a mother or sister with anorexia are more likely to develop the disorder. Parents who think appearance is very important, diet themselves, and criticize their children's bodies are more likely to have a child with anorexia.

What are signs of anorexia?

A person with anorexia will have many of these signs:

* Looks a lot thinner
* Uses extreme measures to lose weight
* makes herself throw up
* takes pills to urinate or have a bowel movement (BM)
* takes diet pills
* doesn’t eat or follows a strict diet
* exercises a lot
* weighs food and counts calories
* moves food around the plate; doesn't eat it
* Has a distorted body image
* thinks she's fat when she's too thin
* wears baggy clothes to hide appearance
* fears gaining weight
* weighs herself many times a day
* Acts differently
* talks about weight and food all the time
* won't eat in front of others
* acts moody or depressed
* doesn't socialize

http://www.4woman.gov/faq/easyread/anorexia-etr.htm

• Bulimia Nervosa

What is bulimia?

Bulimia (buh-LEE -me-ah) nervosa, typically called bulimia, is a type of eating disorder. Someone with bulimia eats a lot of food in a short amount of time (called bingeing) and then tries to prevent weight gain by purging. Purging might be done in these ways:

* making oneself throw up
* taking laxatives, pills, or liquids that increase how fast food moves through your body and leads to a bowel movement (BM)

A person with bulimia may also use these ways to prevent weight gain:

* exercising a lot
* eating very little or not at all
* taking pills to pass urine

What causes it?

Bulimia is more than just a problem with food. Purging and other behaviors to prevent weight gain are ways for people with bulimia to feel more in control of their lives and ease stress and anxiety. While there is no single known cause of bulimia, many things may have a role in its development:

* Biology. There are studies being done to look at many genes, hormones, and chemicals in the brain that may have an effect on the development of, and recovery from, bulimia.
* Culture. Some cultures in the U.S. have an ideal of extreme thinness. Women may define themselves on how beautiful they are.
* Personal feelings. Someone with bulimia may feel badly about herself, feel helpless, and hate the way she looks.
* Stressful events or life changes. Things like starting a new school or job, being teased, or traumatic events like rape can lead to the onset of bulimia.
* Families. The attitude of parents about appearance and diet affects their kids. Also, a person is more likely to develop bulimia if a mother or sister has it.

What are signs of bulimia?

People with bulimia may be underweight, overweight, or have a normal weight. This makes it harder to know if someone has this disorder. However, someone with bulimia may have these signs:

Uses extreme measures to lose weight

* uses diet pills, or takes pills to urinate or have a bowel movement (BM)
* goes to the bathroom all the time after she eats (to throw up)
* exercises a lot, even during bad weather, tiredness, sickness, or injury

Shows signs of throwing up

* swelling of the cheeks or jaw area
* cuts and calluses on the back of the hands and knuckles
* teeth that look clear

Acts differently

* is depressed
* doesn't see friends or participate in activities as much

http://www.4woman.gov/faq/Easyread/bulnervosa-etr.htm