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| EATING DISORDERS |
| "Mirror, mirror, on the wall: who's the fattest one of all?" If you can relate the the above saying, you're not alone. Thousands of women and an icreasing number of men are looking in the mirror right now and hating what they see. Eating disorders affect millions of people and thousands of people will die from eating disorders yearly. There is good news though - eating disorders can be beaten! If you have an eating disorder, you are not alone and you can get through it! You no longer have to be a prisoner of this condition. You have the power within yourself to beat this, and you will. When recovery happens, you will be able to look in the mirror and say: "Mirror, mirror, on the wall: who's the fairest one of all?" And the answer will be YOU! as it always has been. Anorexia Ninety-five percent of all anorexics are women. Anorexia usually occurs in the teen years, but can start as early as 8 or in older age. Anorexia can affect anyon. Anorexia is a distorted personal body image that leads to extreme dieting to achieve weight loss. Eventually, eating subsides all together. The anorexic has strong and fixed delusions about how they look and has strong beliefs regarding food. About eighteen percent of anorexics die from their condition - some from suicide and some from sudden heart irregularities. Anorexia causes depression and low self-esteem as well as physical illness and complications. Bulimia Bulimia is a disorder in which there is habitual binging and purging. Binging is the rapid intake of large amounts of food; purging is ridding the body of that food by vomiting, laxatives, enema, suppositories, diuretics, ipecac, or inappropriate exercise. Bulimia causes depression, low self-esteem, and rapid changes in body weight. Nutrient deficiencies are also evident. Bulimic symptoms occur in at least twenty percent of women. What If Someone I Care About Has An Eating Disorder? Someone with an eating disorder may show signs that can be confusing to the observer. An person with an eating disorder may or may not show one or many of the signs below. Bulimia ~ Dieting very restrictive ~ Talks about binging and/or purging ~ Describes foods as "good" or "bad" ~ Hiding food or eating ~ Making frequent trips to the bathroom, especially at night and/or after eating ~ Avoiding social situations or eating in public ~ Mood shifts include depression, self-hate, irritability, and/or shame ~ Uses binging and purging to deal with stresses or negative feelings ~ Feels out of control with food ~ Feelings of self-worth are determined by weight and not health ~ Little or no weight gain inspite of large intake of food ~ Chronic sore throat ~ Swollen glands or puffiness in the face, cracks in the corner of the mouth, broken blood vessels in the eyes/face, damaged tooth enamel Anorexia ~ Severe restriction of food intake and/or fasting ~ Rituals such as counting bites, cutting food into tiny bites, playing with food on plate, or preparing food for others and refusing to eat it ~ Excessive exercising to lose weight ~ Extreme fear of becoming fat ~ Dressing in baggy or layered clothing to hide weight loss ~ May binge to get rid of food ~ Mood shifts ~ Feelings of inadequacy about her/his abilities ~ Social isolating ~ Feelings of worth based on what is or is not eaten ~ Weight loss - often sudden, to very low body weights What To Do If you suspect or know that someone has an eating disorder, you may be wondering what you should do about it, if anything at all. Before you do anything, take some time to think and plan out your course of action. LEARN as much as you can about eating disorders. Knowing more about eating disorders enables you to deal more effectively with someone who is suffering. As you become clearer about what is going on, you become clearer about the individual and how you can help. The individual with the eating disorder is not the only one who needs support. Recovery will be difficult for everyone involved. Ask yourself these questions: ~ Am I the best person to approach the individual? ~ If not, who is the best person to approach him/her? ~ Do I need to talk to the individual's parents, teachers, religious leader, etc., before I do anything? Decide what you want to say ahead of time so you are less likely to offend or emotionally harm the individual when the time comes. Choose a time that will work best for the individual and be honest and clear about what you want to say. Offer support if you are willing or if it is possible for you to do so and be prepared for denial and/or anger on the part of the individual with the eating disorder. Sometimes the individual will be relieved that you spoke up and are willing to help. However, most often the individual will respond with anger and/or denial - this does not mean that your efforst have failed. Self Assessment - Do I Need Help? If you suspect you may have an eating disorder, ask yourself these questions: Do I... ...think about food and weight constantly? ...feel frustrated with dieting? ...eat in response to anger, lonliness, boredom, stress, anxiety, etc.? ...attempt to control my weight by fasting, dieting, using laxatives, or excercising compulsively? ...feel anxious or guilty when I miss my exercise time? ...deny myself food if i miss exercise time? ...think of time spent exercising in terms of calories burned? ...feel unworthy because my body isn't the right weight or shape? ...have a range of sizes in my wardrobe? ...wear clothes that avert attention from my weight? ...avoid looking in full-length mirrors? ...believe that if I stop concentrating on my weight I will become fat? If you answered yes or identified with any five of the above questions, you may need help. Please take a look at our links for further information on treatment of eating disorders. 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| You are a STAR |