Anorexia Nervosa
Anorexia Nervosa is a serious mental health illness. People affected keep their body weight low through dieting, vomiting, laxatives or obsessive exercising. People affected by Anorexia will see themselves very differently compared to how people around them see them. People affected by anorexia will go to great lengths to hide their behaviour from family and friends.
Losing weight can make the person affected feel in control of their body and in some ways boost their confidence. Because they often perceive themselves to be overweight, losing weight to them can become an achievement.
Sadly, Anorexia Nervosa carries the highest mortality rate of all eating disorders. This is due to the medical complications that can arise from the illness and suicide also contributes to this statistic. The latest research has shown that 20% of people affected by Anorexia will die prematurely.
How long does it last?
On average, Anorexia Nervosa can last for around 8 years, however, it can leave long lasting affects, not only to the mind but also the body. Recent statistics show that around 46% of anorexia patients fully recover, 33% improve and 20% remain chronically ill. (Stats from BEAT UK).
Some of the long term affects of Anorexia can be:
- Starvation and purging will affect every system in the body, the kidneys and liver are the power house of the body so persistent starvation and purging carries high risk to the overall function of the body.
- Delayed puberty and growth in children
- Loss of bone density leading to Osteoporosis
- Infertility
How to spot the signs?
There are a number of different signs that can cause concern for someone and their surrounding family and friends. It’s important to remember that each person is different, although there will be a similarity between cases, someone affected by Anorexia will be experiencing and fighting their own personal battle.
Below is a list of some of the common behavioural patterns.
- Fear of gaining weight
- Obsessively counting calories
- Strict Dieting
- Morphed perception of their body image
- Excessive Exercising
- Obsessive behaviour when it comes to food
- Makes excuses about not eating and not wanting to eat in front of people
- Obsessive behaviour
- Socially withdrawn
*** It’s worth noting that people affected by Anorexia may also use diet pills, or appetite suppressants ***
Bulimia Nervosa
Bulimia, like Anorexia is a serious mental health issue. Persons affected by Bulimia feel that they have lost control of their eating habits. They will evaluate themselves by their body shape and weight and will be caught in a cycle of over-eating large quantities of food, referred to as binge eating. Once they have consumed the food, the tendency is for them to vomit, or use laxatives or diuretics, which is referred to as purging. Those affected by Bulimia believe that purging will prevent them from gaining weight.
Bulimia can often be hidden and generally, persons affected by Bulimia tend to be a healthy weight. However, it is the ritualistic and obsessive behaviours they carry out to achieve this that causes them harm. Bulimia can dominate daily life and lead to difficulties in relationships and social situations. It’s extremely common for people to swing from Anorexia Nervosa to Bulimia Nervosa.
As with Anorexia, people affected by Bulimia will have low self esteem and confidence issues. The way they perceive themselves will be very different from how people around them see them.
How long can it last?
Bulimia can last for approximately 5 years, however, any eating disorder can be long lasting and have a huge debilitating affect on quality of life. Recent studies show that 45% of people affected will make a full recovery, 27% will improve considerably and 23% will suffer chronically. Stats from Beat UK:-
What are the long term affects of Bulimia?
How to spot the signs?
People affected by Bulimia will put their bodies through huge amounts of turmoil from overeating and purging.
Some of the long term affects of Bulimia can be.
- Constipation
- Gastric problems from the use of laxatives and diuretics
- Irregular periods
- Dental problems from excessive vomiting
- Heart conditions related to the use of laxatives
- Loss of tooth enamel from purging
How to spot the signs?
There are a number of different signs that can cause concern for someone and their surrounding family and friends. It’s important to remember that each person is different, although there will be a similarity between cases, someone affected by Bulimia will be experiencing and fighting their own personal battle.
Below is a list of some of the common behavioural patterns.
- Binge eating
- Mood swings
- Disappearing to the toilet after eating
- Distorted perception of body shape and weight Excessive exercising
Binge Eating Disorder (BED)
Binge eating disorder (BED) is another serious mental health issue more commonly seen in adults. People affected by binge eating will be unable to control the amount of food they eat at any given time. Binge eating occurs when a person eats large amounts of food in a short amount of time. Unlike Bulimia, people who binge eat will not vomit. They tend to gain weight and can be regarded as obese although, this in itself is not an eating disorder.
Binge eating like all eating disorders is linked to low self-esteem and emotional issues. The urge to turn to food for comfort can cause excessive behaviour and eating until they are full or uncomfortably full are very common.
Binge eating affects both men and women equally. Often, eating will be done in secret so family and friends may be unaware. This is generally because people affected are ashamed of their eating habits and feel huge amounts of guilt after overeating so will do it on their own in private. BEDs will be diagnosed in general, when a person binges at least once per week over a period of three months or more.
How long does it last?
It’s difficult to know as BED’s falls under the category of EDNOS (Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified). However, the sooner someone recognises that they are affected by BEDS and seeks treatment, the sooner they will be supported through recovery.
Want are the long term affects of BEDs?
Because BEDS involves consuming large amounts of food in short periods of time, the main concern is the affect it can have on the bodily systems.
Some of the long term affects can be;
- High Cholesterol
- Type 2 Diabetes
- Heart Disease
How to spot the signs?
As this disorder is kept hidden and weight gain can be associated to obesity it can be difficult to spot.
Some of the common behavioural patterns will be;
- Significant weight gain
- Purchasing ‘special’ binge eating foods
- Eating excessive amounts of food, even if they’ve just eaten
- Hiding Food
- Secret eating - possibly during the night when everyone else is sleeping
Emotional Overeating
Emotional overeating occurs when someone turns to food for comfort when they’re feeling anxious or depressed. It is generally a response to negative emotions. This behaviour is a way for that person to cope in these types of situations. However, the emotions a person will experience after overeating will generally make them feel worse.
Emotional overeating will often lead to weight gain, which leaves the person affected with a very low perception of how they think and feel about themselves.