The most common of eating disorders are Bulimia and binge eating and Anorexia. Bulimia usually affects more women than men, and often starts in the late teens or early twenties following a strict diet or stressful life event. The individual most likely has a poor self-image, and places much emphasis on needing to be thin to be attractive.
Anorexia is an eating disorder and serious mental health condition.
People who have anorexia try to keep their weight as low as possible by not eating enough food or exercising too much, or both. This can make them very ill because they start to starve.
They often have a distorted image of their bodies, thinking they’re fat even when they’re underweight.
Men and women of any age can get anorexia, but it’s most common in young women and typically starts in the mid-teens.
In bulimia, the individual will try to control their weight by restricting their diet, but then crave food and binge eat. This is followed by vomiting, over-exercising or taking pills (laxatives, diuretics, diet), and are often of normal weight.
Binge eating can occur in the same way as bulimia, but there is no use of weight-controlling strategies such as vomiting, laxatives, over-exercise, and individuals are often over-weight. Other’s binge eat as a way of coping with distressing emotions: extreme “comfort eating”, but binge eating ends up making them feel worse about themselves.
Common thoughts:
Negative self-beliefs: Judge self by what I eat and look like.
Strict and rigid rules about what I can eat (impossible to stick to) – I must stick rigidly to my diet regime
Focus of attention is taken up with food and eating
What I should or shouldn’t eat
Self-critical thoughts when don’t keep to rules: I’m a failure, I’m useless and weak, I’m worthless
I’m unattractive and unlovable
If I start eating, I won’t be able to stop – I’m out of control
If I’m not perfect, then I’m a complete failure
If I eat, I’ll feel better
Physical Symptoms:
Weight gain – weight can vary due to alternating bingeing and dieting, nausea, bloating, abdominal pain, dizziness, dry and flaky skin, difficulty concentrating, sleeping problems, dehydration, fatigue, damage to teeth- sensitive or discoloured, mouth sores, swollen hands or feet, sore throat or hoarse voice, swollen cheeks.
Long term: (bulimia) anaemia, kidney damage, lack of menstrual periods, cardiac failure, loss of teeth, stomach ulcers, risk of rupture of stomach and oesophagus, heart problems
Long term: (binge eating) obesity and associated health problems, including type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease.
Behaviours
Over-eating, often in the evenings, controlling food intake try to stick to diet then fail and binge eat, not eating normal meals, eat alone or secretively, attempts to control weight (bulimia): Vomiting after eating, disguising sound (run taps, flush toilet) and smell of vomiting (air-freshener, mints, perfume, mouthwash); Using laxatives, die or diuretic pills; Exercising too much to try to control weight gain, or crash diets.
CBT therapy can help to address many of these issues.
