Eating Disorder

15-Jul-2010

Tags: Eating Disorder , Health

Eating disorder is a group of conditions considered by abnormal eating habits that may involve either insufficient or excessive food intake. The best-known eating disorders are Anorexia nervosa, Bulimia nervosa, and Pica. Eating disorder is very common among teenagers.

Causes:

• Negative parenting: Parental behaviour and attitude towards child plays an important role. Sometimes mother pressurize daughters to lose weight and this results to insufficient eating disorder.

• Transitions in life such as the onset of puberty, entering high school or college, or major illness or death of someone close to them can engulf individuals and cause them to feel a loss of control.

• Family history of obesity

• Emotional Disorder: parents with alcoholism or unhealthy relation between parents can be the reason of emotional stress that may rise to eating disorder.

• Hormonal abnormalities are common in eating disorders and include chemical abnormalities in the thyroid, the reproductive regions, and areas related to stress, well-being, and appetite.

• Failure in school or college: When parents and society expect a lot from children and teenagers and due to any reason if they are not able to do well, this becomes the reason for excessive stress and pressure that may result to excessive eating.

Symptoms:

• Rigorous weight loss in a relatively short period of time.
• Obsession with calories and fat content of foods.
• Frequent trips to the bathroom immediately following meals to vomit
• Food restriction and self-starvation
• Use of diet pills, laxatives, ipecac syrup
• Flushing uneaten food down the toilet
• Low self-esteem. Feeling worthless
• Mood swings. Depression. Fatigue.
• Insomnia. Poor sleeping habits

Treatment:

• Whenever you feel any of the above symptoms do contact doctor for complete check up.

• Anorexia and bulimia can be deadly-and not just if you're drastically underweight. Your health may be in danger, even if you only occasionally fast, binge, or purge, so it's important to get a full medical evaluation. If you're suffering from any life-threatening problem, you may need to be hospitalized.

• Once the problem is in control, you and your doctor can work on a long-term recovery plan.

• Apart from doctor you should also consult a psychologist, a nutritionist, a social worker, and a psychiatrist.

People suffering from eating disorder not only needs medical treatment but the emotional help and support of family and friends is very important. In case you see anyone around suffering from this disorder please help them and support in all possible way. Proper counselling and monitoring can help anyone to come out of this disorder.

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