What are eating disorders?
Eating disorders are classified by very unhealthy eating habits. Whether the persons is binge eating, or not eating at all. Around 2% of Americans suffer from an eating disorder, 5-10% of that group are male. There are three common eating disorders, Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa and Binge-eating.
Anorexia Nervosa
People suffering with Anorexia Nervosa have a distorted self image. When they look at themselves in the mirror they see a fat ugly person, when in reality they are under weight and malnourished. Counting calories and weighing themselves become an obsession, they will continually weigh themselves through out the day. People with the disorder will often refuse to eat, or go over their self appointed daily calorie intake. Many of the sufferers have co-existing mental illnesses such as OCD and depression. Death is a serious threat to those with the disorder, due to malnutrition health problems are a common burden.
Bulimia Nervosa
Bulimia Nervosa is characterized by the repeated act of binge-eating and purging, which is when the person forces themselves to vomit. They can be well within their healthy weight range, but are still terrified of gaining weight. Just like with people suffering Anorexia, Bulimics often have co-existing mental illnesses. Death isn’t as common with Bulimics, but there are serious health risks.
Binge-eating
People who suffer from Binge-eating are often overweight because unlike Bulimics, they don’t purge after an episode. There are still feelings of guilt and self loathing afterwards. As with all eating disorders, people with who suffer from Binge-eating often have mental illnesses, such as depression, anxiety and personality disorders.