Eating Disorders

At any given time, 10% or more of high school and college students report symptoms of eating disorders. Many more experience some degree of distress related to eating and weight. The most common eating disorders include Anorexia Nervosa (self starvation), Bulimia Nervosa (binging and purging), and Binge Eating Disorder.

What Is Anorexia Nervosa?

Anorexia Nervosa is self-imposed starvation due to an intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat. People with this condition have a very distorted body image – thinking that they are fat when, in fact,  they become very underweight (15% or more below healthy body weight). Signs of this disorder may include:

• Rigid, restricted eating patterns
• Avoidance of social situations involving food
• Excessive compulsive exercise and/or study habits
• A preoccupation with food and weight
• Signs of malnutrition (weakness, feeling cold, dizziness, dry skin and hair, constipation).

What Is Bulimia Nervosa?

Bulimia Nervosa, known as the “ b i n g e - p u r g e” syndrome, is a condition in which a person has recurrent episodes of binge eating and purging. During a binge, the person uncontrollably consumes a very large number of calories in a short period of time. This results in feelings of guilt, disgust, and fear.  The person, in turn, resorts to any number of methods to get rid of the excess calories including vomiting, laxatives, diuretics, fasting, and excessive exercise. Sign of this disorder may include:

• Rapid weight fluctuations
• Swollen glands that give a chipmunk appearance
• Red, puffy, bloodshot eyes
• Severe dental decay and cuts on fingers
• Compulsive exercise and frequent depression.

What Is Binge Eating?

Binge eating disorder involves recurrent episodes of binge eating which results in feelings of guilt, disgust, depression, and extreme distress. While there is no purging, there may be sporadic fasting or repetitive dieting. People suffering from this disease may gain a large amount of weight, which may lead to high blood pressure, diabetes, joint problems, and heart and gall bladder disease.

What Causes Eating Disorders?

Eating disorders are caused by a combination of cultural and psychological issues, personality traits, physiological imbalances, and learned behavior. Society places a great deal of emphasis on being thin, especially for women. This is expressed through the media, advertising, family, and peers.

People with eating disorders tend to be perfectionists, compulsive, and high achievers, and they strive to attain society’s unrealistic thin ideal. In addition, they frequently suffer from depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem, and many have histories of physical abuse and/or alcoholism in their families.

Finally, the new pressures of college life may cause many students to use food in unhealthy ways – either over or under-eating to cope with stress.

Why Can’t I Just Stop?

Because eating disorders are caused by many factors, treatment should combine several types of therapy possibly including: individual, group, or family psychotherapy; nutrition counseling; and drug therapy for underlying depression, anxiety, or other psychiatric disorders. Although repeated or long term treatments may be necessary, eating disorders are controllable.