Eating disorders
Eating disorders are severe and they can be characterised by abnormal eating and extreme preoccupation with food, weight and body image. They can influence someone's thoughts and feelings and they can affect someone's eating habits. People with eating disorders deal with their emotions by controlling their eating behaviours and they might eat too much or too little. Eating disorders can cause medical problems and can be fatal. Some types of eating disorders are anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge-eating disorder.
Types of eating disorders
Anorexia Nervosa
Anorexia nervosa is characterised by self-starvation, restriction of food intake and excessive fear of gaining weight. When someone has this disorder they have low weight for their age and height and they avoid food. They might see themselves as being overweight even if they aren't. They use multiple methods to lose weight such as being on an intense diet and exercising nonstop. There is no specific cause of anorexia and it starts more often in adolescence and early adulthood. It is more prevalent in women but it affects men too. Anorexia nervosa is fatal because it can cause medical issues and suicide
Binge-eating disorder
Binge-eating disorder is when people have no control over their food intake, consume large portions of food and overeat. There is no known cause but it might start during or after an intense diet. People who have this disorder most likely are obese and overweight.
Bulimia Nervosa
Bulimia nervosa is characterised by binge-eating, frequent episodes of overeating, a feeling of no control over your food intake and then going to extreme lengths to not gain weight. People with this disorder try different methods to not gain weight such as vomiting and they might feel guilty when they binge because they know their eating habits are abnormal. Young girls are mostly affected by this disorder and there is no specific cause of bulimia. It can lead to suicide, health issues and substance use.