Eating Disorder Defined

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Eating Disorder Defined

Eating disorder is an illness that affects an increasing number of women. Basically, it is a mental illness characterized by a compulsion to overeat or avoiding food; the most common types are Anorexia, Bulimia, Compulsive Overeating, and Binge Eating.

While this disease is thought to be a personal problem, it is actually also a social concern. The world at large has succumbed to the media’s view of what a woman should look like. Researches reveal that eating disorder are mostly a result of low self-esteem, disconnection from self and appetite, abuse, derogatory remarks, perfectionism, anxiety, bullying, and family problems. Women who are often confronted with negative remarks such as being fat end up with a strong resolution to do anything to stop it. Eating disorders are running rampant in countries where the concept of being slim is being beautiful and sexy.

The most common eating disorders are anorexia and bulimia, two different disorders that are both scary and alarming. Anorexia is characterized by an intense fear of gaining weight, even if underweight, resulting in food deprivation or starvation. On the other hand, bulimia is characterized by a large amount of food intake in a relatively short period of time, only to purge it back up vomiting, fasting, excessive exercise, or use of laxatives or pills. Binge eating, on the other hand, is over-eating within a short period of time and characterized by the inability to moderate or stop eating during this binge episode.

These health conditions need to be diagnosed and treated; otherwise such behaviors will result in severe health risks and problems. Binge eating, for example, is directly related to obesity and other serious health problems such as diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, and other diseases. Eating disorders can also lead to miscarriages or the inability to conceive. Anorexia has the highest mortality rate of any mental disorder.

Anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating are a result of several factors: social, biological, and psychological. Therefore, it may not help putting all the blame to the person with the eating disorder. The important thing any one can do is to recognize and acknowledge eating disorder behaviors and get help to begin recovery.