Eating Disorders, Their Symptoms, and How You Can Help

When Jenny was seven, all she could dream about was being a celebrity. After all, she craved attention and devotion. Her extravagant dresses would catch the attention of designers everywhere and her personality the attention of a million adoring fans. Every day after school, she ran upstairs to practice her model walk, strutting in mom’s apricot heels and falling with a thud after taking the wrong step. Her messy signatures covered her math worksheets and play-makeup sat on her bedside table. 

Of course, that was the past. Jenny is now 15, in the ninth grade, and doesn’t care about her elementary school fantasies. Now she cares about her body. She cares about being the skinniest person in school. She cares about skipping breakfast. She cares about the extra flabby skin on her arms and how it makes her look. She cares about running up to her white-tiled bathroom floor, every day, and throwing up into the cold porcelain bowl. She cares about the flashing numbers on the scale. Jenny has an eating disorder.

But what are eating disorders and how can you jumpstart a recovery?

Binge-Eating Disorder

Binge-Eating Disorder,  also known as BED or Compulsive Overeating, is a psychological disorder in which one feels the need to eat more than normal. Whilst the consumer feels the urge to stop, due to the extreme discomfort, they have no control over how much they are eating. According to the  National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA), a 2015 survey stated that about 2.8 million Americans suffer from BED, making it the most prevalent eating disorder in the United States. 

Symptoms of this disorder include eating copious amounts of food in one sitting, eating alone to avoid embarrassment, and eating despite being full. In addition to this, one might be “frequently dieting, possibly without weight loss” (www.nimh.nih.gov). While BED is a common disorder, it can be the root of many other mental disorders like depression. The shame and discomfort that one feeling during a binge can be extremely detrimental to one’s health.

Luckily, steps can be made to recover from this disorder. Contacting a doctor is especially beneficial as it promotes being open about eating habits. Another key step is honesty and awareness. Being truthful with friends and family is a step one can take after opening to their doctor. It can spark up conversations about healthy exercise, nutritional food, and helpful ways to stop cravings, all of which work towards improvement. Additionally, accepting the disorder and working towards it helps create a great mindset. Not only does it push one to work towards their goal, but it also assists with the mental health portion of the disorder. This disorder might seem hard to overcome but with determination and dedication, recovery will be just a few steps away!

Anorexia Nervosa

Contrasting BED, Anorexia Nervosa, or AN, deals with the way one might perceive themselves and their eating habits. It is defined as “a serious disorder in eating behavior that is characterized especially by a pathological fear of weight gain leading to faulty eating patterns, malnutrition, and usually excessive weight loss” (www.merriam-webster.com). Although AN is not as common as BED, it is more popular among women than men, affecting them in a “10:1 female-to-male ratio” (www.claritychi.com). 

A few very common symptoms of AN include excessive restriction when it comes to food, extreme thinness, a strong fear of gaining weight, and a distorted perception of one’s body. Furthermore, symptoms that develop over time include the thinning of bones, mild anemia, brittle hair/nails, low blood pressure, multiorgan failure, and even brain damage. Anxiousness, fatigue, and spontaneous mood fluctuations also root for this disorder, similar to many others. If one feels that their friend or family member is anorexic, a great first step would be to ease them into awareness. In the eyes of someone dealing with Anorexia Nervosa, their problems are normal. If one does get diagnosed, they will most likely be in denial of their behavior.

A small, yet monumental step, in anorexia recovery, is eating in a group, typically with family and/or friends. According to the Psychiatric Times, “Mealtime anxiety, specifically, is very common and contributes to limited intake [in anorexics]”. Taking small bites together motivates eating a healthy amount and that bites can get bigger and bigger and one progresses in their return to health. Moreover, practicing self-care is beneficial as it promotes positive thinking and self-love! Trying new and unusual foods can also help with bettering the disorder, seeing as the interest in eating can change one’s perception of food!

Bulimia Nervosa

Bulimia Nervosa, usually shortened to Bulimia or BN, is an ED involving both binging and extreme tactics used to lose weight. This condition is very serious and in some cases, can even lead to death. People that suffer from BN usually go through the same cycle, every day, for the sole desire to lose weight. This cycle begins with the person binging, or eating copious amounts of food, and then purging, or inducing themselves to rid of excess calories. One might use laxatives, drugs, 

Those with BN have the tendency to be preoccupied with their weight, body shape, and eating habits. They live in constant fear of gaining weight and diet, restrict calories, and avoid certain foods. While this is true, they lose control of themselves while binging, making it seem like they can not stop eating. Other physical symptoms include the thinning of hair, brittle nails, constant dizziness, swelling of feet, and fluctuating weight. Additionally, emotional/behavioral symptoms include fears of eating in public, wearing baggy clothing, skipping meals, excessive mood swings, and the development of food rituals (www.nationaleatingdisorders.org).

Just like any other eating disorder, however, stable recovery is possible. For starters, anybody that feels as though they might be dealing with an eating disorder should talk to their doctor. In reality, “[an] effective treatment can help you feel better about yourself, adopt healthier eating patterns and reverse serious complications” (www.mayoclinic.org). The first step in any eating disorder recovery is to begin to respect and love one’s body. It is important to realize that everyone has a different body, and each one functions differently. Moreover, being open about one’s recovery can help them see how much people love and sympathize with them. Happiness is contagious and can spread to anybody! Speaking of joy, taking small steps to improve mood can also help in recovery. One should love themselves for who they are. Diets should be looked down on, seeing as they caused so much scrutiny, and food control should be implemented instead. Knowing how much you can eat can be much healthier than restricting it!

A Conclusion

Although eating disorders can be tricky and mentally draining, a strong recovery is possible for everyone! Everyone has a different body. Some have long legs, big shoulders, skin problems, and even small hands, but that does not prevent self-love. It’s not the outside that matters, it’s the inside. Remembering this can be all it takes to promote better eating and healthier choices.