James P Krehbiel asked:


Eating disorders are a troublesome problem, usually with an onset during adolescence. Although typically associated with teenage girls, there has been a steady increase in the number of boys affected by this disorder. Whether the individual is anorexic or bulimic, the common thread is a fascination and fear with the notion of gaining or losing weight.

Those who are anorexic or bulimic tend to have common behavioral characteristics related to their disorder. Although each case is unique, eating disordered children often suffer from obsessive-compulsive behavior, issues of power and control, perfectionistic tendencies, depression and anxiety, and thwarted rage and anger.

A multidisciplinary approach consisting of outpatient or inpatient therapy, medication management, family counseling, nutritional assistance, and regular monitoring by the child’s physician is imperative. Cognitive-behavioral therapy, coupled with family systems treatment and psychiatric intervention appear to work most effectively in assisting youngsters in managing the disorder.

Children who are anorexic have a fear of gaining weight. The anorexic will crave food, by will refuse to eat or retain it because of an intense fear of weight gain. The behavior of an anorexic may be characterized by a pattern of social withdrawal, rigorous exercise, and ritualistic eating patterns. Body misperception is a core feature of the anorexic. As they look out of the lenses of their disorder, being excessively underweight appears normal. Teenage anorexics will look in the mirror at 90 pounds and tell you that they look fat.

Those who are bulimic use various mechanisms to control their weight. The most frequent pattern is the ritualistic binging and purging cycle along with the use of various diuretics and laxatives. Adolescents may fluctuate between the presenting symptoms of bulimia and later manifest the patterns of anorexia. Both eating disorders are extremely dangerous and can be life threatening. The effect on the child’s health cannot be underestimated.

Eating disorders are fueled by existing media portrayals of “thin is in.” The disorder can also be exacerbated by certain types of rigorous activity such as jogging and dance. I believe there are ballet companies that actually ignore the issue of eating disorders in the process of training their dance students. Eating disorders can also be intensified by parents or peers who draw attention to the adolescent’s weight. Parents or friends who make disparaging comments about weight gain or loss can help trigger or sustain the eating disorder pattern.

Adolescents tend to be resistant to receiving treatment, refusing attempts at therapeutic intervention. Counselors can overcome this obstacle by developing a collaborative, discovery-oriented relationship. I might say, “Let’s work at this together. One of the cardinal features of your disorder is your inability to appropriately evaluate your own weight. If you canvassed five of your friends, what do you think they would say about the nature of your weight?”

I believe that unexpressed anger is at the core of most eating disorders. A child may be saying, “I’ll show you! If you won’t love me for who I am and what I think and feel, I’ll take it out my body and hurt you by doing so.” Often, I tell people that vomiting is a metaphor for “spilling their guts” over pent-up anger and rage.

Parents are usually overwhelmed when they fully recognize that their teenager has an eating disorder. Sometimes parents stay in denial about the nature and severity of their child’s problem and consequently take no corrective action. Here are some recommendations for parents of eating disordered teenagers:

• Seek professional help. Don’t try to handle the problem yourself.

• Promote understanding with your child about any underlying issues of concern.

• Do not become directly involved with your child’s disorder once he/she is in therapy. Keep in touch with the professionals treating your child’s disorder. Comment such as, “What you are doing is hurting the family” are not helpful.

• Create a dialogue with your child on issues unrelated to food and weight.

• Do not establish consequences directly tied to the eating disorder. It only increases power struggles.

• A supportive, affirming attitude should be maintained when dealing with your teen.

• Seek family therapy. Eating disorders are often a metaphor for family relationship problems.

• Expect your child to participate with the family at meal times, but never demand that your teenager eat.

It is imperative that parents understand that an eating disorder involves adolescent power and control. Resist the urge to micromanage the disorder while acknowledging its existence. Minimize household tension and resistance by reserving positive and negative consequences for behaviors outside the domain of the disorder. Try not to get discouraged. Treatment takes time and commitment. There are many supportive programs and mental health providers who can assist you.



Monica

peterhutch asked:


Binge eating also occurs in another eating disorder called bulimia nervosa. Persons with bulimia nervosa, however, usually purge, fast, or do strenuous exercise after they binge eat. Purging means vomiting or using a lot of diuretics (water pills) or laxatives to keep from gaining weight. Fasting is not eating for at least 24 hours. Strenuous exercise, in this case, means exercising for more than an hour just to keep from gaining weight after binge eating. Purging, fasting, and overexercising are dangerous ways to try to control your weight.

Binge eating disorder is a newly recognized condition that probably affects millions of Americans. People with binge eating disorder frequently eat large amounts of food while feeling a loss of control over their eating. This disorder is different from binge-purge syndrome (bulimia nervosa) because people with binge eating disorder usually do not purge afterward by vomiting or using laxatives.

Symptoms of Binge Eating Disorder

When you have binge-eating disorder, sometimes called compulsive overeating, you regularly eat excessive amounts of food (binge). A binge is considered eating a larger amount of food than most people would eat under similar situations. For instance, you may eat 10,000 to 20,000 calories worth of food during a binge, while someone following a normal diet may eat 1,500 to 3,000 calories in a day.

Children and teens who sometimes eat a lot don’t necessarily have binge eating disorder. Kids can have huge appetites, especially during growth spurts, when they need more nutrients to fuel their growing bodies. So it can be difficult to determine whether a child has binge eating disorder. But several signs distinguish someone who binge eats from someone with a “healthy appetite.”

Binge eating symptoms are also present in bulimia nervosa. The formal diagnosis criteria are similar in that subjects must binge at least twice per week for a minimum period of three months. Unlike in bulimia, those with BED do not purge, fast or engage in strenuous exercise after binge eating. Additionally, bulimics are typically of normal weight, are underweight but have been overweight before, or slightly overweight, whereas those with binge eating disorder are typically overweight or obese.

Causes of Binge Eating Disorder

There is no single cause for eating disorders. Although concerns about weight and body shape play a role in all eating disorders, the actual cause of these disorders appear to result from many factors, including cultural and family pressures and emotional and personality disorders. Genetics and biologic factors may also play a role.

The causes of binge eating disorder are still unknown. Up to half of all people with binge eating disorder have a history of depression. Whether depression is a cause or effect of binge eating disorder is unclear. It may be unrelated. Many people report that anger, sadness, boredom, anxiety or other negative emotions can trigger a binge episode. Impulsive behavior and certain other psychological problems may be more common in people with binge eating disorder.

Biological vulnerability may play a role in developing binge-eating disorder. Both genes and brain chemicals may be involved. In addition, researchers are studying appetite regulation of the central nervous system for clues, along with gastrointestinal changes that might shed light on causes.

Certain behaviors and emotional problems are more common in people with binge eating disorder. These include abusing alcohol, acting quickly without thinking (impulsive behavior), not feeling in charge of themselves, not feeling a part of their communities, and not noticing and talking about their feelings.



Bill

Corwin Brown asked:


Eating disorders afflict millions of people, thousands of which will die from them yearly. There is good news though, eating disorders can be beaten. You do not have to be a prisoner to this anymore. You have the power within yourself to beat this and you will. Recovery takes a lot of time and hard work, but in the end it is all worth it. You will finally be free and you will love yourself. When recovery happens you will be able to look in the mirror and say, “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest one of all” and it will be you

A person with an eating disorder may have started out just eating smaller or larger amounts of food than usual, but at some point, the urge to eat less or more spirals out of control. Eating disorders are very complex, and despite scientific research to understand them, the biological, behavioral and social underpinnings of these illnesses remain elusive.

Up to 10 million teens develop eating disorders, abnormal attitudes and behaviors with foods, which include anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa. For most kids, eating disorders begin when they are 11 to 13 years old. While they are more common among girls, boys can experience eating disorders too. Unfortunately, many kids and teens successfully hide these disorders from their families for months or years.

Women are more likely than men to have eating disorders. They usually start in the teenage years and often occur along with depression, anxiety disorders and substance abuse.

Some research suggests that media images contribute to the rise in the incidence of eating disorders. Most women in advertising, movies, TV, and sports programs are very thin, and this may lead girls to think that the ideal of beauty is thinness. Boys, too, may try to emulate a media ideal by drastically restricting their eating and compulsively exercising.

Eating disorders frequently appear during adolescence or young adulthood, but some reports indicate that they can develop during childhood or later in adulthood. Women and girls are much more likely than males to develop an eating disorder. Men and boys account for an estimated 5 to 15 percent of patients with anorexia or bulimia and an estimated 35 percent of those with binge-eating disorder. Eating disorders are real, treatable medical illnesses with complex underlying psychological and biological causes.

Eating disorders are more common in cultures focused on weight loss and body image. Body dissatisfaction and dieting may lead to unhealthy and dangerous eating behaviors. Sometimes, these eating patterns can lead to eating disorders. Fortunately, there has been an increased awareness about these types of illnesses. Eating disorders are treatable.

Anorexia can slow the heart rate and lower blood pressure, increasing the chance of heart failure. Those who use drugs to stimulate vomiting, bowel movements, or ********* are also at high risk for heart failure. Starvation can also lead to heart failure, as well as damage the brain. Anorexia may also cause hair and nails to grow brittle. Skin may dry out, become yellow, and develop a covering of soft hair called lanugo. Mild anemia, swollen joints, reduced muscle mass, and light-headedness also commonly occur as a consequence of this eating disorder. Severe cases of anorexia can lead to brittle bones that break easily as a result of calcium loss.



Charlene