Scott Meyers asked:


Eating disorders represent a range of complex afflictions that can difficult to understand. Even health professionals today do not have a complete understanding of eating disorders. Why? Eating disorders are complex because they touch on almost all aspects of an individual’s life: they can affect a person’s health, psychological well-being, and social life.

Most health professionals agree that eating disorders are caused by a combination of socio-cultural, biological, family, and interpersonal factors. This article provides a brief overview of these different factors that health professionals suspect may be responsible for the onset of an eating disorder in some individuals. Remember, every patient is different, so many of these factors may not come into play for some individuals with eating disorders.

Socio-cultural factors that may precipitate the onset of an eating disorder have to do with the media images presented to the public regarding beauty, health, and weight issues. Even the casual observer can find evidence for the fact that our media culture is obsessed with physical appearance, and issues such as weight loss, slowing the aging process, and the general pursuit of physical perfection. Of course, such perfection is impossible. Many people are not able to achieve the rail-thin standards that are promoted in the media and popular culture. These socio-cultural factors, some experts suggest, may provide the impetus for some individuals who develop eating disorders.

Biological factors that may be responsible for the onset of an eating disorder include a genetic predisposition to certain hormonal imbalances. These include a predisposition to an imbalance in serotonin, a neurotransmitter that is involved in brain function, sleep patterns, and mood. Another biological factor that researchers have identified as possibly contributing to an eating disorder is a propensity in some patients for reduced blood flow to the temporal lobe.

Interpersonal and family factors may also contribute to the onset of an eating disorder. Interpersonal and family factors may include a troubled personal life, including an inability to cope effectively with feelings and personal relationships, a difficulty expressing emotions, substance abuse or alcohol problems, and low self-esteem due to bullying or teasing.

A troubled family life can contribute to the development of an eating disorder. Families that are overcritical or put pressure on certain family members to lose weight can contribute to the development of an eating disorder. Children often mirror their parent’s unhealthy patterns. Parents who magnify the importance of their physical appearance may be unconsciously sending an unhealthy message to their kids. Researchers have found that families with a history of sexual or physical abuse may also be more prone to developing eating disorders.

Other individual factors that can contribute to the development of an eating disorder may include depression, anxiety, and issues related to self-esteem. Also, researchers have found that major life changes can greatly contribute to the onset of eating disorders. Death in the family, change in employment, moving, starting college, the end of a relationship. All of these can trigger the onset of an eating disorder if a person is vulnerable.



Jean

Vanya Hartwell asked:


 

Everybody eats too much sometimes. After all, what would the point of Thanksgiving be if it wasn’t to stuff ourselves? At what point does an occasional indulgence turn into a real problem? Compulsive overeating is when you eat for reasons other than hunger and past the point of feeling full. People suffering with this eating disorder tend to be overweight, and are usually aware that their eating habits are abnormal.

Causes of Eating Disorders

Most people perceive people with eating disorders as having an obsession with food. However, this perception is just a myth because the real cause of eating disorders is usually a deeper psychological problem that a person has to deal with. Eating disorders can also occur in people who are suffering from physical or mental problems that cannot be dealt with appropriately. In this case, consulting a psychiatrist or a therapist can usually help a lot in preventing a person from developing eating disorders.

An eating disorder can consist of starving, purging or stuffing. Regardless of the exact causes of eating disorders, the individual should seek professional help as soon as possible.

The psychological causes can be many, it could be a trauma that created a negative self body image and then the eating disorder. Low self esteem, problems in a relationship, perfectionism, sexual trauma those are causes also. Negative remarks on the body image of a teenager can have a huge impact on her emotions and mental health

Biological factors. Studies indicate that certain people may have a genetic predisposition to develop an eating disorder and that it probably runs in the family. Several researches prove that having a biological mother or sister with an eating disorder (anorexia, bulimia, binge eating) increases an individual’s likelihood of developing the same disease. A study involving twins also support this conclusion.

Symptoms of Eating Disorders

Eating disorders plague millions of men and women throughout the world. Many people don’t seek help and eventually die from their disease. Eating disorders are diseases. They afflict the mind, tricking the individual into thinking he or she needs to take the most drastic measures to change his or her appearance. The individual then takes action, be it binge eating, starving themselves, or purging.

A less detected, but still dangerous eating disorder is binge eating. Still another type of eating disorder is compulsive eating. Compulsive eating is known to afflict the most number of people among all the eating disorders but the symptoms of this condition are often very mild so it is not detected until the situation is severe.

They always engage themselves in a compulsive exercise regimen.

They always feel fat despite the glaring fact that they are already below the normal weight.

Continuously exercising

Running to the bathroom following meals

Spending long period of time in bathroom with water running to hide vomiting sounds

Treatment of Eating Disorders

Why do such places exist, anyway? Who in their right mind would think it is okay to promote a disease as if it were a good thing instead of a bad thing? It doesn’t matter how little sense it makes. What matters is that they do exist and they are causing harm to hundreds, if not thousands of people just by keeping them from seeking treatment.

Part of the gymnastics training program should involve lecture sessions given by nutritionists to educate the young athletes on proper nutrition and why eating healthy is necessary to fuel a body undergoing such strenuous activities. It is also crucial that gymnasts who already have eating disorders are encouraged and supported to seek help, and that counseling be available to them when they do. Gymnasts who suffer from eating disorders need the assurance that they will not be subject to criticism or disparaging treatment if they come forward and acknowledge their need for help.



Edwin

Michael Sampson asked:


Thousands of women and increasing number of men look in the mirror everyday and **** what they see. The image that stares back at you in that mirror is not real as fairy tales are not real. You see in that mirror what your eating disorders want you to see as you are not seeing the true picture. Millions of people are made miserable by eating disorders while thousands will die from them yearly. The good news is that eating disorders can be beaten and be a prisoner no more to this. You have the power to beat such disorders and you will for sure. Although recovery may take lots of time and hard work, it is all worth doing. Finally, you will be free and you will love yourself. After the recovery, you will be able to look yourself in the mirror and it will be obviously the real you.

Many people misunderstand what causes their eating disorders and how dangerous it is and they deny that they even have a problem. When people hear of someone with eating disorders, they almost automatically assume the person has a problem with food. Eating disorders are not a sign that a person has a problem with food, to a certain extent disorders are actually only the symptoms of underlying problems in that person’s life. With proper treatment, that person may recover from the disorder.

While it has been found that some eating disorders sufferers have imbalances in certain chemicals in the brain that control hunger, appetite and digestion, potential biochemical or biological causes of eating disorders are still being examined by researchers In addition to biochemical or biological factors, several psychological factors, socio-cultural and interpersonal factors can be attributed as causes of eating disorders. A significant risk factor for the development of eating pathology appears to be represented by low self-esteem. The tendencies to be perfectionist and setting rigid standards for oneself may lead to some eating disorders. Depression, anxiety, emptiness or loneliness, anger and feelings of lack of control in life or feeling of inadequacy are other psychological factors that greatly cause eating disorders.

Socio-cultural factors could be cultural pressures placing extreme value on “thinness” and obtaining the “perfect body”. The cultural norms placing emphasis on physical appearance and not on inner strengths and qualities as well as defining beauty as extremely narrow including specific body weights and shapes greatly contributes to the development of eating disorders. Furthermore, media messages encouraging dieting likely lead to high rates of chronic dieting also has some part being played for the risk of having disorders. Eating disorders develop from a variety of causes and they are creating self-perpetuating cycle of physical and emotional destruction. Moreover, all eating disorders require professional help.

Some individuals who have difficulty expressing one’s feelings and emotions may add up to other causes that leads to eating disorders. Interpersonal relationships, family disharmony, history if being ridiculed based on body size or weight, history of sexual abuse and/or physical abuse and family factors such as obesity in the family, parental preoccupation with eating and weight, unrealistic expectations achievement are all interpersonal factors that develop eating disorders.

Lastly, the number one stepping stone to eating disorders is dieting and it is important that you put your bad dieting on trash. You have to be real by freeing your body from the possible impact that your dieting is about to give you after. Better off spend your money and your passion on something that really matters to your without you risking your health.



Julio