Eating Disorders
Eating disorders are defined by disturbed perceptions of body shape and weight and distorted eating and weight loss behaviours. Eating disorders include anorexia nervosa, characterised by being underweight and a refusal to be a weight that is age and height appropriate, and bulimia nervosa, characterised by being a normal weight and binge eating. Both affect men and women and usually develop during adolescence. Other eating disorders are Binge Eating Disorder (BED) and compulsive overeating.
Symptoms of Eating Disorders
Eating disorders may revolve around using food to cope with difficult thoughts, emotions and situations. A person with an eating disorder may think misuse of food is a way to maintain a sense of control in their life, but overtime the eating disorder takes control. The underlying difficult thoughts and emotions may be eclipsed, by the preoccupation with body shape and weight, and the distorted eating and weight loss behaviours which are symptomatic of eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa.
Causes of Eating Disorders
In eating disorders, self evaluation may be excessively dependent on body shape and weight. Eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa may be related to anxiety, cultural factors, depression, or having first degree relatives with eating disorders. Eating disorders may also be related to Personality Disorders (PD), or stress. Eating disorders may have other causes which may be specifically related to one of the different types of eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa.
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