Why Do So Many People Suffer From Eating Disorders?

There is a tendency among us to look at eating disorders as nothing much to bother about. A vast majority of us don't give it the importance that it deserves. But the fact is that this disorder is very serious and causes both emotional and physical damage to the individual who suffers from it. There is a lot of information that is available about this disorder and if you feel that one of your loved ones is suffering from it you can identify the early warning signs which will help in the treatment.

People with this disorder follow rigid and absurd diet plans, gorge on food and this is mostly done when they are alone and in secrecy, keep counting calories and throw up after meals. It is common among people who have a low self esteem and are extremely critical of their body image. They may use food as a tool to gain control over their otherwise troubled lives.

There are various types of eating disorders and they can be classified as anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorder. The symptoms are found equally in both genders but it is generally considered a disease that affects more women than men.

In eating disorder anorexia the individual starves themselves due to the fear of gaining weight. These individuals may be underweight and reed thin but they live in a delusion that they are fat and this has even been found to be life threatening.

The signs of bulimia are a cycle of binge eating and purging. Individuals with this type of disorder gorge on food then indulge in a cycle of vomiting, fasting, taking laxatives and extreme exercises to lose the weight they presume that had accumulated.

In binge eating disorder individuals continue consuming food in spite of feeling full. They do feel guilty about the quantity of food they consume but are unable to stop this habit of theirs.

Help is possible if the early warning signs are heeded. The warning signs include:

Constant obsession with calories,Dieting and following absurd diet plans,Preoccupied with weight,Unexplained weight loss or gain,Avoid social situations where food is present,Rushing to the bathroom immediately after meals and taking laxatives and diet pills constantly.

The treatment for the disorder varies from one individual to the other and there are specialized clinics that offer professional help. It is very important that you do not rush in treating this disorder on your own as the entire exercise may backfire.

The treatment can also done through medication and counseling. The self esteem of the individual needs to be restored and this will help people get rid of this disorder.

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