Key Features of Eating Disorders

If you are unsure of whether you or someone you know is suffering from an eating disorder, it would help for you to know the key features of eating disorders. The simple fact of the matter is, everybody is different and there is no blanket statement or recipe for an eating disorder. You could know someone who has a hearty appetite and not realize that he is binge eating, or know someone who looks like she’s a healthy weight who is starving herself in order to avoid gaining weight. Nevertheless, there are some key features of eating disorders that can help you determine whether someone is in danger as a result of an eating disorder.

Key Features of Anorexia

If someone has anorexia, it likely that she will exhibit some of the following signs. She might refuse to keep her weight in a healthy range. She might express to you an irrational fear of getting fat. She might repeatedly deny that there is anything wrong with her weight, even though she is visibly too thin. It is also possible that she might stop menstruating, so if she ever mentions this to you, convince her to seek professional help immediately.

Depending on the kind of anorexia, she might exhibit some other signs. You might notice that she restricts her diet and exercise to an unhealthy level, or find her binge eating and purging. If you notice her losing weight rapidly, avoiding fattening foods, or saying she is never hungry, these are also good indicators that she is not willing to eat.

Key Features of Bulimia

In general, bulimia is characterized by frequent “purging”, or getting rid of food in your body before it can be absorbed or digested. This can be done either through the repeated abuse of laxatives, excessive exercise, self-induced vomiting, diuretics, or fasting. If someone has bulimia, she will likely have recurrent episodes of binge eating, followed by purging. If any of these signs happen at least twice a week consistently, the victim has bulimia.

Like with anorexia, a bulimic is deliberately hoping to avoid getting fat, often with an irrational fear of it. They counteract the intake of calories by using drugs or purging their bodies. Often, they are always preoccupied with eating and food because their bodies aren’t getting enough nutrients. If they consistently engage in overeating, followed by purging, they should seek medical help.

Mental Disorders

Anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating are not just physical illnesses. For someone to being suffering from a full-fledged eating disorder, they are also suffering from crippling self-doubt, low self-esteem, a distorted view of reality, abuse, or something that has convinced them that what they are doing is not only okay, but necessary. They may or may not want to change once they do it, because it starts to feel good. Unfortunately, they are on a slippery path once they start down it. Now that you know the key features of eating disorders, you should consider whether you or anyone you know is exhibiting those indicators and seek professional help immediately.