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Eating Disorders (webmd.com)

Eating disorders are a group of conditions marked by an unhealthy relationship with food. 

 

Types of Eating Disorders…

 

1.      Anorexia nervosa. This is characterized by weight loss often due to excessive dieting and exercise, sometimes to the point of starvation. Someone with anorexia can never be thin enough and continues to see herself as “fat” despite extreme weight loss.

 

Three Key Features of Anorexia:

  • Refusal to maintain a healthy body weight

  • An intense fear of gaining weight

  • A distorted body image

 

2.      Bulimia nervosa. The condition is marked by cycles of extreme overeating, known as bingeing, followed by purging or other behaviors to compensate for the overeating. It is also associated with feelings of loss of control about eating.

 

3.      Binge eating disorder. This is characterized by regular episodes of extreme overeating and feelings of loss of control about eating.

Key Symptoms of Eating Disorders

Anorexia:

 

  • Dramatic weight loss

  • Wearing loose, bulky clothes to hide weight loss

  • Preoccupation with food, dieting, counting calories, etc.

  • Refusal to eat certain foods, such as carbs or fats

  • Avoiding mealtimes or eating in front of others

  • Preparing elaborate meals for others but refusing to eat them

  • Exercising excessively

  • Making comments about being “fat”

  • Stopping menstruating

  • Complaining about constipation or stomach pain

  • Denying that extreme thinness is a problem

Bulimia:

           

  • Evidence of binge eating, including disappearance of large amounts of food in a short time, or finding lots of empty food wrappers or containers

  • Evidence of purging, including trips to the bathroom after meals, sounds or smells of vomiting, or packages of laxatives or diuretics

  • Skipping meals or avoiding eating in front of others, or eating very small portions

  • Exercising excessively

  • Wearing baggy clothes to hide the body

  • Complaining about being “fat”

  • Using gum, mouthwash, or mints excessively

  • Constantly dieting

  • Scarred knuckles from repeatedly inducing vomiting

Binge Eating Disorder:

 

  • Evidence of binge eating, including disappearance of large amounts of food in a short time, or finding lots of empty food wrappers or containers

  • Hoarding food, or hiding large quantities of food in strange places

  • Wearing baggy clothes to hide the body

  • Skipping meals or avoiding eating in front of others

  • Constantly dieting, but rarely losing weight

Assessments & Questionnaires​

 

Eating Disorders Self-Test

 

 

 

  

Featured Resources & Articles

 

 

 

 

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