Identifying an eating disorder like anorexia or bulimia and seeking treatment for it is just the first step to recovery. Eating disorders can make sufferers retreat from their family and friends, making them feel even more alone and alienated. While the stigma of having an eating disorder has been discussed at length, something that’s not [...]
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Compulsive Overeating Symptoms – What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You
Compulsive overeating, like the more well-known eating disorders anorexia and bulimia, has some clear physical symptoms, such as weight gain and extreme obesity, but few people know that it can have much more serious symptoms as well. Compulsive overeating is an eating disorder marked by the compulsive urge to eat. It’s common for someone to [...]
Anorexia Nervosa – Not Just an Eating Disorder
It might seem easy to identify someone with anorexia, but the truth is that it isn’t. And while some people think it’s a simple disorder that only involves limiting food intake, anorexia nervosa is much more complicated than that. Typically, someone who suffers from anorexia nervosa has feelings of self-worthlessness, depression, self-consciousness, envy or the [...]
Confronting Friends or Family – Helping Someone who may Suffer from an Eating Disorder
It’s important to know the issues surrounding eating disorders. Not because you might be diagnosing someone anytime soon, but because knowing them could lead to an intervention that can save someone’s life. No matter how uncomfortable or confrontational it might seem, reaching out with care, concern and empathy can save a life. Eating disorders have [...]
Anorexia May Contribute to Categorical Learning Deficiencies
Everyone thinks that they have some basic knowledge of anorexia nervosa, but experts know that it’s a complex, multi-layered disorder that goes beyond just restricting caloric intake. Megan E. Shott, who conducts research at the University of Colorado’s Department of Psychology, found that individuals that face anorexia nervosa could also have issues with cognitive deficits [...]
Orthorexia: At What Point Does Healthy Eating Become an Eating Disorder?
Orthorexia, a term used to describe individuals that fixate on healthy eating isn’t a term that’s recognized by the American Psychiatric Association, and some eating disorder clinics don’t even know what it is, but it is seen as a precursor to other more common eating disorders like anorexia nervosa and bulimia. Commonly, orthorexia begins with [...]
Why Eating Disorders are Particularly Harmful to Pregnant Women
One aspect of eating disorders that’s often overlooked is how they can affect women’s reproductive health. A study conducted in the United Kingdom showed that women who have a history of eating disorders like anorexia nervosa and bulimia have more fertility problems, unplanned pregnancies, and general negative feelings toward having a child. The study, which [...]
Eating Disorders are not Just a Lifestyle Choice
The National Eating Disorders Association reported that over 10 million women and 1 million men in America struggle with anorexia and bulimia. But even with that many people suffering from the disorders, many people don’t know that eating disorders are real diseases and not just lifestyle choices. One huge myth surrounding eating disorders is that [...]
Your Family Tree Can Reveal Your Risk for Eating Disorders
When patients look at their family medical histories, the first thing they probably look for is diabetes, cancer or heart disease. It’s true that those health issues can show up in family histories, but they’re not the only things that you can be looking for. Eating disorders can be linked genetically just like heart disease [...]
PTSD in Military Women Can Put Them at Risk For Eating Disorders And Addiction
An often-misunderstood disorder, PTSD, or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, is a disorder that is common in individuals who have endured trauma such as experiencing an accident, going through the violence of war or being the victim of a sexual assault or rape. Common additions to PTSD are other disorders known as co-occurring disorders, which can include [...]