Myths and Reality on Eating Disorder

Myths and Facts About Eating Disorder :

 

Often people think eating disorder is virtual . Most of the time people getting this disorder states out some other reason for it . They might feel guilt to consult a doctor .

Below are some of the myth and real fact about Eating disorder.

Myth : By seeing the person you must not judge that he/she has eating disorder

Facts : You must not determine the person by looking his outer appearance . Often media and people does not recognize the eating disorder affected person correctly . Individuals with eating disorder often comes in different shapes and size. It is a false perspective that anorexia is only the major symptom of eating disorder and people with that symptom is always underweight . But person other symptoms like bulimia , binge eating and OSFED can be underweight , normal weight , overweight or obese and often fluctuate in weight . Even athletes who appear to be normal and fit may also undergo a eating disorder . So , eating disorder should not be misjudged by the people shape and size .

Myth : Anorexia is the only threatening eating disorder

Facts : Eating disorder is the only cause of the anorexia. Anorexia is an internal fear of the people that they may put overweight so they have obsessive desire for reducing weight and in turn they reduce in taking of food . There are other threatening disorder that increase the mortality rate . It is a fact that eating disorder is the severe mental illness that involves more mortality rates .

While anorexia has 4% of the mortality rate , the other symptoms like bulimia and EDNOS that were similar to and higher than anorexia. EDNOS with 5.2 % and bulimia with 3.9% mortality rate .

Myth : Recovery is not possible in eating disorder

Facts : As we say nothing is impossible when we try with full-fledged effort. Recovery with the best possible treatment and remedial measure , the eating disorder can be completely curable. The recovery could take months or even years to eventually cure from the eating disorder . But should not be left untreated otherwise your may have adverse effect even person face death when symptoms are severe.

Myth : Eating disorder is due to controlling parents and dysfunctional families .

Facts : It is often that parents blame individual for the eating disorder . But the real fact is that 80% of eating disorder is due to genetic factors . If a parent is affected with eating disorder there is chance that child may also affected with eating syndrome.

Myth : Purging is the effective way to lose weight

Facts: Purging does not cause weight loss or prevent weight gain . Even after vomiting the food some parts of the ingested food stays in the body . Laxatives actually not help for the weight loss , but stimulated fluid loss in the body resulting in dehydration problem . Purging can affect the metabolism as a result it accelerates the weight gain so it is a false viewpoint that it is the effective way to lose weight.

Myth : Men don't get Eating disorder

Facts : Men don't get eating disorder is a false perspective . Out of 10 at least 1 men are affected by eating disorder. They are often diagnosed with binge eating syndrome .In the past 10 years , the rate of people affected with eating disorder is increasing .

Warning signs and Types of Eating Disorder

Eating Disorder is a serious mental illness caused by over or less eating , exercise or body weight becoming unhealthy preoccupation of of someone's life . Eating disorder occurs cannot be said it is only due to the irregular eating habits or due to lifestyle choices .

It can occur due to different reasons like negative feeling of thoughts , guilt , shame , feeling of disgusted.

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) recognises four eating disorders:

• Anorexia Nervosa    

   

• Bulimia Nervosa    

   

• Binge Eating Disorder    

   

• Other Eating Disorders    

       

Signs and symptoms of eating disorder    

If the eating disorder is sorted much before and assisted carefully can recover completely from the disorder. But the fact is many people do not recognize they are undergoing such type of disorder and probably hide the signs and symptoms. So their close acquaintance should support them and force them to take a medical advise from a psychiatrist.

Anorexia Nervosa :
 

Anorexia Nervosa is a psychological disorder that are preoccupied by a fear of weight gaining . Normally people with this disorder restrict to intaking of food . Low consumption of food is due to the fear of overweight in the body . Person with anorexia often circulated with low body weight and body image goes to distortion .

Two main subtypes of Anorexia Nervosa :

Restricting Type : This is the most common type of Anorexia Nervosa , which occurs when there is less intake of food.

Binge-eating or purging type : This happens when person do self restrictions like vomiting, over-exercise, misuse of laxatives, diuretics or enemas .

Who are affected :

It occurs during the age of adolescence or early childhood . Like all disorder anorexia nervosa also occurs during all stages in both male and female. It is a myth that only adolescent girls will address this disorder.

Warning Signs of Anorexia Nervosa

• Intense fear of gaining weight    

• Preoccupation with food or food related activities    

• Negative or distorted body image; perceiving self to be fat when at a healthy weight/underweight    

• Low     self-esteem (guilt, self-criticism, worthlessness)        

• Feeling out of control    

• Mood swings    

• Anxiety or depression    

• Heightened anxiety around meal times
  
  

Bulimia Nervosa :

It is a severe psychiatric illness characterized by recurrent binge – eating episodes . The person experience sense of loss of control and followed by guilt and shame which pertains to self vomiting , do over exercise , diuretics and so on .

Warning signs of Bulimia Nervosa

• Loneliness due to self-imposed isolation and a reluctance to develop personal relationships    

• Deceptive behaviours relating to food    

• Fear of the disapproval of others if the illness becomes known    

• Mood swings, changes in personality, emotional outbursts or depression.   

• Self harm, substance abuse or suicide attempts    

• Sensitivity to references about weight or appearance    

• Guilt, self disgust, self loathing    

• Anxiety        

• Depression
  
  

Binge Eating Disorder :
 

Binge eating disorder should not be confused with the overeating . Binge eating disorder often people feels eating when they are not hungry . This is fully a psychiatric illness . Feeling of guilt , shame , disgusting often leads to binge episodes.

Binge eating disorder is different from the Anorexia Nervosa . In nervosa bingeing disorder people themself do certain activities like self vomiting , indulging in over workouts. Binge eating disorder involves the person to under take fasting continuously , diets due to the negative feeling they are facing .

Warning signs of Binge Eating Disorder :

•     Anxiety        

   

•     Depression

   

•     Self disgusted

   

•     Self harm or attempting suicide

   

•     Eating when not hungry

   

•     Eating secretly

     

Other Eating Disorder :

 

Night Eating Syndrome : People often eat unwantedly during nights

Atypical Anorexia Nervosa : They intake less food due to obsessive feeling of overweight but their body shape is not distorted.

Binge Eating Disorder : When the level of BED is at low frequency or occurs only for three months.

Bulimia Nervosa : All of the criteria are met but exists in low frequency or occurs only for three months.

Unspecified Feeding or Eating Disorder :

This type of eating disorder is clinically significant but the above mentioned criteria are not met ( not met feeding / eating disorder ). This category may be used by clinicians choose not to specify why the criterias are not met .