Eating Disorders

QUESTION 5

                     Eating disorders are related to persistent eating behaviors that negatively impact an individual’s health, emotions and ability to function in important areas of life. It is a serious emotional and physical problem that can have life threatening consequences for a person. These behaviors can impact your body's ability to get sufficient nutrition. The most common eating disorders are anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa.

                   An individual who is suffering from anorexia nervosa will have an fear of gaining weight, refusal to maintain a healthy body weight, and an unrealistic perception of body image. They also will limit the quantity of food they consume and view themselves as overweight, even when they are underweight. Anorexia can affect health, such as brain damage, multi-organ failure, bone loss, heart difficulties, and infertility. A study shows that the risk of death is highest for an individual with this disease. There are two types of anorexia which is restricting and purging. A person who severely restricts their food intake will fall under restricting type.  Restriction may take many forms such as maintaining very low calorie count and restricting types of food eaten and may follow  rigid rules . Purging is a type of anorexia where a person weight loss is achieved by vomiting, over exercise or using laxatives and diuretics.

                      Bulimia nervosa affected person will consume very large amount of food followed by behaviors to prevent weight gain such as self-induced vomiting. Bulimia nervosa often starts with weight-loss dieting. They usually maintains an average weight, or may be slightly above or below average weight for height, which often makes it less than serious cases of Anorexia nervosa.