What is an eating disorder?
- An eating disorder is a mental illness that occurs across both genders and all socio-economic and cultural backgrounds and ages.
- Many people with eating disorders fully recover.
- Eating disorders have a strong physical component which can have very serious consequences for the body.
- Whilst the physical symptoms are an indication of the illness, the reasons causing the issues with food are very important because to recover these issues need to be addressed.
Eating disorders are not a lifestyle choice, nor are they just about food and weight. They are often about low self esteem, lack of self worth and identity.
A person with an eating disorder may:
- constantly think about eating or not eating
- be feeling out of control or anxious around food
- use food or lack of it to meet needs other than hunger
- be obsessed about food, weight and body shape
- exercise compulsively
- have an urge to harm themselves
It is very tough to understand what a person with an Eating Disorder is going through. Only the person with it really understands. As parents/carers we need to be non-judgemental, compassionate, very loving and supportive no matter how hard it gets.
There are three main types of eating disorders
Eating disorders occur most commonly during adolescence and early adulthood and can put a person at risk of serious health consequences. Most often an eating disorder will become apparent to family and friends through unhealthy eating patterns such as severe food restrictions with anorexia, or purging (vomiting) with bulimia.
People with anorexia typically lose a lot of weight while bulimics do not. These unhealthy eating patterns will ultimately impact not only on the physical wellbeing of the person but also on their general state of mind.
Despite the reluctance of the person with the eating disorder to admit anything is wrong, their quality of life deteriorates significantly. People with anorexia or bulimia often suffer depression, can have anxiety attacks, feelings of self-disgust, shame, guilt, inadequacy and rejection. As a result the person becomes lonely, anxious, depressed and withdraws from life. For the person to recover from the illness help and support from family members and friends is invaluable.
