Eating disorders are characterized by a detrimental relationship with food, and involve eating very little of it or eating too much. While the resultant problems are physical, they might be triggered by certain psychological reasons. Both men and women can be victims of eating disorders, which generally happens during the younger years. Since eating disorders can lead to very serious medical issues in the future, it is important that you know the types of disorders and the treatment involved.

Causes of Eating Disorders

A number of psychological reasons can be held responsible for eating disorders. Low self esteem and being overly obsessive about your weight or even the shape of the body can be likely causes. Furthermore, any kind of depression or emotional disturbance can lead to irregular eating, to find an outlet or as a medium to regain control. Substance abuse can be yet another reason. Also such eating behavior might cause a guilt feeling that only worsens the disorder. Since most people will hide their eating disorder, you may find it difficult to notice this issue until the typical symptoms surface.

3 Types of Eating Disorders

Three main types of eating problems are as follows.

Anorexia Nervosa

This is characterized by an obsession about weight with extreme fears of gaining weight. In this case the person eats very limited quantities of food, and also starves, in addition to exercising too much. The most noticeable sign is losing weight dramatically, but you must also watch out for yellowing skin, nails and hair becoming brittle, lethargy and constipation.

Bulimia Nervosa

This type of eating disorder involves eating large quantities of food, followed by a feeling of guilt and then purging, in which the person forcefully vomits or uses laxatives. This may also be followed by excessive exercising or fasting, to compensate for overeating. Symptoms include sore throat, intestinal irritation, dehydration and swollen salivary glands. Health issues affecting the heart rhythm and kidneys can happen in the long run.

Binge Eating Disorder

This involves eating large quantities of food frequently. The feeling of guilt results in more binges, and becomes a cycle. Since this does not involve purging, weight gain is evident and should be the first sign of this problem. Other signs can be hiding food or wearing loose clothes to conceal the weight. The resulting obesity can cause hypertension (high blood pressure) and cardiovascular diseases too.

Treatment of Eating Disorders

The first step is to recognize the eating disorder, because self-diagnosis is almost impossible, as most people hide it or are outright unaware of their condition. Since the problems stem from the mind, it is wise to begin with the suitable kind of psychotherapy. This should be followed by advice on proper diet by a nutritionist and constant monitoring that the recommended diet is adhered to. Antidepressant medications may also be prescribed. Severe cases may however require a long-term treatment and even hospitalization.

Eating disorders while being harmful for the body can lead to extreme health problems, so you must watch out for the slightest of symptoms and immediately take professional medical opinion to confirm and treat such disorders as early as possible.

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Category: Wellness, Fitness and Diet
Keywords: Binge Eating Disorder,Bulimia Nervosa,Anorexia Nervosa,eating problems ,emotional disturbance,depres