Eating Disorder : Anorexia Nervosa

Eating Disorders we think about are, Anorexia Nervosa, and Bulimia Nervosa. Binge Eating Disorder is lesser known however all three can affect males and females (Gray & Zide, 2013). A definition of an eating disorder is an illness that is characterized by irregular eating habits and an obsession with body weight and shape. This leads the person to develop habits surrounding inadequate or excessive food intake. Eating disorders may develop at any age, but typically develops during teen and early adult years. Eating disorders frequently coexist with other disorders such as, anxiety disorders, substance abuse and depression.

Eating disorders are alive and well in today’s world and they are a major problem. An eating disorder can look like a few different things, ranging from a severe reduction of food intake to over eating to feelings of negativity towards your body shape or weight (Lehigh University). While some disorders can only be found in specific age groups, races, etc., eating disorders can be found amongst all and it does not necessarily have to be pointed towards food (Lehigh University). In fact, the four areas primarily affect eating disorders: psychological, interpersonal, social, and biological. I am going to talk about three specific eating disorders: anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN) and binge eating disorder (BED). Keep in mind that there could be other eating disorders out there that are not found and classified just yet (Lehigh University).

There are many reasons that someone might have an eating disorder as stated before and there is no perfect answer for each person effected.

Eating Disorders are defined as deviations of eating behavior that can lead to extreme weight loss (cachexia) or obesity, among other physical problems and disabilities. The main types of eating disorders are Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa. These two diseases are closely related because they represented some symptoms in common: a prevalent idea involving

Eating disorder is a term used to describe several psychological disorders characterized by abnormal eating habits. Some of the most common eating disorders include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder. Anorexia nervosa is probably the most well-known of these. A person suffering from anorexia nervosa will obsess over weight gain and show unusual anxiety related to weight gain. Depending upon the type (binge-eating/purging type or restricting type) a person will either consume food and then attempt to “purge”, a term used to describe a method of forced removal of food from the body such as self-induced vomiting, or they will restrict the amount of food consumed. In most cases the person will be under healthy weight and often see themselves as average weight or even overweight. In bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorders the affected person will eat excessive amounts of food. People suffering from these diseases report feeling out of control during their binge eating episodes. In bulimia nervosa binge eating episodes are followed by some method of purging whereas in binge eating disorder they are not, although the person normally expresses feelings of guilt or embarrassment afterwards. People suffering from bulimia nervosa are usually average weight which can make detection difficult. Those with binge eating disorder are normally

According to the Mayo Clinic (2016), eating disorders are “conditions related to persistent eating behaviors that negatively impact your health, your emotions, and your ability to function in important areas of life.” One such eating disorder is anorexia nervosa. Not to be confused with anorexia, which is simply a general loss of appetite that can be attributed to many medical ailments, anorexia nervosa is a serious eating disorder and mental illness (Nordqvist, 2015). Anorexia nervosa is estimated to affect about .9% of women and .3% of men in their lifetime (“Eating Disorder Statistics & Research,” n.d.). In general, the disorder is commonly characterized by a distorted body image or self-concept, critically low weight (with respect to the patient’s height and age), and an irrational fear of becoming fat or an intense desire to be thin. There are two subtypes to this eating disorder: restrictive and binge/purge. In the restrictive type, the individual limits caloric intake and may compulsively over-exercise. In the binge/purge type, the individual consumes a considerable amount of food in a short period of time (binging) and then deliberately vomits (purging), takes laxatives, or fasts intensely in order to compensate for the food eaten (“General Information: Anorexia Nervosa,” n.d.). In either case, anorexia nervosa is undoubtedly a dangerous and alarming illness.

What exactly is an eating disorder? There are multiple different types of eating disorders: anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, eating-disorder-not-otherwise-specified, and binge eating disorder. These are just some of the more common eating disorders people can suffer from. Anorexia nervosa according to National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), is “characterized by self-starvation and excessive weight loss.” In other words a person who suffers from anorexia nervosa refuses to eat in hopes to lose weight at an excessive pace. Bulimia nervosa is “characterized by a

There are many different types of eating disorders, and they all affect the mind and body in different ways.  For example, anorexia is when "a person refuses to sustain

It appears that most people with eating disorders have some level of underlying pathology. This pathology looks like either anxiety or depression. This is good news to a clinician. We are able to effectively treat anxiety and depression very well. If eating disorders are caused by some underlying anxiety or depression then logic would dictate that it is a symptom of anxiety or depression, rather than a unique

The most well-known eating disorders include anorexia nervosa, bulimia, and binge eating disorder, but new diagnoses are emerging such as orthorexia nervosa. Anorexia is characterized by an overwhelming fear of gaining weight, an obsession with weight in general, and involves a

There are many things that people think of when the words eating disorders are said. Many people do not know what an eating disorder actually is and what actually happenes when you have an eating disorder or how to detect a eating disorder. There are many types of eating disorders but they all have one thing in common, phsycological disorders. The main types of eating disorders are Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia, and Bindge eating but are not limited to these. The main focus in theses eating disorders are food. Many eating disorder patients have problems with self body issues and/or self confidence. There are many problems with these eating disorders and it is a huge problem in the country today. This paper will tell you what a eating

They typically eat a large amount of food in a short period of time which causes them to purge. Another eating disorder is called binge-eating “When you have binge-eating disorder, you regularly eat too much food (binge) and feel a lack of control over your eating. You may eat quickly or eat more food than intended, even when you 're not hungry, and you may continue eating even long after you 're uncomfortably full.” (Mayo Clinic 2017) When someone has a binge-eating disorder they excessively eat food and they lose control of how much they eat. After they have eaten a lot they might feel guilty and embarrassed but they do not try to excessive exercise or purge like people with anorexia and bulimia. Some symptoms to look out for if someone has a eating disorder is “skipping meals, excessive focus on healthy eating, excessive exercise, leaving meals to leave the toilet.” (Mayo Clinic 2017) There are many different kinds of symptoms to look out for if someone might have an eating disorder. “Distorted body image, a self-esteem that is heavily influenced by perceptions of body weight and shape, or a denial of the seriousness of low body weight.” (National Institutes of Health 2017)

The disorder is similar to Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD), in that in involves faulty cognitions and perceived deficits in appearance, though is unique in its pattern of behaviors and severity. The DSM 5 criteria for anorexia are, “restriction of energy intake relative to requirements leading to a significantly low body weight in the context of age, sex, developmental trajectory, and physical health,” “intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat, even though underweight,” and “disturbance in the way in which one's body weight or shape is experienced, undue influence of body weight or shape on self-evaluation, or denial of the seriousness of the current low body weight.” Binge eating and restriction are also facets of the disorder. Because of the vast number of physical symptoms accompanying the disorder (ranging everywhere from amenorrhea to abnormal heart rhythms), anorexia can often be diagnosed by a physician through the use of urine and blood

Behaviors of eating disorders have been around for centuries, but it has only been two hundred years since eating disorders have been named and considered a mental illness. Eating disorders can be a fatal illness that can affect a person's eating behaviors. Doctors have established over a dozen types of eating disorders, the two main types that patients are most often diagnosed with are anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. According to the new statistics found that almost “ 50% of people in the world either know someone who is suffering from an eating disorder, or they are suffering from an eating disorder” (The Center Of Eating Disorders). When these people get

In the DSM-V, feeding and eating disorders are defined as “persistent disturbance of eating or eating related behavior that results in the altered consumption of absorption of food and that significantly impairs physical health or psychosocial functioning,” (American Psychiatric Association, 2013, pp. 329). There are several different kinds of eating disorders, the most commonly treated ones are; Anorexia Nervosa (AN), Bulimia Nervosa (BN), and Binge- Eating Disorder (BED). The diagnostic criteria for AN include, persistent energy intake restriction, intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat or persistent behavior that interferes with weight gain, and disturbance in self-perceived weight or shape (American Psychiatric Association, 2013).