Overview

An eating disorder is a compulsion to eat, or avoid eating, that negatively affects both one's physical and mental health. Eating disorders are all encompassing. They affect every part of the person's life. According to the authors of Surviving an Eating Disorder, "feelings about work, school, relationships, day-to-day activities and one's experience of emotional well being are determined by what has or has not been eaten or by a number on a scale." Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are the most common eating disorders generally recognized by medical classification schemes, with a significant diagnostic overlap between the two. Together, they affect an estimated 5-7% of females in the United States during their lifetimes. There is a third type of eating disorder currently being investigated and defined - Binge Eating Disorder. This is a chronic condition that occurs when an individual consumes huge amounts of food during a brief period of time and feels totally out of control and unable to stop their eating. It can lead to serious health conditions such as morbid obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease.

Sunday, March 23, 2008

Eating Disorders - Bulimia Nervosa Effects

In this second article on Bulimia Nervosa we go on the effects of the disease can have on the body and how to treat it.

Bulimia nervosa can have devastating effects on a person's body, if the disease goes unchecked for a long period of time, the .

most serious of which is electrolyte imbalances caused by the constant bingeing and purging. These imbalances may lead to unregelmaigen heartbeat. If the problem goes on long enough, it can lead to heart failure and death. The actual cause of the electrolyte imbalance, because the loss of potassium and sodium from the body and dehydration because of the constant purging.

Another serious problem is caused by the frequent vomiting. The problem is an inflammation of the esophagus, in the best case can lead to difficulties in breathing and in the worst case possible rupture.

Another problem with people suffering from bulimia nervosa, while perhaps not as serious as those already mentioned, it caries from the frequent vomiting . This decline may lead to tooth loss. While the sound, which may not be all that terrible, it has been shown in studies that people who have their own teeth live longer than people who wear dentures. So, this is something to be concerned about.

Because the constants laxative use a person suffering from this disease is rare, and have finally unregelmaig chair, and probably end up suffering from chronic constipation. This can lead to more serious problems on the road, if this condition persists for any length of time.

And Finally, there is still the possibility of stomach-breaking because the binge eating. This particular problem is very rare, even in the worst cases of Bulimia Nervosa, but the possibility still exists, especially if the disease goes untreated for any length of time.

And now, some facts and statistics about the disease itself.

Bulimia Nervosa Between 1 and 2% of all teenagers or young women. The reason for this is mainly psychological, because girls at this age are very self-conscious about their appearance and develop if these irrational fear that they are too heavy, leading to a poor social life and the low esteem, they are likely to pray , on the case of sickness, because this fears.

About 80% of all patients with the disease are women. Again, it all goes back to the society, especially TV commercials, convincing young women that they are too thin as rails and fashion models look like when they are accepted.

The truth is the majority of people who suffer from this disease Will the average body weight and is not at all seem to be fat.

Oddly, many people with Bulimia Nervosa to recognize that they have a problem. They know that they have picked up the habits of bingeing and purging are not normal. But they are unable to support themselves, much like a man who knows that smoking is harmful, but may not quit.

Psychiatrists have found that the incidence of the disease is usually associated with depression, in the usually caused by the person feel inadequate as far as his appearance.

In our last article on this issue we can be about how a person with Bulimia Nervosa is treated.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Russell

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