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.

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Eating Disorder - Binge Eating

Binge Eating Disorder is an eating disorder, the sufferer consumes food, unusually large quantities of food, at regular intervals in a short period of time, hungry or not, and continue to eat until they feel more uncomfortable. These fights are usually followed by feelings of guilt. This is where the sufferer does not induce purging after binging, unlike in the case of bulimia. This eating disorder is a problem that affects both men and women, but it is more common among women. This unhealthy habit of overeating tends to develop in childhood.

What are the possible causes of Binge Eating Disorder?

It is still difficult to pin-point the exact cause or causes of this disease. However, can some of the causes of this eating disorder:

Depression - Nobody knows sure whether depression is a cause or an effect of binge eating disorder, but it was found that approximately fifty percent of people with this disorder have a history of depression or are depressed. This depression can be completely independent.

Dieting - It is not yet clear whether diet is a cause of binge eating. Here, too, about fifty percent of patients with binge eating disorder had episodes of binging before they started to diet. Dieting May actually worsen their condition .

Genetics - Many researchers come to the conclusion that genes in any way be involved, since it was noted that many members of the same family suffered from this disease.

unable - Studies have shown that some individuals that are incompatible with their emotions such as sadness, anger, stress, etc., and even people who have a low self-esteem often binge eating to cope better. binge eat to hide to get out of these different emotions.

Some of the Signs and symptoms of binge eating disorder are:

. to weight and result in obese,


. They eat late at night or when they are not hungry,


. They suffer from fluctuations in weight,


. They consume food uncomfortable until it is full,


. They suffer from anxiety and depression,


. They eat in two-hour period, a certain amount of food larger than a sufferer would not eat at the same time and feeling a lack of control over the entire episode,


. They have low self-esteem,


. They have no desire for sex,


. Their food is quickly eaten without chewing,


. They hide food,


. They hoard food,


. You try different diets,


. They believe that life will be much better if they lose weight,


. If there was a disappointment in her life, or they feel stressed or unhappy they are trying, with the different situations of food consumed,


. You avoid social function in which food will be present,


. They eat when they are not hungry,


. They feel guilty and ashamed about their about their overeating,


. They eat alone or in secret, because they feel embarrassed, as the enormous amount they consume,


. They tend to have suicidal thoughts,

Some of the complications that can arise as a result of binge eating are:

High blood pressure, depression, anxiety, mood swings, shortness of breath, irregular periods, cancer, type 2 diabetes, problems of the upper respiratory tract , high cholesterol, stress, deterioration of the bones, stroke, skin problems, suicidal tendencies, pregnancy complications, insomnia, gallbladder, liver and kidney disease, arthritis, loss of mobility, obesity, heart disease, cardiac arrest and death.

 

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Eating Disorders

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

No comments: