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.

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Eating Disorder Controlling Their Lives

Many people with an eating disorder use the eating disorder as a way of controlling their lives. What most people don't realize is that it isn't them in control of their lives; their eating disorder takes control of their lives. When someone develops a problem with food, it is because they use it to cope with various problems and issues in their lives.

People use what they believe is their control over food when they are lonely, sad, ashamed of something, bored, angry, isolated or angry. They use their eating disorder as a way of dealing with emotions and feelings, sometimes without even realizing it. Food is a very important part of our daily lives and we all know that we need to eat but for some people their eating patterns become damaging.

Sometimes the realization of an eating disorder can make you feel ashamed and sad. A problem with food can make you feel like you are on your own but this is an important time to seek help and talk to someone who you can trust.

Lots of people experiment with food and eating habits during their life. Whether you decide to be a vegetarian or change your diet for a healthy eating plan. But your eating habits become a problem when you use it to deal with painful situations, feelings and emotions. Some people even use their eating disorder as a way of dealing with stress.

Usually an eating disorder is made up from a combination of things affecting someone's life. They believe they cannot cope with certain situations, feelings and emotions but this can change if you seek the right help and support on how you deal with these emotions and feelings.

Low self esteem, lack of confidence, relationships, problems in work or with friends, problems wit h school, college and universities, sexual or physical abuse are all important factors that can trigger an eating order. Sometimes it can just be the fact that someone feels fat or ugly and their feelings of not being good enough can lead to a problem with food which can develop into more dangerous eating disorders.

Sadly it can take a long time before you seek help and realize that you have lost control over food.
Eating disorders aren't just confined to young girls; young men can suffer from this problem too. It can affect anyone regardless of age, sex, culture. It will also affect family members and friends of the person suffering from an eating disorder.

Once you realize that your eating disorders have taken control over your life, you need to seek help and get the support that is needed for you, your family and friends.



Autor: James Yiannakou James Yiannakou
Level: Basic
Male 39, loves fishing and helping others from addiction...

More info here Eating disorders.


Added: October 1, 2009
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Overcome an Eating Disorder

Millions of people are affected by eating disorders which can be made up of compulsive or binge eating, anorexia or bulimia. People try to control their eating disorder by using all sorts of methods such as dieting, vomiting after eating, laxatives, fasting, using slimming aids and over exercising. And it's not only women who suffer from food addiction, many men do too.

What many people don't realize is that there is usually an underlying problem to their eating disorder, and this needs to be addressed. Sadly it is in outward sign of an inner problem. An eating disorder usually occurs when eating or not eating is used to help block out painful feelings and emotions. If you don't seek the right help and treatment, these difficulties may persist throughout life and can often have fatal consequences.

Dieting and eating disorders have a profound physiological and emotional side effect. People who suffer from food addictions do so for any number of reasons such as depression, loneliness, feeling ashamed, physical or sexual abuse, low self esteem, feeling fat, body dissatisfaction and generally not feeling good enough about themselves.

When someone seeks help and treatment to overcome their eating disorder, it is usually a lengthy and complex process. They will have to learn a difference in their behavior and be open to revealing in detail about their food disorder which can make them feel ashamed. Behavioral therapy is regularly used in treating an eating disorder and can help replace certain habits with new appropriate ones. Some people keep a diary to monitor their daily food intake and this has the aim of helping the patient to observe their behavior instead of just 'living' it. Of course, this is just one step. There are many other steps which will need to be taken to overcome their problem with food but with the right help and treatment, you can overcome an eating disorder.



Autor: James Yiannakou James Yiannakou
Level: Basic
Male 39, loves fishing and helping others from addiction...

Get more info here: Eating Disorder Rehab Clinic.


Added: September 29, 2009
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Emotional Eating - Is It Greed?

I was an emotional eater for many years. This inevitably led to me being overweight. I never considered myself a greedy person. Mostly I ate really healthy - I am one of those rare people who enjoy vegetables and salad, I don't add butter to mashed potato and I love fish and chicken.

I don't particularly like sweet things and chocolate can be in my fridge for months and I would not consider eating it. Most days I would have a breakfast, lunch and evening meal and these would be reasonably healthy. I have never been into snacking for snacking sake.

So why was I so overweight?

All my life I have enjoyed food, if I go out it will normally be for a meal and some wine. Food has always made me feel good so I see it as part of my social life. In theory this should not be a problem, everything in moderation. However, food also became my emotional crutch and this is where the damage was done.

As soon as something emotional happened in my life I turned to food as a comforter. At the time I did not really care what it was, I just reach for the first thing that came to hand and ate it in seconds, often washed down with a glass of wine. So a stressful day at work, a disagreement with my husband, not knowing where my son was - you name it, anything that made me feel emotional made me reach for my comforter - Food.

So Is it Greed?

Emotional eating has nothing to do with greed. Often you are totally unaware that you are eating unnecessarily, your mind is so focussed on the issue that has affected you, your brain sends a signal to your body that it wants whatever it is that makes you feel good again and in this case it is food.

Most people who eat when emotional would not consider overeating at other times. However, after eating excessively the individual normally feels racked with guilt, knowing that they have gained nothing but weight.



Autor: Karen Fullick Karen Fullick
Level: Basic PLUS
My name is Karen, I am happily married to Malcolm and we have a great son called Sam. I have been a successful business woman ... ...

My name is Karen, I am happily married to Malcolm and we have a great son called Sam. I have been a successful business woman for many years and I now own and run my own company.

Like many of you I work and run the family home, arrange our social life and do everything to ensure we live life to the full. Well nearly everything, as up until recently there has always been something holding me back - yes you've guessed it - My Weight!

I have written a series of reports documenting my weight loss journey in which time I qualified as a Nutritional Therapist and made an amazing discovery to Fast, Effortless, Permanent, Weight Loss.

To receive your free reports click on the following link:
http://www.freetheslimyou.com
karen@freetheslimyou.com


Added: September 27, 2009
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/