Types of eating disorders
It is reported that in western countries like the UK, 4.8% of the population will at some point in their lives experience some form of eating disorder. There are two main eating disorders recognised by psychiatrists; anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa.
Anorexia
About 1% of female adolescents have anorexia, and it is less common in men. People with this disorder see themselves as overweight even though they may be dangerously thin.
The process of eating becomes an obsession. Unusual eating habits develop, such as avoiding food and meals, picking out a few foods and eating these in small quantities, or carefully weighing and portioning food. Sometimes people with anorexia eat junk food, drink a lot of coffee or tea and/or smoke a lot. They may deny hunger, make excuses to avoid eating, will often hide food they claim to have eaten.
People with anorexia may repeatedly check their body weight, and many try other ways of controlling their weight, such as intense and compulsive exercise, or getting rid of what they have eaten by vomiting and abuse of laxatives, enemas or diuretics. Girls with anorexia often have problems with their periods.
Bulimia
It is estimated that about 4% of adolescent women have bulimia. Bulimia is rare in children. Men and women who live with bulimia eat large quantities of food in a relatively short period of time and then use behaviours such as taking laxatives or self-induced vomiting because they feel overwhelmed in coping with their emotions, or in order to punish themselves for something they feel they should blame themselves for.
People with bulimia often perform the behaviours in secrecy, feeling disgusted and ashamed when they binge, yet relieved once they purge. Men and women suffering bulimia are usually aware they have an eating disorder. They are often fascinated by food, sometimes buy magazines and cook-books to read recipes, and enjoy discussing dieting issues. They may regularly engage in stringent diet plans and exercise.
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