Eating Disorders

Anorexia: a serious, potentially life-threatening eating disorder characterized by self-starvation and excessive weight loss

Symptoms

• food intake leading to a weight that is clearly too low
• Intense fear of weight gain, obsession with weight
• Obsessed over body image
• Inability to understand the severity of the situation

Warning Signs

• Dramatic weight loss
• Preoccupation with weight, food, calories, fat grams, and dieting
• Frequent comments about feeling “fat” or overweight despite weight loss
• Denial of hunger
• Consistent excuses to avoid mealtimes or situations involving food

Health Consequences

• Abnormally slow heart rate and low blood pressure
• Reduction of bone density (osteoporosis), which results in dry, brittle bones
• Muscle loss and weakness
• Dehydration
• Fainting, fatigue

Bulimia Nervosa: a serious, potentially life-threatening eating disorder characterized by a cycle of bingeing and compensatory behaviors such as self-induced vomiting designed to undo or compensate for the effects of binge eating

Symptoms

• Frequent episodes of consuming very large amount of food followed by behaviors to prevent weight gain, such as self-induced vomiting
• A feeling of being out of control during the binge-eating episodes
• Self-esteem overly related to body image

Warning Signs

• Evidence of binge eating, including disappearance of large amounts of food in short periods of time or finding wrappers and containers indicating the consumption of large amounts of food.
• Evidence of purging behaviors, including frequent trips to the bathroom after meals
• Discoloration or staining of the teeth.

Health Consequences

• Electrolyte imbalances that can lead to irregular heartbeats and possibly heart failure and death
• Inflammation and possible rupture of the esophagus from frequent vomiting
• Tooth decay and staining from stomach acids released during frequent vomiting

Binge-Eating Disorder: an eating disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of eating large quantities of food (often very quickly and to the point of discomfort)

Symptoms

• A sense of lack of control over eating during the episode 
• Eating much more rapidly than normal
• Eating until feeling uncomfortably full
• Eating large amounts of food when not feeling physically hungry

Behavioral Characteristics

• Evidence of binge eating, including the disappearance of large amounts of food in short periods of time
• Secretive food behaviors, including eating secretly (e.g., eating alone or in the car, hiding wrappers) and stealing, hiding, or hoarding food.

Mental/Emotional Characteristics

• Experiencing feelings of anger, anxiety, worthlessness, or shame preceding binges
• Depression, social isolation, moodiness, and irritability may be present
• Feeling disgust when one looks at themself