Eating Disorders
The three types of eating disorders include:
Anorexia Nervosa – a possible life threatening eating disorder defined by extremely low body weight, intense fear of gaining weight, and a distorted perception of body image. This eating disorder can be found in women and men of all ages. In an image-obsessed society, there is much pressure to be thin, and this pressure can further exacerbate this disorder. People who are high profile individuals who act, model or dance (ballerinas) are particularly prone to be obsessed with body image, and the pressure on these individuals to be thin is enormous. This pressure can result in a continued spiralaling down of weight loss, sometimes leading to death.
Bulimia Nervosa – another possible life threatening eating disorder is characterized by binging and purging. During the binging phase, the person can eat a remarkably large amount of food in a short amount of time. During the purging phase, the person tries to get rid of the consequences by either vomiting, using laxatives, or a combination of both. This disorder can cause a myriad of complications including dental erosion, a loss of minerals essential to the body resulting in electrolytic unbalance which can lead to irregular heart beat, increasing the risk of heart failure and death.
Binge Eating Disorder – This disorder is characterized by a loss off control over eating. Binge eaters experience regular episodes of extreme overeating. The weight gain can eat away at a person’s self esteem and physical health and result in low self esteem and massive self criticism leading to anxiety and depression.