Eating Disorders

06/19/2019

It's part of my daily routine, thoughts fixed, eyes commanded onto the screen, focused on the show 'My 600lb life'. I feel guilty though, guilty because I took it as free entertainment rather than a cry from anguished soul. Well it's true, eating disorders are real and they are serious chronic illnesses that can be life threatening if left untreated.

These conditions typically take root during the adolescent years and primarily affect females.

While there are variations in the expression, symptoms, and course of eating disorders, the common thread is that they all involve obsessive and sometimes distressing thoughts and behaviors, including:

Reduction of food intake
Overeating
Feelings of depression or distress
Concern of weight, body shape, poor self-image

At the onset, these disorders begin with the person eating smaller or larger portions than usual. However, over time, urges to decrease or increase the amount of food eaten take hold, and the illness escalates. The three most common types of eating disorders are:

Anorexia Nervosa - self-starvation
Bulimia Nervosa - binge eating followed by purging, fasting or excessive exercise
Binge Eating Disorder - episodes of uncontrolled eating, without the abuse of laxatives or vomiting, associated bulimia

Although many suffer from these conditions, a few seek medical help. It is of great importance to seem help at the earliest signs. In this month of mental health awareness, check on your loved ones and most of all, love yourself and guard your mental health.