Background on Eating Disorders 11~20    

6.Eating Disorders

xi.

Binge Eating Disorder (also known as compulsive overeating) is characterized primarily by periods of uncontrolled, impulsive, or continuous eating beyond the point of feeling comfortably full. While there is no purging, there may be sporadic fasts or repetitive diets and often feelings of shame or self-hatred after a binge. People who overeat compulsively may struggle with anxiety, depression, and loneliness. Body weight may vary from normal to mild, moderate, or severe obesity.

xii.

Effects of Binge eating:

1. High blood pressure.



2. High cholesterol levels.



3. Heart disease as a result of elevated triglyceride levels.



4. Type II diabetes mellitus.



5. Gallbladder disease

xiii.

Eating Disorders Not Otherwise Specified (EDNOS) can include some combination of the signs and symptoms of anorexia, bulimia, and/or binge eating disorder. While these behaviors may not be clinically considered a full syndrome eating disorder, they can still be physically dangerous and emotionally draining.

xiv.

Criteria for EDNOS includes the following symptoms:

1. For females, all of the symptoms of anorexia nervosa except that the individual has a regular menstrual cycle.



2. For males and females, all of the symptoms of anorexia nervosa except that, despite significant weight loss, the individual's current weight still maintains a normal range according to BMI (Body Mass Index) classification.



3. For males and females, the regular use of inappropriate compensatory behaviors by an individual of normal weight after eating small amounts of food. For example: self-induced vomiting after the consumption of two cookies.

xv.

For males and females, repeatedly chewing and spitting out, but not swallowing, most of ones potential daily consumption. EDNOS is still a disorder. Despite the lack of specific classification, the presence of EDNOS symptoms is serious and it may turn into a full-blown eating disorder. Even if a person does not eventually exhibit symptoms of a more specifically classified eating disorder, the results can still be severe and even deadly. Any person exhibiting any of the symptoms should immediately consult a trained medical professional or psychiatrist for treatment.

xvi.

Contributing Factors:

People with eating disorders often use food in an attempt to compensate for feelings and emotions that may otherwise seem overwhelming. For some, dieting, bingeing, and purging may begin as a way to cope with painful emotions and to feel in control of one’s life, but ultimately, these behaviors will damage a person’s physical and emotional health, self-esteem, and sense of competence and control.

xvii.

Psychological Factors That Can Contribute to Eating Disorders:

1. Low self-esteem



2. Feelings of inadequacy or lack of control in life



3. Depression, anxiety, anger, or loneliness

xviii.

Interpersonal Factors That Can Contribute to Eating Disorders:

1. Troubled family and personal relationships



2. Difficulty expressing emotions and feelings



3. History of being teased or ridiculed based on size or weight



4. History of physical or sexual abuse

xix.

Social Factors That Can Contribute to Eating Disorders:

1. Cultural pressures that glorify "thinness" and place value on obtaining the "perfect body"



2. Narrow definitions of beauty that include only women and men of specific body weights and shapes



3. Cultural norms that value people on the basis of physical appearance and not inner qualities and strengths

xx.

Other Factors That Can Contribute to Eating Disorders:

1. There may be undiscovered biochemical or biological causes of eating disorders. In some individuals with eating disorders, scientists have found certain chemicals in the brain that control hunger, appetite, and digestion to be imbalanced.



2. Eating disorders often run in families. This indicates that there may be significant genetic contributions to eating disorders.