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Eating Disorders
Eating disorders are conditions that involve unhealthy eating habits and an extreme preoccupation with food, body weight, or shape. These behaviors can interfere with everyday life and may lead to serious health problems. Eating disorders affect people of all ages and backgrounds.
COMMON SYMPTOMS
Extreme concern about weight, food, or body image
Avoiding meals or eating very little
Eating in secret or bingeing large amounts of food at once
Intense fear of gaining weight, even when underweight
Extreme behaviors like purging (vomiting, using laxatives) to control weight
Feeling out of control when it comes to food
EXAMPLES
Anorexia Nervosa: A condition where people restrict food intake, often to dangerous levels, due to an intense fear of gaining weight.
Bulimia Nervosa: Involves cycles of overeating (bingeing) followed by behaviors to prevent weight gain, such as vomiting or excessive exercise.
Binge Eating Disorder: Characterized by episodes of eating large amounts of food in a short period of time, often feeling a loss of control but not engaging in behaviors like purging.
Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID): A condition where someone avoids certain foods or restricts their diet, leading to nutritional deficiencies and weight loss, without a focus on body image.
MANAGEMENT
Eating disorders are treatable. Therapy, support, and sometimes medication can help address the underlying emotional and psychological issues. With the right treatment, people with eating disorders can learn healthier ways to relate to food and their bodies.
