Eating Disorders
Anorexia Nervosa
Anorexia is characterized by self-starvation and excessive weight loss.
Symptoms include
- Refusal to maintain body weight at or above a minimally normal weight for height, body type, age, and activity level
- Intense fear of weight gain or being "fat"
- Feeling "fat" or overweight despite dramatic weight loss
- Loss of menstrual periods
- Extreme concern with body weight and shape
Medical complications can include
- Hair loss
- Dry skin
- Dehydration
- Low blood sugar
- Low heart rate
- Loss of menstral cycle
- Kidney infections
- Osteoporosis
- Heart Attack
- Death
Bulimia
Bulimia is characterized by a secretive cycle of binge eating followed by purging. Bulimia includes eating large amounts of food, usually more than most people would eat in one meal. Food is typically eaten in a short period of time, which is then followed by vomiting, laxative abuse, or over-exercising in order to rid the body of the food and calories.
Symptoms include
- Repeated episodes of bingeing and purging
- Feeling out of control during a binge and eating beyond the point of comfortable fullness
- Purging after a binge, (typically by self-induced vomiting, abuse of laxatives, diet pills and/or diuretics, excessive exercise, or fasting)
- Frequent dieting
- Extreme concern with body weight and shape
Medical complications
- Dehydration
- Dry skin
- Teeth problems
- Swollen neck glands
- Damange to stomach and throat lining
- Electrolyte emblance
- Loss of menstrual cycle
- Heart attach
- Death
Warning Signs
Physical warning signs
- Significant loss of weight in a short time.
- Dressing in layers or wearing baggy clothes. This is often used to hide body shape and weight loss.
- Unusual table behaviors such as:
- Spreading the food around on their plate so the meal appears to be eaten.
- Cutting food into very small pieces.
- Putting food in napkin and disposing of it later.
- Going to the restroom directly after eating, usually to vomit food before digestion takes place. May run water to cover sound of vomiting.
- Excessive exercise. Exercising multiple times per day or for long periods of time.
- Exercising while sick or injured.
- Pale or grayish skin.
- Hair loss.
- "Chipmunk cheeks" (swollen glands due to vomiting)
- Bloodshot eyes.
- Bruising under the eyes and/or on cheeks.
- Loss of menstrual cycle.
- Mood swings.
- Signs of depression.
Other warning signs to watch for
- Diet pills.
- Laxatives.
- Food stored in odd places such as closets or under the bed.
- Lists of foods eaten.
- Weight loss sites stored in web browser "favorites".
- Weight loss books.
Conversational warning signs
- Always talking about being "fat" or scared of being "fat".
- Always talking about their weight.
- Constantly counting calories.
- Complains of diarrhea or constipation.
- Has a negative or distorted body image.
- Never satisfied in other area of life (i.e. school, work).
- Will not go out to eat. May say "I already ate" or "I'm not hungry."
- Cooks meals for others, but will not eat.
- Self-demeaning labels.
Help a Friend
If you worry that a friend or a loved one might have an eating disorder, you are not alone. It is imperative to let your friend know that you care about them and that you are there to support them. Here are some suggestions:
- "I'm here for you if you need me. I know you've struggling with a lot of stress lately. Let me know how I can help."
You may want to go further and share with her/him what you have observed. If you choose this approach, be specific and communicate your concerns and what you are feeling. Here are some examples:
- "I've noticed you've lost so much weight and that you're still dieting and losing. I'm worried about your health."
- "It seems like we're always talking about weight and food and exercise. You seem so concerned about the way you look. I'm really worried about you."
- "I heard you throwing up 3 times last week. I know when that happened before you said you had the flu. I'm really worried that it's more than that. I'm scared something will happen to you."
Your friend may deny or minimize the situation by saying something like, "I used to have a problem but I'm better now. If she denies it and wants to avoid it, you may have to be satisfied to have expressed your concerns directly and let it be, for now. Let her know that you are still her friend and you are there if she wants to talk.
If your friend is willing to talk and be open about the problem, it's important to listen with empathy and without judgment. It may be tempting to try to use logic, reality, and reason to talk someone out of these "irrational" ideas, your job is not to solve the problem; your job is to listen.
If the conversation is positive, and your friend is receptive, the next step is to help her get professional help. For DU students, the Health and Counseling Center is a great resource. A registered nutritionist can evaluate nutritional status and eating patterns. Counseling Service can evaluate the overall eating disorder in the context of the person's current and past life and provide treatment recommendations; while the Health Service can provide a medical evaluation.
Eating disorders often observed by friends and/or family, but are left untreated. If you have a loved one who you suspect suffers from an eating disorder, please love them enough to confront them. The first steps to recovery are love, support, and communication.
Resources
DU Health and Counseling Center
DU.edu/DUHealth
DU's Health and Counseling center offers both individual and group counseling. You can also visit the website to take an online screening. Call 303.871.2205 to make an appointment.
Eating Disorders Center of Denver
EDC.com
La Luna Center-Boulder
LaLunaCenter.com
National Eating Disorder Association
EDAP.org
Eating Disorders Referral and Info Center
EDReferral.com
National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders
ANAD.org
Colorado Psychological Association
ColoradoPsych.org
Information gathered from the Eating Disorder Center of Denver website.
