How do I know if I have an Eating Disorder?
3 types of eating disorders
Are you wondering if you have an eating disorder? There are three types of eating disorders that pose a serious health threat that you may be wondering about. They are:
- Anorexia Nervosa – the characteristics of Anexoria are an obsession about not gaining weight and refusing to maintain a body weight that is healthy.
- Bulimia Nervosa – similar to Anorexia but the individual consumes large amounts of food over a short period of time and then purges what has been eaten, by self-induced vomiting or the misuse of diuretics and laxatives combined with an excessive exercise routines.
- Binge eating disorder – the most common eating disorder of the three in the US, although it has not been technically classified as one. It has been hypothesized that binge eating disorders may have genetic origins.
Eating disorders tend to affect women five to 10 times more often then men, but they are not exclusively a female disorder.
Do you have an eating disorder?
Knowing whether or not you have succumbed to an eating disorder is not always easy to determine. However, there are some key warning signs and symptoms to be aware of.
The surface of the knuckles of a hand with xeroderma "dry skin"
Signs of Anorexia:
- abdominal pain
- constipation
- dehydration
- distorted or negative self-image
- dizziness and/or fainting
- dry skin
- excessive exercising
- fear of weight gain
- flat moods and a lack of emotions
- frequently feeling chilled or cold
- irregular heart rate
- irregular menstruation or the complete loss of it
- low blood pressure
- preoccupation with food
- refusal to eat yet denying that you are hungry
- social withdrawal
Signs of Bulimia:
The erosion on the lower teeth was caused by Bulimia; a dentist did NOT drill these teeth. For comparison, the upper teeth were restored with porcelain veneers
- abnormal bowel functions
- calluses, scars, and sores on the hands and knuckles
- constantly going on diets and/or fasting
- damage to the gums and teeth
- dehydration
- eating to the point of feeling pain of being uncomfortable
- excessive exercising
- feeling that your eating behavior is out of control
- going to the bathroom during or immediately after a meal
- having a distorted or negative image of one’s body
- irregular heart rate
- irregular menstruation or the complete loss of it
- possible alcohol and/or drug abuse
- self-induced vomiting or purging
- sores in the mouth and throat
- unhealthy focus on one’s physical shape and weight
Signs of Binge Eating Disorder:
- eating alone on frequent occasions
- eating considerably more food during binge episodes than what it normal
- eating faster whenever you are binging
- eating to the point of feeling pain of being uncomfortable
- feelings of depression, disgust, and upset over the how much you have eaten
- feeling that your eating behavior is out of control