Facts About Eating Disorders

Some facts about eating disorders are that they’re often endured in secret until the damage becomes too severe to be ignored. About 1.65 percent of the U.S. population suffers from some kind of eating disorder. Most sufferers are female. When children have eating disorders, the sufferer is over twice as likely to be a girl.

Anorexia is one of the most well known eating disorders. The person refuses to eat, to the point where she becomes emaciated. Anorexia often begins with a normal diet that goes out of control. The sufferers have an intense fear of becoming fat. They believe they are fat, even as they continue to lose weight. Anorexics are often intolerant of cold and stop menstruating. They can also display the symptoms of malnutrition, including muscle wasting, constipation, hypotension and bradycardia, damage to their internal organs, dry skin and hair, the growth of downy hairs on the body, and brittle nails. The causes of anorexia and other eating disorders is unknown, though they seem to be responses to stress or pressure.

More facts about eating disorders include the disorder known as bulimia. Bulimia is also known as binge-purge syndrome. Like anorexics, bulimics also have a distorted body image. In this case, the bulimic engages in binge eating, which is the rapid, out of control eating of a large amount of food in two hours or less. After the food is eaten, the bulimic purges it by self-induced vomiting or laxative use. Usually, the binge and purge cycle is followed by depression and guilt. The vomiting can become frequent enough that the esophagus and mouth are inflamed and the enamel of the teeth damaged because of the acidic contents of the stomach being continually brought up.

Overuse of laxatives can disturb the intestinal flora and cause abdominal distress, and the frequent vomiting can cause dehydration. In the worst cases, the purging leads to an electrolyte imbalance that can cause a heart attack, even in a young woman. Unlike the anorexic, whose weight steadily decreases, the bulimic’s weight can vary.

Again, the condition seems to be a response to stress, or pressure, like a difficult family situation, a move, or starting a new school. With a binge eating only disorder, the person eats uncontrollably. This results in obesity and all the problems that come with it, including high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease. Binge eaters are also tormented by the guilt suffered by bulimics and anorexics.

Harmony Grove, based in San Diego, knows the facts about eating disorders, and our program is set up to help young women suffering from eating disorders to return to both mental and physical health. We have a qualified and licensed team that has long experience in treating eating disorders. Insurance is available, as well as partial scholarships for clients who pay in cash. Harmony Grove has both a day treatment program that offers individual and group therapy and an outpatient program. We also offer supportive and fun recreational activities that include sports, visits to zoos and museums and other attractions that help our client reconnect with life. We can be reached at http://www.harmony-grove.com/.