WHAT ARE EATING DISORDERS?
Understanding, Support and Healing!
Dear Healthy Friend,
I must say that it’s truly been a while since I wrote to you about enlightening topics that can change the course of how you see your health and take total care of your body. So, let me start by saying Welcome back and I am excited to continue sharing these life-changing healthy topics with you. Today, on Health and You, I will be writing to you about something quite evident but not spoken about as often as it should. Sometimes, many people have this disorder but they don’t know, especially when someone doesn’t eat well, people don’t term it a disorder. Well, just as the topic above says; What are eating disorders?
EATING DISORDERS
An eating disorder can be said to be a mental disorder in which a person exhibits abnormal eating behaviors that could seriously damage and affect a person’s health both mentally and physically.
According to the NHS, most people use the control of food to cope with their feelings and emotions which they may be going through at the time, it also opines that unhealthy eating behaviors may include eating too much or too little and even worrying about your weight and body shape.
There are so many types of eating disorders but let’s take a look at these 3;
1.    Bulimia Nervosa
This eating disorder is also known as Bulimia. It occurs when a person binge eats and then goes on to purge and fast, due to the excessive concern that they have about their body shape and weight. The aftermath of purging or fasting is usually done to remove calories from the period of binge eating. Typically, binge eating is when someone eats a large amount of food in a short amount of time.
People who binge eat often go the extra mile to take laxatives to get rid of the food. According to reports, Bulimia is hereditary as anyone who has it probably got it from a close relative, the percentage risk is about 30% and 80% genetically.
This particular eating disorder also goes hand in hand with other mental disorders such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and issues with drugs and alcohol. People who have this disorder are also very prone to suicide and self-harm.
The symptoms are out-of-control eating, eating in very large quantities and in a very fast pace, and a short period eating of a large amount of food.
If you or anyone you know have exhibited some of these symptoms, my quick advice would be to seek medical help instantly, as this may lead to very serious illnesses.
2.    Anorexia Nervosa
You may have Anorexia Nervosa if you are so addicted to keeping your weight as low as possible, which can be done by not eating well, eating very little, exercising too much, taking laxatives so that you can purge yourself and even falling sick just to reduce weight.
The idea is that Anorexia Nervosa makes you see what isn’t there, so you may be underweight but believe that you are overweight.
Anorexia Nervosa is also hereditary and can spring forth from emotional and mental abuse, and criticism about one’s weight and shape. Hence, the a need to cut down on eating.
This type of eating disorder is usually common with women and it often starts at the tender grooming teenage years, the times when the female body starts to take form, we can all agree that many young women start feeling insecure from this stage, and what doesn’t help is having people around who add to the many insecurities that crowd this stage.
Symptoms may include; Missing meals and eating very little quantity, feeling dizzy, hair loss, dry skin, thinking about food a lot so as not to be tempted to eat, thinking you are fat when you are underweight, unusually low body mass index (BMI)
People with Anorexia Nervosa often try to make themselves sick just to get rid of fat, some also engage in an extreme amount of exercise, use medicines to suppress hunger, laxatives to stool, and diuretics to pee a lot.
Getting help can go a long way to assist you in the recovery process, but firstly I always love to state that admitting the fact that you have a problem goes a long way to solving the problem. Anorexia Nervosa can lead to a lot of severe illnesses like kidney problems, anemia, brain and nerve damage, fertility problems, and even loss of sex drive.
3.    Pica
This is an eating disorder that is characterized by eating things that don’t provide any nutritional value, basically things that are not classified as food. It is mostly peculiar to children and pregnant women. If you eat things that are unhealthy like dirt, sand, and a host of other innutritious and nonfood items, then you may have pica.
People with pica can stop because it is not a permanent disorder, although persons with challenging behaviors may have more long-lasting effects and it could also lead to some harmful poisoning.
If you have pica, it means you eat things such as;
·       Chalk
·       Cement wall debris
·       Sand
·       Clay
·       Dirt
·       Buttons
·       Soap
·       Paper
·       Cigarette Ashes and other nonfood items
Pica can also occur when your body lacks a particular nutrient, then tries to replenish these nutrients and you begin to have weird cravings in the process. So, it may be a sign that you have some nutritional deficiencies.
Some people eat clay and it tastes good to them, in the eastern part of Nigeria for instance, Clay also known as Nzu is majorly eaten by pregnant women and sometimes children or anyone who has the craving. This clay has no nutritional value although some have argued that it is not harmful even though reports state that it contains an amount of lead that can be harmful to the body.
Complications may arise as a result of having pica, which include;
·       Lead poisoning
·       Lung infection
·       Cancer of the Urinary bladder and skin
·       Intestinal blockage and,
·       Parasitic infections.
You should see a doctor immediately for prescribed therapy and psychological evaluation to understand how to overcome pica.
Conclusion
Eating disorders are very much prevalent in our everyday society, some people around you may have it, family and friends and they may need your help to get the right treatment by referring them to a health practitioner based on your newly found knowledge after reading this health letter.
Let’s stay informed and Healthy Together.
We are here to support you in living a healthy life and being committed to it. If you have any inputs, concerns, or questions, Kindly reach out as your overall well-being is our greatest priority.
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Casandra Ayodele
HealthmartwithCassie
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