Eating disorders are complicated mental health conditions that cause individuals to form unhealthy eating habits. Someone who develops an eating disorder may start off wanting to lose weight or eat healthier. Many obsess over the way their body looks, its shape, or the food itself. National Eating Disorder Awareness Week (NEDA) helps educate the public about eating disorders and offers hope to those struggling with the illness. It’s also a way to point those who need help toward resources that can hopefully help them get well. For disordered eating treatment options, reach out to The Willows at Red Oak today at 855.773.0614.
What Are Some Common Eating Disorders?
Many people start developing an eating disorder when they are young, typically in their teen years. However, an eating disorder can manifest at any age. The symptoms you exhibit can vary depending on the specific eating disorder. Events like NEDA week helps people understand more about various eating disorders.
Anorexia Nervosa
Individuals with anorexia tend to believe they are overweight, even though they are often well below normal body weight levels. People with this mental disorder constantly monitor how much they weigh and severely restrict their calories. Signs of possible anorexia include:
- Being underweight for your size and age
- Use of restrictive eating patterns
- Obsessed with being thin
- Having a distorted image of your body
Bulimia Nervosa
People with bulimia tend to eat large amounts of food during a specific period. They may feel that they can’t stop eating even when they feel full. Bulimics then look to purge everything they’ve eaten by throwing up. They may also use laxatives, enemas, and diuretics to rid their systems of excess calories. Many individuals with bulimia exercise excessively to keep their weight down.
Binge Eating Disorder
Binge eaters also consume a lot of food in one sitting. However, they do not throw up their food afterward or try to restrict their calorie intake. Symptoms often exhibited by those with a binge eating disorder include:
- Eating a lot of food rapidly
- Continuing to eat past the point of fullness
- Hiding your eating habits from others
- Feeling shame or distress about your eating habits
How Are Eating Disorders Treated?
It can be hard to get someone to acknowledge that they have an eating disorder. That makes it harder to encourage a person to get treatment. You may have had friends and loved ones approach you about your eating habits. NEDA Week looks to help people recognize red flags when it comes to the presence of a possible eating disorder.
- Regularly skipping meals or coming up with a reason not to eat
- Preparing meals separately from the family
- Always talking about the need to lose weight
- Persistent consumption of high-fat foods
- Knuckle callouses built up from inducing vomiting
- Wear and tear on your tooth enamel from stomach acids that come up with vomit
- Feelings of depression, guilt, or shame about eating habits
- Overreliance on diet supplements, laxatives, and other weight loss products
Reach out to a specialist or doctor if you or a loved one show signs of having an eating disorder. They can help you diagnose your condition and refer you to someone qualified to treat the disease.
How Does Awareness of Eating Disorders Help?
Becoming aware of an eating disorder’s signs allows you to act and get treatment, whether for yourself or someone else. The education you can pick up from NEDA can clarify any concerns you might have. You can also take the opportunity to find avenues for getting help with an eating disorder.
Get Help at The Willows at Red Oak
The Willows at Red Oak provides help to individuals seeking treatment for an eating disorder. Our programs offer support and therapy to help you get your condition under control and learn healthier eating habits. We also offer programs to treat other issues:
Gain control of your eating habits by calling The Willows at Red Oak Recovery at 855.773.0614.
