Eating Disorders

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Eating Disorders

• A brief, but enlightening, overview.

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What are Eating Disorders?

• Eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia, and
  binge eating disorder include extreme emotions,
  attitudes, and behaviors surrounding weight and
  food issues.
• They are serious emotional and physical problems
  that can have life-threatening consequences for
  females and males.

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Anorexia Nervosa

• Anorexia Nervosa 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.
• In addition to restricting calories, people with
  anorexia may also control their weight with
  exercise, diet pills, or purging.

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Bulimia Nervosa

• Bulimia Nervosa is characterized by a secretive
  cycle of binge eating followed by purging.
• Bulimia includes eating large amounts of
  food--more than most people would eat in one
  meal--in short periods of time, then getting rid
  of the food and calories through vomiting,
  laxative abuse, or over-exercising.
• 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.

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Binge Eating Disorder

• Also referred to as Compulsive Overeating.
• Binge Eating Disorder is characterized primarily
  by periods of uncontrolled, impulsive, or
  continuous eating beyond the point of feeling
  comfortably full.
• While there is no purging, there may be sporadic
  fasts or repetitive diets and often feelings of
  shame or self-hatred after a binge.
• People who overeat compulsively may struggle with
  anxiety, depression, and loneliness, which can
  contribute to their unhealthy episodes of binge
  eating.
• Body weight may vary from normal to mild,
  moderate, or severe obesity.
• Despite feelings of guilt and shame over these
  secret binges, they feel unable to control their
  behavior or stop eating even when uncomfortably
  full.

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Common Warning Signs

• Preoccupation with body or weight
• Obsession with calories, food, or nutrition
• Constant dieting, even when thin
• Rapid, unexplained weight loss or weight gain
• Taking laxatives or diet pills
• Compulsive exercising
• Making excuses to get out of eating
• Avoiding social situations that involve food
• Going to the bathroom right after meals
• Eating alone, at night, or in secret
• Hoarding high-calorie food

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Myth 1

• You have to be
• underweight to have
• an eating disorder.

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False

• People with eating disorders come in all shapes
  and sizes. Many
• individuals with eating disorders are of average
  weight or are overweight.

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Myth 2

• Only teenage girls and young women are affected
  by eating disorders.

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False

• While eating disorders are most common in young
  women in their teens and early twenties, they are
  found in men and women of all ages.

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Myth 3

• People with eating disorders are vain.

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False

• Its not vanity that drives people with eating
  disorders to follow extreme diets and obsess over
  their bodies, but rather an attempt to deal with
  feelings of shame, anxiety, and powerlessness.

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Myth 4

• Eating disorders arent really that dangerous.

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False

• All eating disorders can lead to irreversible and
  even life-threatening health problems, such as
  heart disease, bone loss, stunted growth,
  infertility, and kidney damage.

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Tips for Talking about an Eating Disorder

• Communicate your concerns. Share your memories of
  specific times when you felt concerned about the
  persons eating or exercise behaviors. Explain
  that you think these things may indicate that
  there could be a problem that needs professional
  attention.
• Avoid conflicts or a battle of the wills. If the
  person refuses to acknowledge that there is a
  problem, or any reason for you to be concerned,
  restate your feelings and the reasons for them
  and leave yourself open and available as a
  supportive listener.
• Avoid placing shame, blame, or guilt on the
  person regarding their actions or attitudes. Do
  not use accusatory you statements like, You
  just need to eat. Or, You are acting
  irresponsibly. Instead, use I statements. For
  example Im concerned about you because you
  refuse to eat breakfast or lunch. Or, It makes
  me afraid to hear you vomiting.
• Avoid giving simple solutions. For example, "If
  you'd just stop, then everything would be fine!"

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Dont give up if the person shuts you out at
first or reacts in anger or denial. The eating
disorder is your loved ones way of dealing with
emotions that are too painful to face directly.
It may take some time before your friend or
family member is even willing to admit to having
a problem. Lecturing, getting upset, or issuing
ultimatums wont help the situation. Instead,
make it clear that you care about the persons
health and happiness and youll continue to be
there for him or her.
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Treatments for eating disorders

• There are many treatment options for eating
  disorders. The right approach for each individual
  depends on his or her specific symptoms, issues,
  and strengths, as well as the severity of the
  disorder. To be most effective, treatment for an
  eating disorder must address both the physical
  and psychological aspects of the problem. The
  goal is to treat any medical or nutritional
  needs, promote a healthy relationship with food,
  and teach constructive ways to cope with life and
  its challenges.
• Often, a combination of therapy, nutritional
  counseling, and group support works best. In some
  cases, residential treatment or hospitalization
  may be necessary.

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Specific Treatments

• Psychotherapy Individual and group therapy can
  help your loved one explore the issues underlying
  the eating disorder, improve self-esteem, and
  learn healthy ways of responding to stress and
  emotional pain. Family therapy is also effective
  for dealing with the impact the eating disorder
  has on the entire family unit.
• Nutritional counseling Dieticians or
  nutritionists are often involved in the treatment
  of eating disorders. They can help your loved one
  design meal plans, set dietary goals, and achieve
  a healthy weight. Nutritional counseling may also
  involve education about basic nutrition and the
  health consequences of eating disorders.
• Support groups Attending an eating disorder
  support group can help your loved one feel less
  alone and ashamed. Run by peers rather than
  professionals, support groups provide a safe
  environment to share experiences, advice,
  encouragement, and coping strategies.
• Residential treatment - Residential or
  hospital-based care may be required when there
  are severe physical or behavioral problems, such
  as a resistance to treatment, medical issues that
  require a doctors supervision, or continuing
  weight loss.

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Need Help?

• Dont be afraid to mention anything you notice to
  your Resident Assistant or Resident Director.
  They are the best people to help you find the
  resources you need.
• Visit http//www.nationaleatingdisorders.org for
  more information.
• Call or email the Counseling Center on campus.
  They are more than able to help and all their
  services are FREE.
• For more information, please contact
• List your university contact information here

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• This bulletin board was created collaboratively
  by Kate Bobbie, Mallory Burns, Ashley Frye and
  Ashley McCrea, four female Resident Assistants at
  Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania, with
  information provided by a resident.
• Feel free to use this as you see fit. Awareness
  Week is Feb. 24- March 1st.
• Just a note, the Myth slides were put up as an
  interactive element. The myth slide was placed
  over the answer so the residents could flip it
  over and see if their answers were correct.