Eating Disorders
Eating disorders are serious conditions related to persistent eating behaviors that negatively impact your health, your emotions, and your ability to function in important areas of life.
Eating disorders often develop in the teen and young adult years, although they can develop at other ages. With treatment, you can return to healthier eating habits and sometimes reverse serious complications caused by the eating disorder.
Eating Disorders describe illnesses that are known by irregular eating habits and often extreme concern about body weight or shape. Eating disturbances may include inadequate or excessive food intake, which can ultimately be damaging to a woman or man’s overall well-being.
The most common forms of eating disorders include Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, and Binge Eating Disorder. These mental health illnesses affect both females and males and can occur during any stage in life.
Although these conditions are treatable, and with the guidance of professionals, full recovery is possible, the symptoms and consequences can be harmful and deadly if not appropriately addressed. Eating disorders commonly coexist with other conditions, such as anxiety disorders, substance abuse, or depression.
Are you concerned with you or your loved one’s relationship with food and body?
A man or woman suffering from an eating disorder may reveal several signs and symptoms, some of which are:
- Chronic dieting despite being hazardously underweight
- Constant weight fluctuations
- Obsession with calories and fat contents of food
- Engaging in ritualistic eating patterns, such as cutting food into tiny pieces, eating alone, and/or hiding food
- Continued fixation with food, recipes, or cooking; the individual may cook intricate meals for others but refrain from partaking
- Depression or lethargic stage
- Avoidance of social functions, family, and friends. May become isolated and withdrawn
- Switching between periods of overeating and fasting
Because of the severity and complexities of these conditions, a comprehensive and professional treatment team specializing in eating disorders is often fundamental in establishing healing and recovery.