What is an eating disorder?

If you worry about what you weigh and how you look so much that it changes your life, you might have an eating disorder. You might think you need to lose weight even if you are thin. You might eat too much to help you cope with things that are happening in your life. If you think you do these things, you might have an eating disorder.

Types of eating disorders

There are different types of eating disorders which affect people in different ways:

Anorexia

• Eating very little food
• Losing lots of weight very quickly
• Being afraid of getting fat or putting on weight
• In women, periods might stop after dramatic weight loss

Bulimia

• Having an urge to eat lots and lots of foods in one go (bingeing), then making yourself sick (purging)
• Taking laxatives to help you lose weight
• Feeling low in mood, guilty for bingeing, or feeling bad about yourself

Binge Eating Disorder

• Eating lots of food quickly, when you don’t feel hungry and not stopping when you are full
• Feeling guilty for having eaten so much
• Eating in secret, away from other people
• Putting on weight

Why do people have eating disorders?

Anyone can have an eating disorder. Sometimes, people have eating disorders because of things happening in their lives, like:

• Wanting to have control over parts of life
• Having very little self-confidence
• Worrying about what other people think
• Striving for ‘perfection’ – wanting to look like someone on the television or in magazines
• Not knowing how to cope with difficult feelings
• Bereavement
• Trauma, such as being bullied or abused

How eating disorders affect your body

Eating disorders can make both visible and invisible changes to the body, such as:

• Pale, dry skin
• More hair on the body
• Dental problems caused by the effect of acid on the teeth when vomiting
• Thinning hair and brittle nails
• Swelling of the face
• Increase in weight
• Problems with the lining of the stomach such as ulcers
• Fertility problems
• Using lots of laxatives can create problems in the bowels

How eating disorders can affect how a person feels

Eating disorders can also create emotional and psychological issues, such as:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Wanting to withdraw and avoid other people
• Difficulties with concentration
• Memory problems
• Decreased sex drive
• Anger
• Guilt

What helps?

There are several approaches to supporting someone with an eating disorder, including medication and talking therapies. There are also some excellent support groups which you may be able to access locally or online.