Disordered eating Flashcards
ANOREXIA NERVOSA
People with anorexia nervosa have an unhealthy obsession with weight and are constantly striving to keep it as low as possible through restricting calories and exercising excessively. They will have an intense fear of gaining weight and becoming fat, even if they are already extremely thin.
Also, when calories are restricted and body weight falls, so do body fat levels and muscle mass. It will vary between individuals but, if body fat falls below 15-20%, this triggers a number of hormonal changes resulting in amenorrhea (absence of periods) in women.
Environmental causes of anorexia nervosa
Relationship breakdowns.
Bereavement.
Pressures of work or at school.
Bullying or physical/sexual abuse.
Biological causes of anorexia nervosa
Extreme dieting may have a very disruptive effect on how the brain functions, as the brain uses over a fifth of the calories a person consumes.Malnutrition may change the balance of hormones in the body, leading people with anorexia to have feelings of anxiety and self-loathing after eating. In contrast, negative feelings are reduced when they feel hungry, or after they have exercised, making the cycle potentially difficult to break.
Psychological causes of anorexia nervosa
Anorexics are more likely to already suffer from depression or anxiety. They may well be perfectionists, or have obsessive or compulsive behaviours. Many will present with low self-esteem.
BULIMIA NERVOSA
People with bulimia will, like anorexics, still control their weight by severely restricting the amount of food that they consume. However they will also binge on large amounts of food in one go, sometimes 5000kcals or more, before ‘purging’ - making themselves vomit or using laxatives - to rid their body of these calories.
Causes of bulimia nervosa
Bulimia is a cycle of guilt: a binge, maybe triggered by an emotional response, is followed by feelings of regret and self-hatred, so the person will go back to being restrictive and the cycle continues. Causes of bulima could be: Low self-esteem. Depression. Obsessive-compulsive disorders. Social & cultural pressures.
The Behavioral signs of anorexia
Obsessive exercise, and weighing or measuring of food. Self-induced starvation. Excessive calorie counting. Often lie about their eating habits and what they have eaten. Avoid eating with other people.
The Behavioral signs of Bulimia
Bingeing on large amounts of food. Vomiting, or use of laxatives after bingeing. Eating in secret. Frequent weighing. Disappearing after meals. Obsessive attitude towards food and eating.
The Psychological signs of anorexia
Low self-esteem, depression and anxiety. Distorted body image. Socially withdrawn. Perfectionist tendencies.
The Psychological signs of bulimia
Body dissatisfaction and distortion. Depression, anxiety and anger. Impulsiveness. Low self-esteem.
The Physical signs of anorexia
Severe weight loss/ extreme thinness. Increased fine, downy hair on the body, and increased facial hair. Gastrointestinal issues such as bloating and pain in the abdomen. Feeling cold, or having bluish extremities. Tiredness due to difficulty sleeping. Amenorrhea. Dental problems (bad breath, tooth decay). Low blood pressure. Reduced physical performance
The Physical signs of Bulimia
Tooth decay and enamel erosion. Normal weight or extreme weight fluctuations. Puffy face due to swollen salivary glands. Menstrual irregularities. Frequently dehydrated.
Binge Eating
The definition as sated by The National Centre for Eating Disorders is ‘Bingeing, or compulsive overeating, is when someone shows some or all of the following features at least three times per week.’ Eating past the point of fullness. Eating much faster than normal during a binge. Eating in secret due to being embarrassed about the amount of food being consumed. Eating large volumes when not hungry. Feeling upset or guilty after overeating. Feeling out of control when eating.
YOUR ROLE AND EATING DISORDERS
Think about how you can help your clients… When advising clients on their eating habits it is also important to find out what might trigger a certain food choice: did they have a particularly stressful day? Do they eat for comfort? Understanding why your clients make certain choices can be a huge step forward towards achieving a healthy eating pattern and relationship with food; as quite often coping mechanisms for life can manifest themselves in eating habits, and this can be detrimental to health. Finding alternative ways of dealing with stress, or whatever the trigger might be, might not always be within your scope, especially when dealing with more disordered eating patterns, but you can certainly help in guiding your clients in the right direction.
