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How can eating disorders be recognized in teens and how can they be helped?

 

Our project is about eating disorders and how they can be recognized in teens. Eating disorders as a whole affect a very large portion of our community and society today.

The three major eating disorders are: Anorexia, Bulemia,and Binge Eating.We will be focusing on the abovementioned eating disorders in this presentation.

 

Anorexia:

 

What is it?

 

Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder which is characterized by starvation, fear of weight gain, and a distorted image of ones body. There are two types of anorexia: restricting, and binge eating. Restricted is shown by dieting and extensive exercise. Anorexia is growing in popularity today. Almost 10% of people with anorexia are males. Anorexia also has the highest mortality rate of any other psychiatric disorder.

 

Who is at risk of having the disorder?

 

This disorder targets mostly the ages from 14-18. Girls whose mothers or family members have had the disorder are at a higher risk than other people. People who develop the disorder are people who:

• Reject female sexuality, they starve themselves to try to remain small like children, and flat like men.
• Want to look like they are fragile and small, to be attractive to men.
• Want to show that they are independent and in control.
• Are perfectionists.
• Have families who are dysfunctional.
• Dont understand their bodies.

 

How can you recognize the disorder?

 

People with anorexia usually have:

• a shriveled body, dry, yellow-looking skin, and low blood pressure
• stomach pain, constipation, or lack of energy
• are chilly
• weight loss leading to a body weight 15% or more below normal weight

 

 

What are the complications of Anorexia?

 

• heart failure
• growth retardation
• dental problems
• constipation
• stomach rupture
• swelling of the salivary glands,
• anemia and other abnormalities of the blood
• loss of kidney function
• osteoporosis

 

By: Safa A

 

Binge Eating Disorder

 

What is it?

 

Binge eating disorder (or BED) is a loss of control over eating behavior, resulting in that person consuming large amounts of food in a short period of time. This is different from bulimia, where after that individual binges (eats a large amount of food) they use inappropriate weight loss methods, binge eaters binge, but they do not try to burn off that food they just binged on. This is the most common eating disorder, it is just the least talked about, in fact over 4 million Americans are affected, 1/3 of that number men, that’s 1,200,000 men and 2,800,000 women that suffer from this disorder.

 

What is a binge? How often can one occur it?

 

A binge is when someone eats a large amount of food in a small amount of time, and they will usually continue to eat even after they are full. If you ate a large amount of food once, that does not mean you have BED, you must repeat this habit for a while to truly develop BED. People often feel ashamed of their problem and usually end up eating alone to avoid people questioning the amount of food eaten. A binge can occur two or more times a week.

 

How do people develop BED?

 

BED usually starts sometime between adolescence and the early 20s.The binge can be set off as a psychological release for emotional stress; it can also be set off by a hereditary disorder or depression. People with BED are more likely to have pres-existing problems with impulsive behavior (such as impulsive spending), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), panic disorders or personality disorders. They also, more often, come from families who put an emphasis on the importance of food (such as they must clean their plate, regardless of what they are feeling, because there are starving children in Africa). The main thing to remember is that people with BED see food as a comfort, because it is something familiar and good.

 

What are some signs that a family member or loved one may be suffering from BED?

 

If you think a family member and/or loved one may be suffering from BED you should send them to therapy, because only a mental professional can really diagnose BED. Here a few ways to identify if one of you family members and/or loved ones might have BED:

• The person in question seems withdrawn and distant
• They will eat alone, in private, and when they do eat in public they seem to eat more than everyone else.
• They try to hide the amount of food they eat
• They comment on their outer appearance negatively
• They may be enrolled in a weight loss program, or recently were, or they are/were on a diet by themselves

You should keep an eye out for BED in people you know that suffer from:

• Depression
• Impulsive behavior
• PTSD
• Panic/ personality disorders

 

By: Jessie G

 

Bulemia

 

What is it?

 

Bulemia Nervosa is an eating disorder in which people eat a lot, then try to rid themselves of the food by forcing themselves to throw it up, exercise extensively, or use laxatives. Over two million people in the world suffer from Bulemia. Again, 10% people affected are men.

 

Who is at risk of having the disorder?

 

People at risk include:

• People who feel that they are behaving weirdly, or people who believe they are out of control.

• People who look healthy, but feel helpless and have low self-esteem
• Have mothers who are concerned about how their daughters look and how much they weigh.
• Have brothers and fathers who criticize their weight
• Have a combination of genetic and environmental factors that cause it.

 

What are some signs of Bulemia?

 

Some signs of Bulemia are:

• eating large amounts of food
• eating secretively
• vomiting, using laxtives, fasting, extensive exercise
• being preoccupied with body weight
• using the bathroom frequently after meals
• depression or mood swings
• irregular menstrual periods
• dental problems, swollen cheeks,heartburn or bloating.

 

By: Tricia C

 

Works Cited

 

"Anorexia." Crystal Heather Kaczkowski, MSc. The Gale Encyclopedia of Cancer: A

Guide to Cancer and Its Treatments. Ed. Jacqueline L. Longe. 2nd ed. Detroit:

Thomson Gale, 2005. 2 vols.

"Anorexia nervosa." Rebecca J. Frey, PhD. The Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine. Ed.

Jacqueline L. Longe. 3rd ed. Detroit: Gale, Online update, 2007. 5 vols.

"Bulimia nervosa." Jennifer Lamb. The Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine. Ed. Jacqueline

L. Longe. 3rd ed. Detroit: Gale, Online update, 2007. 5 vols

"Bulimia nervosa." Mai Tran. The Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine. Ed.

Jacqueline L. Longe. 2nd ed. Detroit: Gale, 2005. 4 vols. Updated July 1, 2006.

Belmonte, Joelle. "Binge Eating Disorder." Helpguide.org. 2008. Rotary International. 17 Nov. 2008 <http://www.helpguide.org/mental/binge_eating_disorder.htm>.

"Binge-eating disorder." Paula Anne Ford-Martin. The Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine. Ed. Jacqueline L. Longe. 3rd ed. Detroit: Gale, Online update, 2007. 5 vols.