Eating Disorders

An eating disorder is an extreme way of eating or dealing with food. Many times, eating disorders stem from weight and body issues. An eating disorder can start out just like any addiction–in small quantities at first, and then more and more as time goes on. If you are in Nashville drug treatment or any other treatment programs, you are getting the help you need. If, however, you don’t recognize that there is a problem, evaluate your eating habits and ask friends and family for their opinions. Anorexia nervosa is a disorder in which a person refuses to eat out of fear of gaining weight. A person suffering from anorexia will often not eat or will eat very small amounts of food. Gaining an ounce is cause for concern. Some people with anorexia lose weight by excessively dieting and exercising. Others lose weight by taking laxatives or other diuretics. People with bulimia nervosa will often eat large amounts of food and feel out of control about their eating. After binge eating, these people will often compensate for the extra food by throwing it up, or excessively exercising or fasting. Binge-eating disorder is a condition where a person indulges in binge eating. However, unlike bulimia, people with binge-eating disorder will not purge their food, which often leads to them being overweight or obese. People in this category will often feel guilty and shamed about their out-of-control eating habits. Anyone with an eating disorder should seek treatment immediately before the symptoms turn worse. Eating disorders have killed people before, and they do not discriminate based on race, age, or sex. If you know someone who may have an eating problem, try to confront the person about it. The individual may not realize what her or she is doing and may need to get professional help for the problem