Mental and Emotional Health: Understanding and Developing Identity

Eating Disorders

Suppose your best friend has confided in you that she does not like her body and is doing something to fix it. You have noticed that she is losing weight rapidly, and is now looking way too thin. In this scenario, the friend has an eating disorder called anorexia. An eating disorder is a compulsion to eat or to avoid eating that negatively impacts a person's mental, emotional, and physical health. The three most common types are:

Think and Click Anorexia Nervosa

A life-threatening process of self-starvation and weight loss

Think and Click Bulimia Nervosa

A life-threatening cycle of bingeing and self-induced purging (vomiting or taking laxatives) designed to compensate for the effects of overeating

Think and Click Binge Eating Disorder (BED)

A habit of overeating without compensating for the bingeing (by vomiting, taking laxatives, etc.)

Causes

Eating disorders are complex disorders that involve behavioral, emotional, psychological, and social factors. Some causes can include:

  • Low self-esteem
  • Depression
  • Family/relationship problems
  • History of abuse
  • Cultural/media pressures to fit in

Effects

Some negative health effects of eating disorders can include:

  • Decreased bone density
  • Decreased heart function
  • Decreased body and muscle mass
  • Severe fatigue
  • Hair loss
  • Tooth decay
  • Ulcers
  • Starvation
  • Death

Treatment

Treatment for eating disorders includes:

  • Professional therapy or counseling for the symptoms of the eating disorder and the underlying causes of the disorder
  • Hospital care for the physical symptoms and effects

For more information on eating disorders and strategies to avoid or prevent eating disorders, visit the National Eating Disorder's website.