Do you ever wonder if you have an eating disorder? Or do you think a friend of yours might have one? Well listen up! Eating disorders have a very negative affect on our bodies. Two types of eating disorders include Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa. Both of these disorders are most commonly found in females, but males can have them too. A shocking fact: 5% of people that have anorexia die and half of the deaths are the result of suicide. If someone has the eating disorder anorexia, he or she refuses to maintain body weight at or above 85% of that expected for their age and height, they have an intense fear of gaining weight, they have a distorted perception of their own weight or body shape, and in females, there may be an absence of at least three consecutive menstrual cycles. There are two types of anorexia. One is the restricting type, where a person does not regularly engage in binge-eating or purging behaviors. The other type are those who partake in binge-eating and purging behaviors. If someone has bulimia, they have recurrent episodes of binge-eating, compensatory behavior to prevent weight gain (by vomiting, excessive exercise, or diet pills), an occurrence of binge-eating and compensatory behaviors at least two times per week for three months, and undue influence of body shape and weight on self-evaluation. There are two types of bulimia. One type are the individuals that regularly engage in purging behavior. The others are those non-purging type that use other compensatory behaviors (such as fasting or excessive exercising). Commonly associated disorders are mood disorders (including depression and bipolar disorder), anxiety disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder, sexual abuse history, and substance abuse. Do you suspect you are someone you know has an eating disorder? Here are the warning signs: low caloric intake, poor appetite, difficulty eating in front of others, fasting (frequent meal skipping), fainting episodes, depression, hypothermia, loss of muscle mass, tooth enamel demineralization, constipation, and abdominal pain. Those are just a few signs, there are many others. If these sound like symptoms that someone you know has, get help. The person suffering from these disorders need a health professional, a dietitian, a dentist, and mental help professional. Head over to the school Health Center, where help can save a person's life.
