Eating Disorders

Anorexia Nervosa

Symptoms

• Inadequate food intake leading to weight loss that is too low
• Self-esteem overly related to body image
• Inability to appreciate the severity of the situation

Warning Signs

• Dramatic Weight Loss 
• Preoccupation with weight, food calories, fat grams and dieting
• Anxiety about gaining weight or being "fat"
• Denial of hunger
• Withdrawal from usual friends and activities

Health consequences

• Abnormally slow heart rate and low blood pressure
• Reduction of bone density which results in brittle bones
• Muscles loss and weakness
• Severe dehydration=Kidney Failure
• Fainting and fatige

statisitcs

• Approximately 90-95% of anorexia nervosa sufferers are girls and women.
• Anorexia nervosa is one of the most common psychiatric diagnoses in young women.
• Anorexia nervosa has one of the highest death rates of any mental health condition.
• Anorexia nervosa typically appears in early to mid-adolescence.

Bulimia nervosa

Symptoms

• Frequent episodes of consuming large amounts of food
• Behaviors to prevent weight gain like self-induced vomit
• A feeling of being out of control during binge -eating episodes

warning signs

• Unusual swelling of the cheeks and jaw area
• Discoloration or staining of the teeth
• Continued exercise despite injuries 
• Withdrawal from usual friends and activities 

health consequences

• Inflammation and possible rupture of the esophagus
• Tooth decay and staining from stomach acids 
• Chronic irregular bowel movements
• Gastric rupture is uncommon but possible

statistics

• Bulimia nervosa affects 1-2% of adolescent and young adult women.
• Approximately 80% of bulimia nervosa patients are female.
• Risk of death from suicide or medical conditions is markedly increasing 
• People struggling with bulimia appear to be of average body weight