A person experiencing Anorexia Nervosa will make determined efforts to attain and maintain a body weight lower than the normal body weight for their age, sex, and height. They will be preoccupied with thoughts about food and the need to lose weight. They may also exercise excessively and may engage in purging behaviours. Statistics show that anorexia most commonly occurs among adolescent girls and young women in their early twenties but recent studies suggest an increased incidence among males and among children.
Bulimia Nervosa involves repeated episodes of binge eating followed by high-risk behaviours aimed at compensating for the binges. These can include fasting, excessive exercising, self-induced vomiting, the use of laxatives, diuretics or other medications. Most people with bulimia maintain a body weight within the normal range for their age, sex and height. It is therefore less obvious than anorexia and can remain unnoticed for longer. Bulimia occurs predominantly among women between the ages of 15 and 25. The incidence among both males and females is thought to be rising.
Binge Eating Disorder (sometimes referred to as Compulsive Overeating) involves repeated episodes of bingeing but without purging. Over time, binge eating disorder (BED) can result in significant weight gain, though this is not always the case. A person experiencing BED finds themselves locked into a lonely cycle of dieting, bingeing, self recrimination and self loathing. Unlike anorexia and bulimia, binge-eating disorder is thought to be almost as common among men as it is among women. It is believed that the number of people who binge-eat far exceeds the number who present for treatment.
Courtesy of Bodywhys.ie
Emma Buckley B.Sc
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