Get Adobe Flash player
NEDA TOOLKIT for Parents Strict rules about eating or fad diets aren’t a problem. What appears to be a strict diet on the surface may actually be the beginning of an eating disorder. Even if the symptoms do not meet the criteria for a clinical eating disorder diagnosis, disordered eating can have serious medical consequences, such as anemia and bone loss. Individuals dealing with serious disordered eating may benefit from intervention and treatment to address their concerns before it becomes a full-blown eating disorder. Chronic dieting has been associated with the later development of an eating disorder, so addressing these issues right away may prevent a full- blown eating disorder. As long as someone isn’t emaciated, they are not that sick. Most people with an eating disorder are not under­ weight. Although most people with eating disorders are portrayed by the media as emaciated, you can’t tell whether someone has an eating disorder just by looking at them. These perceptions can perpetuate the problem and may cause distress in eating disorder sufferers for fear of not being “sick enough” or “good enough” at their disorder to deserve treatment. Additionally, you cannot determine if an individual is struggling with binge eating disorder (BED) based on their weight. It is important to remember that just because a sufferer is no longer emaciated, or has lost weight in the process of treatment for BED, it doesn’t mean they are recovered; an individual can experience a severe eating disorder at any weight. The main eating disorder symptom I have to worry about in my loved one is weight loss. Although anorexia nervosa and other restrictive eating disorders are characterized by weight loss, many people with eating disorders don’t lose weight and may even gain weight as a result of their disorder. Eating disorder behaviors only focus on food. Individuals with eating disorders generally have an unhealthy focus on food and weight, but the symptoms of an eating disorder can extend far beyond food. Numerous scientific studies have shown links between eating disorders, perfectionism, and obsessionality, which can lead to a fixation on grades, sports performance, etc. Although many sufferers report that eating disorder behaviors initially help them decrease depression and anxiety, as the disorder progresses, the malnutrition caused by eating disorder behaviors can ultimately increase the levels of depression and anxiety that can affect all aspects of life. My loved one doesn’t claim to feel fat. Can they still have an eating disorder? Absolutely. Body image distortions are very common in eating disorders, but they are far from universal. Clinical reports indicate that young children are much less likely to have body image disturbance, and plenty of teens and adults also don’t report this symptom. Since eating disorders are linked to biology, my loved one doesn’t have much hope for recovery. It’s important to remember that biology isn’t destiny. There is always hope for recovery. Although biological factors play a large role in the onset of EDs, they are not the only factors. The predisposition towards disordered eating behaviors may reappear during times of stress, but there are many good techniques individuals with eating disorders can learn to help manage their emotions and keep behaviors from returning. I have a son. I don’t have to worry about eating disorders because they’re a “girl thing.” Eating disorders can affect anyone, regardless of their gender or sex. Although eating disorders are more common in females, researchers and clinicians are becoming aware of a growing number of males who are seeking help for eating disorders. A 2007 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that up to one-third of all eating disorder sufferers are male. It’s currently not clear whether eating disorders are actually increasing in males or if more males who are suffering are seeking treatment or being diagnosed. Because physicians don’t often think that eating disorders affect males, their disorders have generally become more severe and entrenched at the point of diagnosis. There may be subtle differences in eating disorder thoughts and behaviors in males, who are more likely to be focused on building muscle than on weight loss. They are also more likely to purge via exercise and misuse steroids than females are. Although gay, bisexual, and transgender males are more likely to develop an eating disorder than straight males, the vast majority of male eating disorder sufferers are heterosexual. Page  | 8