Eating Disorders

For most people, eating a meal with friends and family is an enjoyable experience or a way of satisfying our body’s need for energy and fuel. But some people have an extreme reaction to the thought of eating, usually meaning that there is an underlying emotional issue causing them distress. An eating disorder is not just about someone wanting to lose weight or feeling that they are not hungry for a day or two—it is a condition where food dominates their life and usually falls into one of three categories;

Anorexia—People who have anorexia try to keep their weight as low as possible by not eating enough food or exercising too much, or both. This can make them very ill because they start to starve.

Bulimia—People who have bulimia go through periods where they eat a lot of food in a very short amount of time and then make themselves sick, use laxatives or do excessive exercise, or a combination of these, to try to stop themselves gaining weight.

Compulsive Eating—similar to bulimia, sufferers will eat more than is needed for a healthy diet but do not try to rid themselves of excess calories, instead feeling guilty and self-loathing for overindulging. Many compulsive eaters are overweight or obese but some of the reasons could be boredom, loneliness or poor self-esteem.