Eating disorders – where should we start?
At your age, everyone starts to think more and more about fitting in with a social group and maybe gaining the respect of others.
This can lead to a focus on body weight or shape.
This can then result in an obsession with food.
It is not only teenagers who may be affected though. Eating disorders affect people of all ages and ethnicities.
It is also possible that the development of an eating disorder is influenced by cultural pressure and genetics.
There are different types of eating disorders. The most common are anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder.
Remember, all of these have significant health consequences.
These include:
- Abnormally slow heart rate and low blood pressure
- Risk of heart failure
- Decreased bone density
- Muscle loss and weakness
- Severe dehydration
- Severe constipation
- Fainting
- Fatigue and overall weakness
- Dry hair and skin
- Hair loss
- The growth of a downy layer of hair (lanugo) all over the body
- Low body temperature
- Reversible and irreversible brain damage and health
In the end, it is important to refer those with eating disorders to treatment. This could include nutritional education and counseling and support groups. Treatment is long-term and expensive, so it is important to address the issue as soon as possible. If you can, make an effort to be there for them and listen to their concerns. You can refer them to the following number, the WA Eating Disorders Outreach and Consultation Service: 1300 620 208.
These are the symptoms of each condition to reflect on:
Anorexia
- Losing weight by extreme dieting, starvation or over-exercising
- Being underweight compared to people the same age and height
- Showing very firm and restricted eating patterns or behaviors
- Having a distorted body image
Bulimia
- Losing weight by vomiting, taking laxatives, exercising or fasting after binge eating
- Fearing weight gain, even when normal or below normal body weight
- Purging to prevent weight gain
- Having a distorted body image
Binge eating
- Eating an unusually large amount of food in one sitting, on multiple occasions
- Eating in secret and/or very quickly
- Eating despite not feeling hungry or being uncomfortably full
- Feeling a lack of control, shame, disgust and guilt when thinking about their binge eating
Here are some things you can do to better your eating habits:
- Don’t skip meals, try to eat every 4-5 hours
- Plan ahead for meals; keep your pantry full of healthy foods in case you need to eat and time is limited
- Drink at least 8 glasses or 2 liters of water daily
- Limit high sugar beverages such as juice and soda
- Go for at least 30 minutes of exercise on most days of the week, and your normal activities should not be included in that time
- Eat at least four servings of fruit and five servings of vegetables each day
- Eat three servings of non-fat or low-fat dairy or dairy substitute. Examples include skim or non-fat milk or almond milk, yogurt and cheese.
- Eat six servings of whole grains. Examples include whole grain cereal, 100% whole wheat bread, whole wheat pasta, whole grain English muffins or tortillas.
- When you are eating, be mindful and focus on the food. Don’t study or watch television as you eat. You may find you feel fuller and more satisfied.
- Do something you enjoy at least once a day. Take a hot bath or shower or listen to some good tunes!
For sure, there’s a lot more to think about and talk about, so let’s share and create a Voix Guide together, and find out what’s important for YOU.
