B-Eating Disorders

Many of us set New Year’s Resolutions to lose weight and many of us have given up by the 2nd of January when all the Christmas treats have to be finished off. However, there are many whose lives revolve around a constant diet, a continuous awareness of what they eat that their lives become consumed by food.

There are 1.6 million people in the United Kingdom diagnosed with an eating disorder, but there is thought to be many more experiencing difficulties that are yet to be diagnosed. BEAT represents the UK’s Eating Disorders Association and are celebrating 21 years of working with those affected by eating disorders. Beat’s vision is simple: Eating Disorders will be beaten.
An eating disorder is a serious mental illness that controls the whole of a person. Many just believe it is about appearance, when in fact there are many reasons for eating disorders to arise. Problems with food can be linked to many different feelings such as loneliness, anxiety and sadness but also when a person feels that they lack control over their lives. Food can often be used, sometimes without awareness as a way to solve painful issues or times of distress. However, there is rarely one single cause for eating disorders. Problems with relationships, bereavement, a certain event or lack of confidence are all situations where eating disorders may become a matter for concern and may not just be because a person feels that they are overweight.

People with eating disorders do not have a normal relationship with food. The two most serious eating disorders are Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa; however, binge eating and compulsive eating are also recognised as disorders.

Anorexia can be characterised by extreme low body weight and a distorted body image. Anorexics are so concerned with gaining weight that they strictly control what they eat and drink and may exercise excessively in order to burn the calories. Ultimately, the mental illness takes control and the chemicals in the brain can distort thinking patterns making it impossible to make rational decisions about food.

There are many effects that anorexia can have on your body such as dizziness, poor circulation, loss of menstrual cycle and discolouring of the skin. However, what can be more worrying to friends and family are the psychological and the behavioural side effects of anorexia such as denial, mood swings, lying and obsessive behaviour.

During an interview with a mother who has a daughter who suffered from anorexia nervosa since she was 10 years old and now aged 21 is still having issues with food. “We still do not know where her fear of eating arose from and we feel there must have been a trigger that set her off in primary school. At one point our beautiful daughter was down to five and a half stone which for her height of 5 foot 11 inches is staggeringly low. She has been in and out of hospital and even though I am not to blame, I cannot help but blame myself. It was the constant lies and deceits that hurt us the most because my daughter and I used to be very close. We love her very much and only want the best for her.”

Bulimia Nervosa is different as there is a mix of symptoms and not everyone displays the same ones and you do not need all the symptoms to be diagnosed with an eating disorder. Bulimics eat as they feel they have an emotional need that cannot be satisfied by food alone. Often sufferers binge on high calorie food or food in large quantities; however after eating there is a need to purge their food immediately by either using laxatives, vomiting or heavy exercise. Bulimia is harder for others to notice, and unlike anorexia, the weight loss is not as dramatic, although mentally it is just as tough.

Bulimia, has similar effects on the body as anorexia. In addition, the throat can become sore, teeth can decay and bad breath can occur due to excessive purging, the quality of the skin can become sallow and there is the possibility of hair loss. Bulimics may spend large amounts of money on food or food may be secretly hoarded. As with anorexia, sufferers will lie and try and cover up as much as possible as they are ashamed of their behaviour.

Eating disorders can occur at any age, although the people most likely to be affected tend to be young women, particularly between the ages of 15-25. This means that while you are at university you may have to see a friend suffer with an eating disorder. If you know anyone that shows the signs of an eating disorder you need to approach the subject with care, as sometimes people with eating disorders do not feel comfortable enough to speak to someone that close to them. When someone is suffering from an eating disorder, they find it hard to admit to themselves that they have a problem, and so admitting to someone else makes the situation real and so it is best to talk to them privately and mention that you have noticed their habits and let them know that if they want to talk that you will be there for them. Suggest other forms of contact for your friend if she feels uncomfortable talking to you face to face at first such as a letter or email and then encourage her to talk to you in person. Many people find it easier to express their feelings through writing and they are given the opportunity to write down everything that they want to say instead of forgetting or missing out information that can happen when talking face to face.

Remember, that seeing a friend go through such distress can be hard for you too, so do not feel that you have to keep everything to yourself. Talk to your parents or to a counselor who can suggest the best way to go about the situation. There will always be help for those with eating disorder and those who are affected by friends or family.

The BEAT eating disorders website can offer help (www.b-eat.co.uk) and there are also a number of help lines which help offer support. Whether it is you or a friend that suffers from an eating disorder, remember help is at hand and with BEAT’s help and continuous support, eating disorders can be beaten.