Eating Disorder

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By Nurse Diane

Rainy days and Mondays always get me down.  This was a song by Karen Carpenter.  30 years ago, on February 4th she died from complications from Anorexia.  At that time, there wasn't alot known about this illness, but has since become studied and more has been learned about this disease in the hopes of preventing further deaths from this disorder.  People with eating disorders have a distorted view of their own bodies.

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They strive to be thin at the risk of endangering their lives.  I was reading that this is a particularly difficult time for some with all the television awards programs.  People who view these programs with all the movie stars in beautiful dresses want to look that way too.  Bulimia is another eating disorder where the person binge eats then forces vomiting, takes laxatives and diuretics to remove the food that was just consumed.

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Anorexia nervosa is characterized by:

Extreme thinness (emaciation);

A relentless pursuit of thinness and unwillingness to maintain a normal or healthy weight;

Intense fear of gaining weight;

Distorted body image, a self-esteem that is heavily influenced by perceptions of body weight and shape, or a denial of the seriousness of low body weight;

Lack of menstruation among girls and women’ and or

Extremely restricted eating.

Some other signs to look for if you suspect a person may have anorexia are:

Thinning of the bones (osteopenia or osteoporosis)

Brittle hair and nails

Dry and yellowish skin

Growth of fine hair all over the body (lanugo)

Mild anemia and muscle wasting and weakness

Severe constipation

Low blood pressure, slowed breathing and pulse

Damage to the structure and function of the heart

Brain damage

Multi-organ failure

Drop in internal body temperature, causing a person to feel cold all the time

Lethargy, sluggishness, or feeling tired all the time

Infertility.

Signs of Bulimia include:

Chronically inflamed and sore throat

Swollen salivary glands in the neck and jaw area

Worn tooth enamel, increasingly sensitive and decaying teeth as a result of exposure to stomach acid

Acid reflux disorder and other gastrointestinal problems

Intestinal distress and irritation from laxative abuse

Severe dehydration from purging of fluids

Electrolyte imbalance (too low or too high levels of sodium, calcium, potassium and other minerals) which can lead to heart attack.

Treatment for these disorders include:

Restoring the person to a healthy weight;

Treating the psychological issues related to the eating disorder;

Reducing or eliminating behaviors or thoughts that lead to insufficient eating and preventing relapse;

Individual, group, and/or family psychotherapy;

Medical care and monitoring;

Nutritional counseling; and or

Medications.

This week is Eating Disorder Awareness Week.  The campaign slogan is everybody knows somebody.  If you know someone or suspect someone has an eating disorder, check out this site and learn more ways to help them.  http://nedawareness.org/learn

 

National Eating Disorder Awareness Week

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By Diane Forrest, RN

Yesterday we talked about eating right, making healthy choices and the recommended daily requirements.  Today is the start of National Eating Disorder Awareness Week.  When I think of eating disorders, the first person I think of is Karen Carpenter.  I was shocked when I learned of her death in 1983.  It was reported that she died from Anorexia Nervosa, a condition I knew nothing about.  Anorexia Nervosa is characterized by an obsessive fear of gaining weight.  It usually begins in high school; they become thin by not eating, from a distorted body image.

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People who have anorexia:

• Weigh much less than is healthy or normal;
• Are very afraid of gaining weight;
• Refuse to stay at a normal weight; and
• Think they are overweight even when they are very thin.

Their lives become focused on controlling their weight. They may:

• Obsess about food, weight, and dieting;
• Strictly limit how much they eat;
• Exercise a lot, even when they are sick; and
• Vomit or use laxatives or water pills (diuretics) to avoid weight gain.

Some physical signs include:

• Low body weight;
• Low blood pressure;
• Low body temperature;
• Constipation;
• Thin dry hair and nails;
• Decreased or stopped menstrual cycle;
• Obsession with food; and
• Thoughts of suicide.

You can help these people by offering to talk, listen, and if you suspect thoughts of suicide, encourage them to seek help, or call the suicide prevention hotline. (1-800-273-TALK)

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Bulimia

Bulimia is another eating disorder; some people who suffer from bulimia also have anorexia.  Bulimia is an illness in which a person binges on food or has regular episodes of overeating and feels a loss of control. The affected person then uses various methods -- such as vomiting or laxative abuse -- to prevent weight gain.  I remember watching a movie about this woman who would eat so much food.  She would go to different drive thru windows around town.  Then take this food to a secluded place, eat it then induce vomiting.  Back at her home, she had dozens of jars in her closet, full of vomit, to hide this problem from her family.

There are no answers to the cause of bulimia; Genetic, psychological, trauma, family, society, or cultural factors may play a role. Bulimia is likely due to more than one factor.

In bulimia, eating binges may occur as often as several times a day for many months. People with bulimia often eat large amounts of high-calorie foods, usually in secret. People can feel a lack of control over their eating during these episodes.

Binges lead to self-disgust, which causes purging to prevent weight gain. Purging may include:

• Forcing oneself to vomit;
• Excessive exercise; and
• Use of laxatives, enemas, or diuretics (water pills).

Symptoms can include:

• Compulsive exercise;
• Throwing away packages of laxatives, diet pills, emetics (drugs that cause vomiting), or diuretics;
• Regularly going to the bathroom right after meals; and
• Suddenly eating large amounts of food or buying large amounts of food that disappear right away.

There is really no treatments for bulimia, people who suffer from it rarely seek treatment because there is no real health problems.  Support groups and psychotherapy groups may help.  If you suspect someone has an eating disorder, please encourage them to seek help.

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For more information about eating disorders, please visit this site: http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/