Eating disorders involve a disturbance of eating habits or weight-control behaviour which results in impairment to physical health or which affects a person’s psychological and social functioning.

There are different types of eating disorders including:

Anorexia Nervosa

The main characteristics are:

• Self-induced weight loss through food avoidance which can include the use of appetite suppressants, vomiting, laxatives and excessive exercise
• Distorted body image
• Hormonal changes
• Very low body weight

Bulimia Nervosa

The main characteristics are:

• Binge eating accompanied by subjective feelings of loss of control
• Self induced vomiting and excessive exercise, as well as the issue of laxatives, diuretics or other medications
• Self-evaluation is unduly influenced by body shape and weight
• Mood disturbances
• Physical signs such as sore knuckles, tooth decay,throat infections,heart palpitations.

Binge eating (compulsive overeating)

This is the most common atypical eating disorder. The main characteristics are:

• Preoccupation with body shape and weight
• Self-worth influenced by shape and weight
• Associated with being overweight and obese
• Purging is not involved
• Some of the warning signs of an eating disorder include :
• Avoidance of eating with the family
• Being increasingly pre-occupied with exercising
• Obsessively calorie counting or examining food labels for nutritional information
• Being more secretive than usual
• Complaining that the food that they have been given is fatty, disgusting or unhealthy