Dealing With Eating Disorders

*WARNING THERE MAY BE TRIGGERS* Many eating disorders go unseen because there is always a stereotypical look to each of them and it makes the people who have them feel alone.

*WARNING THERE MAY BE TRIGGERS* If you think there might be triggers in here I'd advise you to not read just for you mental safety.

Eating Disorders are actually more common than what most people think. 11% of high school students are diagnosed with an eating disorder and 15% aren't diagnosed. Many students actually don't realize that they have an eating disorder because they look like the typical anorexic body type. The media has some effect on young adults and it makes them feel as if they have to look like it's beauty standards. Young adults already have the stress from schooling and having to be the perfect student to get straight A's so they don't end up homeless later on. There is so much stress that young people go through that its common for them to obtain an eating disorder. An estimated 10 to 15% of people with anorexia or bulimia are male and that's something not many people recognize either. Men want to feel beautiful too.

Anorexia is actually a mental state, not a body type. The definition of anorexia is "an emotional disorder characterized by an obsessive desire to lose weight by refusing to eat", since its common for people to not be hungry at times or be too busy to eat, it doesn't seem to bad. But that's why it ends up leading to the very low body weight and becomes the stereotypical body type we see as anorexia.Anorexia is the most common among eating disorders. A young woman with anorexia is 12 times more likely to die than other women her age without anorexia.Anorexia is a mental illness and very much like an addiction. It effects differently on people but will all end up being the same. Anorexia is the 3rd most common chronic illness among adolescents. Only 50% of people with anorexia end up being "cured". Its something they will have to deal with for the rest of their lives,just like an addiction. Some of the early signs of anorexia is:

-refusal to eat.

-denial of hunger, even when starving.

-difficulty concentrating.

-obsession with body size and shape.

-skipping meals.

-making excuses for not eat.

Bulimia is the second most common eating disorder and is self diagnosed. Bulimia is, "A serious eating disorder marked by binge eating, followed by methods to avoid weight gain." People with bulimia binge eat and purge out what they ate minutes after eating to avoid having their body collect the calories and nutrients from the food. 2% - 5 % of the American population experience Binge Eating Disorder. Up to 19% of college aged women in America are bulimic. As someone who doesn't bulimia, its hard to explain on how it feels like,but i do know its also like another addiction and a "need" feeling. Signs of bulimia are:

-vomiting after overeating, or lack of restraint

-dehydration, fatigue, food aversion, hunger

- bad breath, dental cavities, or dryness

- constipation, heartburn, or inflamed esophagus

If you think you or someone you know may have an eating disorder, please contact a family member or talk to a friend. If you don't feel comfortable, feel free to call your doctor. Even looking for more information online is a great idea.