EATING DISORDERS

Disease Presentation 2

WHAT ARE EATING

DISORDERS?
Psychological disorders

Problems with eating

Problems with regulating

weight

The urge to eat less (or

to eat more) cannot be
controlled

Often associated with

depression, substance
abuse, anxiety

WHAT ARE EATING

DISORDERS?

Affect both men and

women

2.5x more common in

women than in men

Often starts in
teenage years, but
can start in childhood
or later in life

ANOREXIA NERVOSA

Symptoms:

very low body weight, extreme food

restriction, fear of gaining weight,
distorted body image, denial of low
body weight

HEALTH EFFECTS

Thin bones

Dry/yellow skin

Low blood pressure

Heart and brain damage

Exhaustion, chills, infertility

Organ failure

BULIMIA NERVOSA

Frequent occurrences of binge eating

Lack of control over these urges

Binge eating is followed by

compensating forced vomiting,
overuse of laxatives, excessive
exercise, fasting, or a combination of
these

HEALTH EFFECTS

Chronic sore throat

Tooth decay

Intestinal distress

Acid reflux

Severe dehydration

Electrolyte imbalance heart attack or stroke

can result

TREATMENT

Treatment plans are customized for

each individual

Some strategies include:

medical care, individual/group/family

psychotherapy, nutritional counseling,
and medications (for example,
antidepressants)

SOURCES

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publicat
ions/eating-disorders-new-trifold/index
.shtml