Eating disorders can mean psychological, physical hazards

A person's attitude about food can have devastating effects on his or her life.

Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center licensed psychologist Antigone Means said a person has an eating disorder when his or her thoughts about food and weight gets in the way of any major area or function in his or her life.

According to Something Fishy, www.something-fishy.org, which is a pro-recovery Web site for people with eating disorders, eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia, compulsive overeating and binge eating disorders have the potential to lead to many physical dangers in addition to much emotional turmoil. The Web site describes these conditions as serious illnesses.

"Eating disorders are not about weight and food, though their symptoms would have everyone on the outside fooled into thinking so. These illnesses are about an inability to cope with life and stress; they are about low self-esteem and feeling out of control; and they are an internal power struggle for survival," Something Fishy said.

Means said many people who suffer from eating disorders believe in the fallacy that if they were thinner they would live happier lives.

According to Means, anorexia is one of the most familiar eating disorders. Usually a person who is anorexic thinks he or she is overweight when, in fact, he or she is not. This person has very rigid ideas about what is OK to eat and is extremely critical about his or her weight. In addition, this person may participate in excessive exercising in an attempt to keep his or her weight down.

When a person is bulimic, Means said, that person may eat huge quantities of food only to purge themselves of the food items shortly after the intake, often by vomiting. A person with this type of illness may choose to eat food in secret, eating late at night because he or she feels as if eating the food is wrong.

Another disorder, binge eating, is similar to bulimia in that those who suffer from the disease eat large quantities of food over a short period of time. Means said this type of illness leads to obesity. Many of these people eat for emotional reasons, Means said.

According to Something Fishy, some people suffer from compulsive overeating, which occurs when people use food and eating as a way to hide from their emotions or to deal with stresses of daily life. These people feel guilty for being overweight and usually have low self-esteem.

Means said any eating disorder can cause various health hazards. In addition to eating disorders having social effects on a person, these illnesses can also have devastating effects on a person's occupation. In some cases, the illness may cause the person to lose his or her job.

Something Fishy said all eating disorders are dangerous, adding that even if a person has been diagnosed with a specific disorder, that person may exhibit behaviors from each of the different eating disorder categories. According to Something Fishy there is a long list of complications, which can develop when a person has an eating disorder. The list includes: Edema, paralysis, tearing of the esophagus, gastrointestinal bleeding, reflux, cancer, insomnia, diabetes, Kidney infection and failure, infertility, depression and seizures, in addition to many others. Means said the biggest hazard of having an eating disorder is death.

According to Means, parents should keep a close eye on their children because there is no age that is too young for a person to develop such a disorder. It is important for parents to make sure their children are eating a healthy balanced diet. In addition, parents should have a good understanding of how their children feel about their bodies. If parents notice that their children are not eating at meal time; have an obsession about their weight or are afraid of eating around other people, they may need to seek help from a professional. For a complete list of eating disorder signs and symptoms, parents should access Something Fishy's Web site.

Means said parents who think their sons or daughters might have an eating disorder should keep a close watch on their children's Internet usage as there are many Web sites, which offer tips and advice on the best ways to develop these illnesses.