In the past it was believed that they mainly affected the female sex, but today we know they are quite common also among males. Statistics suggest a greater interest also for subjects in adolescence or - for women - near the age of menopause; but these trends also seem to change over time and with diagnostic improvement.
C "it must be said that eating disorders are more than one and all different, so even standardizing this kind of information would be incorrect by definition.
We specify that in the following article we will provide general information, without going too specific; for more details it is advisable to contact a specialist or in any case to consult sources that mention the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) 5th edition.
it is excessively influenced by body image (fitness and weight, for example) the chances of falling into the trap of eating disorders increase significantly.
Eating disorders are in fact linked to the dysfunctional assessment that the person makes of himself. We speak of dysfunctional evaluation when the perceived value of the person is strongly connected to the ideal of thinness, weight and control of one's body shape. In practice, the person feels that he is worth or not worth as a human being in relation to the balance which greatly influences the relationship with food.
Eating disorders are today a rampant factor that manifests the inner discomfort and suffering of a generation made fragile by a society that increasingly tends to discriminate between A, B and C bodies.
As anticipated, eating disorders include 3 main forms: anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorder (BED).
All these eating disorders are united by the obsessive thought of food, the morbid fear of becoming overweight combined with a distorting perception of one's body and low self-esteem.
However, they are also very different from each other, especially as regards the behavior that is then established towards the proper diet, therefore the possible mismanagement of discontrol, any methods of purgation, etc.
. The problem of weight becomes so important that it makes her skip meals leading her to abuse medicines such as laxatives and diuretics while pursuing an ideal of unattainable thinness.
Anorexia usually begins with a diet and hides a profound discomfort that the person tries to silence through obsessive calorie and weight control.
Anorexia severely attacks the body in its vital functions until it causes very serious consequences such as renal failure, osteoporosis, cardiovascular alterations, loss of teeth and hair. If this condition persists for a long time, the internal clock gets upset and the condition becomes truly serious: unfortunately you can die of anorexia.
For further information: Anorexia Nervosa there are desperate attempts to get rid of ingested foods, usually through self-induced vomiting or through the massive use of laxatives or diuretics.
After these attacks of uncontrolled hunger, during which nothing is more important than food, deep feelings of guilt arise that make the subject sink into depression.
Unfortunately, this is a real addiction comparable to that which binds a drug addict to drugs with equally devastating consequences on the life, psyche and health of those who suffer from it.
To learn more: Bulimia Nervosa (binge eating) does not expel what is ingested. Due to such binges the person can be severely overweight.
A variant of this eating disorder, called night-eating syndrome, is characterized by daytime anorexia and nocturnal insomnia which can only be overcome by taking large quantities of food (nocturnal bulimia).
For further information: Binge Eating Desorder or Binge Eating Disorder
