Dr. Linda Helps - You have seen pictures of emaciated women who think they are fat. News magazine shows tell about girls who slowly starve themselves to near death. Models, actresses and ballet dancers are well known for having high numbers of anorexic women in their professions-professions in which the body and appearance are of great importance.

You probably know someone who has or had an eating disorder. If you live in a college dorm, you don’t have to look far for evidence of the problem because it is rampant on college campuses. You may be old enough to remember singer Karen Carpenter who died from complications related to anorexia.

These disorders are serious and require treatment by a mental health multidisciplinary team trained in eating disorders. Eating disorders are primarily of psychological origin even though they involve medical and physical complications. Early intervention is best because of the potential for serious medical problems, the extreme being death. These disorders affect men and women of all ages, but are especially present in young women. Adolescents are most at risk but all ages can be affected.
 
Abnormal eating patterns may include self-starvation, compulsive eating, or compulsive eating and self-induced purging. Simple starvation leads to anorexia nervosa; compulsive eating to binge eating disorder and obesity; and purging to bulimia nervosa.

All three patterns share in common certain symptoms: intense fear of gaining weight; excessive preoccupation with food and eating; chronic dieting; poor body image; depression; and the need for approval by others.

Anorexia involves severe weight loss, excessive exercise, body image disturbance and food avoidance. Once 15 percent of body weight has been lost, medical symptoms can occur: absent menstruation in women; irritability and depression; gastrointestinal problems; headaches; sensitivity to cold; low pulse and temperature; hair loss; weakness; and anxiety. Low blood sugar, fainting and concentration problems also occur. Approximately 1percent of adolescent girls develop this disorder. Anorexia is primarily a female problem (90 percent).

Compulsive eating includes impulsive, poorly controlled episodes of binge eating. High calorie foods are ingested in excessive quantities, often multiple times per day. The resulting weight gain may lead to chronic and sporadic dieting or fasting. As body weight increases, there is social withdrawal, depression, anxiety and panic attacks, work or school avoidance, and loss of self-esteem.

Bulimia nervosa occurs when self-induced purging follows compulsive eating. The use of vomiting, laxatives, diuretics or fasting to control weight creates serious medical symptoms. These include: large weight fluctuations, gastric distress, headaches, skin irritations, tooth loss and gum disease, electrolyte disturbances, depression, and heart failure. About 2-3 percent of young women develop bulimia.

Dr. Mintle – author, professor, Approved Supervisor and Clinical member of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy – is a speaker and media personality, as well as a licensed clinical social worker with over twenty years in psychotherapy practice.

For more articles and information, visit Dr. Linda Mintle's Web site.