The six types of eating disorders
One of the most common misconceptions about eating disorders
are that they only affect women
According to a survey conducted by Self magazine
and the University of North Carolina,
65 percent
of American women between the ages of
25 and 45 have reported
taking part in
unhealthy eating behaviors. However,
roughly 1 in 3 men are
also affected by this deadly psychological disorder.
At the age of twelve,
I experienced an eating disorder that made me
never look at food the same way. I was always a nervous
child, but I had a heavy breakdown when I
couldn't keep up with
all the changes thrown my way. I started middle school,
and had trouble making new friends. That same
year, my father also left
to start a new career in another country. Everything spiraled
out of control and soon my body
began to reject food
the way it rejected the harsh reality.
Luckily, I'm a survivor of my eating disorder.
I learned not to let it define me,
and neither should you if you're currently going through a similar battle.
The purpose of making THIS video,
is to inform others about eating disorders
and break the
stereotypes that make it hard to talk about.
Here are six types of eating disorders.
One: Avoidant or restrictive food intake disorder
According to Alina Petre, a registered dietitian,
people with this kind of eating disorder under-eat
due to a lack of interest in food,
or intent distaste
for how certain foods look, or smell, or taste.
They may lose weight, or
experience nutritional deficiency
due to eating less than is necessary
for maintaining a healthy diet
I remember avoiding parties and other social events
that would involve celebration meals.
Eating in front of others was genuinely a painful
process for me, so I'd hide in the girl's
bathroom during lunch period everyday
until it was over.
Two: Anorexia Nervosa
This is the type everyone usually first thinks of when they hear the term
"eating disorder". People with anorexia nervosa
are obsessed with perfecting their body image.
They like to remain in control by limiting the
amount of calories they consume, to achieve their
ideal body shape. Even when they are severely
underweight, people with this disorder have a hard time
recognizing it. Driven by their obsessive
compulsive behaviors, they adapt
distorted self perception and have dangerously
high expectations.
Three: Bulimia Nervosa
People with this type of eating disorder indulge
in a large amount of food, and make themselves
purge shortly after. Purging gives them
a sense of relief, and similarly to
anorexia nervousa, this helps them feel like
they're in control of their own bodies.
It may be hard for others to spot those with
bulimia nervousa,
because they might be able to maintain a normal weight.
Four: Binge eating disorder
People who binge eat, consume a large amount of food
on a day to day basis. They often
exceed the suggested daily calorie
intake, and are usually overweight or
obese. People with binge eating disorder often
feel ashamed of themselves
and do not feel in control of their bodies.
If people with this type of disorder do
not seek treatment, they can run the risk of developing
heart disease and diabetees.
Five: Pica
Pica is an eating disorder in which the
individual consumes non-food items.
Such as: rocks, paper, and hair.
Although the causes of it are unknown,
researchers hypothesize that it can be
influenced by factors such as
stress, developmental disorders, and low
socio-economic status.
Most often though, pica is reported alongside
nutritional deficiency.
Like any consumption of non-food items,
pica has the risk of infections, and poisoning.
Six: Nocturnal sleep-related eating disorder
This type of eating disorder occurs when individuals unknowingly
eat in their sleep. They may roam in their kitchen cabinets
and fridge, or eat straight in bed.
According to Healthy Place, some people have reported eating
strange combinations of food. Such as hot dogs dipped
in peanut butter. This type of eating disorder affects one
to three percent of the world's general population.
Have you experienced ANY of these disorders?
Please share your story with us below, we want you to know that
you're not alone, and there are ways to seek treatment.
In our description box below,
We've provided some helpful sources for you
If you have any specific topic requests you'd like
to explore, please let us know as well with a comment.
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With your help, we can reach more people to spread
awareness on mental health issues. Thanks for watching.