I spoke to Claire Lockwood from South Yorkshire Eating Disorders Association to find out more about eating disorders
What defines an eating disorder where someone is loosing weight?
More often than not people don’t fit into the classis Anorexia and Bulimia eating disorder boxes so they may not know they have one. Our definition is that it’s about ‘feelings not food’, where someone is developing a behavioural pattern - whether it’s binging, or avoiding or restricting food - which is causing stress, but is also as a result of being upset or having certain feelings. If people are noticing they’re feeling bad and that’s impacting the way they eat, then that is what we define as an eating disorder.
Who gets eating disorders?
1 in 20 women have got some sort of eating disorder. Research shows that 14 to 20 is the target time when an eating disorder is likely to form and 90% are known as girls.
Why do people develop eating disorders?
There is no one clear answer. Some people are said to have the personality type that is more inclined to develop an eating disorder and that combined with things like media pressure, being criticised, never doing well enough, being abused, or in a difficult relationship… can all contribute.
Why do you think psychological forces make anorexic girls think they are not thin enough and why can’t they see they look ill?
People I’ve talked to who have anorexia have said ‘We’re not stupid, we know we’re severely under weight’ so it’s not always the case of looking in a mirror and seeing a fat person. It’s that the weight becomes the detail in their life and they become fixated on it and it often becomes a distraction from everything else. The force of anorexia is a very strong voice, driving them on to pursue that very low weight. You can show people how damaging it is and they may think ‘look what I’m doing to myself and my family, I’m a bad person’ and that can promote the cycle of feeling worthless which drives a lot of the anorexia.
- South Yorkshire Eating Disorders Assocation has a helpline on
Tuesdays and Thursday on 0114 272 8855 / www.syeda.org.uk |
|
What are the main dangers of having anorexia or an eating disorder focused on loosing weight?
As weight drops for a young woman often the first thing when it gets below a certain threshold is that periods stop which is a danger to future fertility. It has an impact on your bone density so osteoporosis is a problem which can happen in a short period of time. The quality of your skin, hair and teeth weakens. If you’re bulimic the stomach acid can rot your teeth quite quickly. Long term health defects and health problems are immeasurable. It puts an enormous pressure on your heart and your internal organs.
What would you advise to someone who may be developing an eating disorder or who knows someone who might?
Our advice is to speak to somebody that you feel safe talking to or somebody that’s going to listen and accept what you’re saying and not challenge you. A friend, member of family, helpline or anybody. With a friend, when you’re both relaxed you could slowly approach the subject. That person may not want to talk about it but just let them know that if they do want to you’re there to listen. Then back off and see if that person comes back to you to discuss it. Give them helpline numbers or information or leave them in a place where they could find them.
by Hiva Nekokar
Behaviour associated with eating disorders
- Obsession with weight, calories and the fat contend in food
- Unusual food rituals such as shifting the food around the plate to look eaten, cutting food into tiny pieces, chewing food and spitting it out and hiding food
- Lying about what you’ve eaten
- Over exercising
- Visiting the bathroom following meals for longer than usual
- Food restriction or starvation
- Bingeing on large amounts of food and then purging (ridding it through vomiting or laxatives).
- Isolation, low self-esteem, feeling worthless, mood swings or depression.
- Visiting websites that promote unhealthy ways to lose weight or reading books about weight loss. |
|