Anorexia's Effect on the Body

I found this illustration of the effect of Anorexia on the different organs of the body at http://www.womenshealth.gov/faq/anorexia-nervosa.cfm

Katie Goode, LMFT

Noticing the Signs and Symptoms

More details on the signs and symptoms of eating disorders. This is from www.something-fishy.org a great resource on eating disorders.

BE AWARE: A sufferer DOES NOT need to appear underweight or even "average" to suffer ANY of these signs and symptoms. Many men and women with Eating Disorders appear NOT to be underweight... it does not mean they suffer less or are in any less danger.

Anorexia/Bulimia

1. Dramatic weight loss in a relatively short period of time.
2. Wearing big or baggy clothes or dressing in layers to hide body shape and/or weight loss.
3. Obsession with weight and complaining of weight problems (even if "average" weight or thin).
4. Obsession with calories and fat content of foods.
5. Obsession with continuous exercise.
6. Frequent trips to the bathroom immediately following meals (sometimes accompanied with water running in the bathroom for a long period of time to hide the sound of vomiting).
7. Visible food restriction and self-starvation.
8. Visible bingeing and/or purging.
9. Use or hiding use of diet pills, laxatives, ipecac syrup (can cause immediate death!) or enemas.
10. Isolation. Fear of eating around and with others.
11. Unusual Food rituals such as shifting the food around on the plate to look eaten; cutting food into tiny pieces; making sure the fork avoids contact with the lips (using teeth to scrap food off the fork or spoon); chewing food and spitting it out, but not swallowing; dropping food into napkin on lap to later throw away.
12. Hiding food in strange places (closets, cabinets, suitcases, under the bed) to avoid eating (Anorexia) or to eat at a later time (Bulimia).
13. Flushing uneaten food down the toilet (can cause sewage problems).
14. Vague or secretive eating patterns.
15. Keeping a "food diary" or lists that consists of food and/or behaviors (ie., purging, restricting, calories consumed, exercise, etc.)
16. Pre-occupied thoughts of food, weight and cooking.
17. Visiting websites that promote unhealthy ways to lose weight.
18. Reading books about weight loss and eating disorders.
19. Self-defeating statements after food consumption.
20. Hair loss. Pale or "grey" appearance to the skin.
21. Dizziness and headaches.
22. Frequent soar throats and/or swollen glands.
23. Low self-esteem. Feeling worthless. Often putting themselves down and complaining of being "too stupid" or "too fat" and saying they don't matter. Need for acceptance and approval from others.
24. Complaints of often feeling cold.
25. Low blood pressure.
26. Loss of menstrual cycle.
27. Constipation or incontinence.
28. Bruised or calluses knuckles; bloodshot or bleeding in the eyes; light bruising under the eyes and on the cheeks.
29. Perfectionistic personality.
30. Loss of sexual desire or promiscuous relations.
31. Mood swings. Depression. Fatigue.
32. Insomnia. Poor sleeping habits


Compulsive Overeating/Binge Eating Disorder

1. Fear of not being able to control eating, and while eating, not being able to stop.
2. Isolation. Fear of eating around and with others.
3. Chronic dieting on a variety of popular diet plans.
4. Holding the belief that life will be better if they can lose weight.
5. Hiding food in strange places (closets, cabinets, suitcases, under the bed) to eat at a later time.
6. Vague or secretive eating patterns.
7. Self-defeating statements after food consumption.
8. Blames failure in social and professional community on weight.
9. Holding the belief that food is their only friend.
10. Frequently out of breath after relatively light activities.
11. Excessive sweating and shortness of breath.
12. High blood pressure and/or cholesterol.
13. Leg and joint pain.
14. Weight gain.
15. Decreased mobility due to weight gain.
16. Loss of sexual desire or promiscuous relations.
17. Mood swings. Depression. Fatigue.
18. Insomnia. Poor Sleeping Habits.

Katie Goode, LMFT
www.HolisticTherapyOC.com

Early Signs of Anorexia

What are the early warning signs of anorexia?

• When regular well-child assessments show failure to gain weight or a weight loss.
• Denying obvious thinness or weight loss.
• Complaints of being cold all the time, or wearing lots of layers of clothing.
• Hands and feet are cold to the touch much of the time and may be bluish in color.
• Evidence of increased hair loss; more hair on the pillow or in brushes. Hair looks thinner and drier.
• Lanugo hair on face or body (similar to body hair found on newborns).
• Crying without producing tears (due to dehydration).
• Yellowish skin tone due to elevated levels of carotene (caused by eating excessive amounts of vegetables and/or poor liver function).
• Complaints of dizziness.
• Fainting
• Restricting fluids.
• Preparing foods for others but not eating it.

Katie Goode, LMFT
www.HolisticTherapyOC.com

Types of eating disorders

The most common eating disorders are anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder.

• Anorexia – People with anorexia starve themselves out of an intense fear of becoming fat. Despite being underweight or even emaciated, they never believe they’re thin enough. In addition to restricting calories, people with anorexia may also control their weight with exercise, diet pills, or purging.
• Bulimia – Bulimia involves a destructive cycle of bingeing and purging. Following an episode of out-of-control binge eating, people with bulimia take drastic steps to purge themselves of the extra calories. In order to avoid weight gain they vomit, exercise, fast, or take laxatives.
• Binge Eating Disorder – People with binge eating disorder compulsively overeat, rapidly consuming thousands of calories in a short period of time. Despite feelings of guilt and shame over these secret binges, they feel unable to control their behavior or stop eating even when uncomfortably full.

Katie Goode, LMFT
www.HolisticTherapyOC.com