Food is one of the essential things needed by living things to survive. However, eating can become abnormal, leading to a lot of complications and discomfort to the specie concerned.
For Humans, eating disorders belong to one of the most common disorders affecting millions of people worldwide. Unfortunately, eating disorders had been reported to be responsible for thousands of deaths yearly worldwide. These deaths can be prevented by adequate nutritional knowledge leading to informed choices in eating habits and treatment of cases involving eating disorders.
Facts about Eating Disorders:
It is important to note that an ‘eating disorder’ is not an indication that the individual has a problem with food; rather it refers actually only to the symptoms of underlying nutritional and other health related problems the individual has. Thus treatment in the proper areas can lead to recovery and re-establishment of normal eating patterns.
Examples of Eating disorders include
- Anorexia
- Bulimia
Eating disorder: ANOREXIA
This is sometimes also referred to as Anorexia nervosa. It is usually characterized by a significant weight loss resulting from excessive dieting. The resort to the measure of excessive dieting is as a result of false and distorted body image and the intense fear of gaining weight or becoming obese. Anorexics usually strive for perfection. For them, it's easier to diet then it is to deal with their problems directly. They may also have low self-esteem and sometimes feel they don't deserve to eat. Most anorexics would not agree that they have nutritional and health problems or that anything is wrong with them.
Signs and Symptoms of Anorexia
There is a marked weight loss
They engage in excessive exercise all the time
Suffer from frequent fatigue, fainting spells and dizziness
Have marked muscle weakness and wasting
They crave for a .Perfect body, (wanting to be models)
Love checking food labels and packages for information on calories, recipes
Love starving themselves
Their eating habits are very irregular, sparse and unusual.
Always afraid of being labelled as "”too fat” or “obese”, by others.
Constant vomiting after eating any type of food
Wrong and habitual use of drugs such as laxatives, diet pills or diuretics in order to watch their weight
Presence of irregular menstruation in women
Amenorrhea(loss of menstruation) in some cases in women
Having pale complexion
Presence of headaches
Presence of the feeling of guilt or shame about eating and the
Presence of depression, and unreliable emotional balance.
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