About one in ten people with an eating disorder such as anorexia or bulimia are male. We still don't know what causes eating disorders. Researchers have suggested that they stem from the pressures of a weight-conscious Western society, family or relationship problems, and physical and neurological changes in susceptible people. It seems likely that several factors are at work.
Identifying symptoms
One of the main problems in eating disorders is 'body image disturbance'. The illnesses cause a person to have a very inaccurate idea of their own shape.
Asked to stand beside a door, for example, a man with anorexia might think he 'blocks out' the whole doorway because he is so overweight; looking at his thin forearm and bony hand, he might think he is covered in unsightly fat. Recent research has suggested that male bodybuilders might have similar kinds of body image disturbance to that experienced by people with anorexia.
There are a few other features of anorexia. To confirm the diagnosis, the patient must mistakenly think they're too heavy, and be dieting to lose weight. People with anorexia usually have a body mass index of less than 17.5. (Use the BBC Health BMI calculator to work out yours.)
Other ways of trying to lose weight include excessive exercise, extreme 'fat-free' diets, making yourself sick after meals, or purging with laxative and diuretic drugs. Some people with diabetes or thyroid problems manipulate their medication to promote weight loss. Although anorexia means ‘loss of appetite', sufferers are often very hungry - and may have a strong interest in watching others eat, or in helping to prepare their food.
Bulimia shares the body image disturbance of anorexia, but sufferers are more likely to be of normal weight, and binge-eating is more of a problem than dieting.
Living with an eating disorder
The consequences are serious. Not only is it difficult to maintain a normal social life, but the illness often causes intense family upset, and it's not easy to remain fit and alert at work. The body's systems have to work hard to adjust to the changed metabolism caused by abnormal diet, and dangerous changes can occur - particularly when people are making themselves vomit.
How to get help
Treatment needs to be long term, and is best carried out by a psychiatrist or psychologist with a special interest in these disorders. Some drugs, such as 'SSRI' antidepressants like fluoxetine (Prozac) can help to regulate eating - particularly binge eating. Cognitive therapy and self-help groups can also be useful.
Eating Disorders News:
Prader-Willi Syndrome - Challenge To Stop Over-Eating In Children - A Challenge to find new research methods for hyperphagia, or unregulated appetite, a condition prevalent in children with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) - a genetic disorder of chromosome 15, has been announced by InnoCentive. Inc., and the Foundation for Prader-Willi Research. Around 6,500 children are born with the genetic disorder each year...
Colorful Plates Boost A Picky Eater's Appetite - Parents of picky eaters can encourage their children to eat more nutritionally diverse diets by introducing more color to their meals, according to a new Cornell University study. The study finds that colorful food fare is more appealing to children than adults...
Experts Urge BMI Method For Calculating Weight In Kids With Eating Disorders - An exact determination of expected body weight for adolescents based on age, height and gender is critical for diagnosis and management of eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia. However, there are no clear guidelines regarding the appropriate method for calculating this weight in children with such disorders. In a study published online Jan...
Binge Eating And Depression Often Linked In Teenage Girls - After carrying out a US-wide study, researchers report that depressed adolescent girls are two times more likely to begin binge eating as girls who are not depressed. In addition, girls who regularly binge-eat are twice as likely to develop symptoms of depression. The findings indicate that adolescent girls who show signs of either binge-eating or depression should be screened for both disorders...
Orangutans That Have Survived Extreme Food Scarcity May Provide Better Understand Of Obesity And Eating Disorders In Humans - Rutgers Evolutionary Anthropologist Erin Vogel thinks new research published in Biology Letters, a Journal of the Royal Society, examining how endangered Indonesian orangutans - considered a close relative to humans - survive during times of extreme food scarcity might help scientists better understand eating disorders and obesity in humans...
Anorexia Recommendations Challenged - According to researchers at UCSF, adolescents who are hospitalized with anorexia nervosa do not gain considerable weight during their initial week in hospital by receiving treatment based on current guidelines for refeeding. The study is published in the January issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health with an associated report...
New Approach To Management Of Overeating In Children - Overeating, whether in children or adults, often takes place even in the absence of hunger, resulting in weight gain and obesity. Current methods to treat such overeating in youth focus on therapies that restrict what kids may eat, requiring them to track their food intake and engage in intensive exercise...
Overweight Women Trained In Stress Reduction And Mindful Eating To Curb Weight Gain - Many dread gaining weight during the holiday season, but there may be hope for those who find that stress causes them to reach for yet another helping of holiday goodies. In a study by UCSF researchers published online in the Journal of Obesity, mastering simple mindful eating and stress-reduction techniques helped prevent weight gain even without dieting...
In Anorexia Nervosa, Inner Conflicts Over The 'Real' Self Have Treatment Implications - "It feels like there's two of you inside - like there's another half of you, which is my anorexia, and then there's the real K, the real me, the logic part of me, and it's a constant battle between the two." - 36 year old study participant with anorexia nervosa...
Association Between Illegal Drug Use And Abnormal Weight In Teens - A survey of more than 33,000 Italian high school students reveals that both underweight and overweight teens consume 20 to 40% more illegal drugs than their normal-weight peers. Further analysis showed that the relationship between these two factors was largely mediated by psychosocial factors such as self-esteem, parents' educational level, and friendships...
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