Eating Disorders

Individuals with anorexia nervosa have an intense fear of gaining weight, leading to severe food restriction and excessive exercise. It is a serious health problem that can increase the risk of early death. The distorted body image common in anorexia nervosa results in a strong desire for thinness, despite being underweight. A person with anorexia nervosa often looks very thin and may not act like themselves.

Behaviors may include:

• Talking about weight or food all the time
• Cutting food into small pieces or moving them around the plate instead of eating
• Exercising all the time, even if they are hurt
• Refusing to eat in front of others
• Taking laxatives or diet pills

Health Risks

With anorexia nervosa, the body doesn’t get the energy that it needs from food, so it slows down and stops working normally.

Over time, anorexia nervosa can lead to:

• Heart problems (including low blood pressure, a slower heart rate, irregular heartbeat, heart attack, and sudden death)
• Anemia
• Thinning of the bones
• Kidney stones or kidney failure
• Lack of periods
• For pregnant individuals: a higher risk for miscarriage, cesarean delivery, or having a baby with low birth weight

Signs and Symptoms

• Dry, blotchy, or yellow skin covered with fine hair
• Confusion, slow thinking, and/or poor memory
• Thin, brittle hair and/or nails
• Extreme sensitivity to cold (wearing several layers of clothing to stay warm)
• Loss of bone strength, muscle, and body fat
• Feeling tired or sluggish
• Sadness

Bulimia is characterized by the repetition of eating unusually large amounts of food (binge eating) followed by compensatory behaviors (purging) such as:

• Forced vomiting
• Using laxatives, enemas, or diuretics (water pills)
• Exercising excessively

The disorder is most common in adolescent girls and young women. Individuals with bulimia nervosa may be thin, overweight, or have a normal weight. They are usually aware that their eating pattern is abnormal and may feel fear or guilt when they binge and purge.

Health Risks

Over time, bulimia can have negative impacts on the body.

• Tooth decay (due to stomach acid when vomiting)
• Stomach damage from overeating
• Ulcers and other damage to the throat from vomiting
• Severe dehydration
• Electrolyte imbalance (certain levels in the blood get too high or too low, which can lead to heart attack or heart failure)
• Irregular periods or not having periods, which can cause problems getting pregnant
• Problems having bowel movements or damage to the intestines from laxative abuse

Signs and Symptoms

• Chronically inflamed and sore throat
• Increasingly sensitive teeth
• Acid reflux, constipation, and other gastrointestinal problems
• Suddenly eating large amounts of food or buying large amounts of food that disappear right away
• Often going to the bathroom right after meals
• Throwing away packages of laxatives, diet pills, diuretics, or emetics (drugs that cause vomiting)

Binge eating disorder is the most common type of eating disorder in the United States. People with binge eating disorder often feel out of control and eat a large amount of food in a short period of time (called a binge). Unlike other eating disorders, people who have binge eating disorder do not vomit or exercise too much. People with binge eating disorder are often overweight or obese.

Health Risks

Obesity raises your risk for many serious health problems including:

• Diabetes
• Heart disease
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Gallbladder disease
• Problems with your menstrual cycle (which may make it harder to get pregnant)
• Certain types of cancer

Signs and Symptoms

• Eating faster than normal
• Eating past the point of feeling comfortably full
• Eating large amounts of food when not hungry, often alone
• Feeling unable to control eating
• Snacking, in addition to eating three meals a day
• Overeating throughout the day
• Feeling embarrassed, guilty, disgusted, or depressed about eating behaviors