Eating
disorders are serious syndromes characterized by physiological
and/or psychological disturbances in appetite or food intake.
Two common eating disorders are anorexia nervosa and bulimia
nervosa.
Anorexia
is a very dangerous disorder characterized by the inability
or refusal to maintain a healthy body weight, or even a
weight within the lower limits of normal for someone their
age and height. This disorder features an abnormal fear
of weight gain and a significantly distorted perception
of body image. An extreme fear of obesity leads to excessive
dieting and exercise, sometimes accompanied by binging and
purging, which are the dominant symptoms of bulimia.
Bulimia
is characterized by recurrent episodes of uncontrollable
binge eating, followed by severe methods of attempted weight
loss, such as self-induced vomiting, which result in extreme
weight fluctuations. Full awareness of the pattern's abnormality,
and much secrecy, shame and guilt concerning it, are common
attributes of this disorder. |