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Eating Disorder FAQ

Most persons suffering from an eating disorder will hide this fact even from their closest friends and family, so there aren't a lot of informational points they can turn to. They will probably surf the Internet for information on their condition rather than talk about it with someone, especially a doctor. The Internet however is oftentimes a big pool of content where we have a rough time extracting useful information, reason for which I have prepared this (Frequently Asked Questions) to help out pointing the main issues regarding these conditions. Hopefully, you'll find this set of questions and answers useful in finding out whether you, your friends or your family members might be suffering from an eating disorder.

Q: What is an eating disorder?

A: An eating disorder is a process driven by a psychiatric condition where the sufferer engages in unhealthy eating (either overeating or undereating) that can be dangerous to physical or mental health.

Q: What are the most common types of eating disorders?

A: There are four main eating disorders common in modern society, namely anorexia, bulimia, binge eating and compulsory eating. Some of these eating disorders derive from one another. For example, compulsory eating may lead to binge eating, which in turn can cause bulimia. In addition, there are several other eating disorders that are less common, such as hyperphagia, rumination, pica and a set of "eating disorders not otherwise specified" that are still being researched upon.

Q: How can I find out if I'm suffering from an eating disorder?

A: Although each condition has its specific symptoms, there are a few that are common to all of them to some extent. For example, most eating disorders form up during periods of emotional problems and in turn they can cause depression, a distorted body image or low self esteem. On a physical level, eating disorders have a radical effect on the body of the patient, some driving the body to become overweight, others to become underweight.

Q: What are the specific symptoms of Anorexia?

A: Anorexia patients are obsessed with gaining a "perfect body" and they are never satisfied with how thin they are. To achieve this goal, they will undergo severe methods such as extreme exercising or extreme (voluntary) starvation.

Q: What are the specific symptoms of Bulimia?

A: Most bulimia patients also suffer from binge eating, where they uncontrollably overeat at meals, followed by periods of guild and depression. This guilt drives them to perform intentional purging through vomiting, use of laxatives, diuretics, enemas and other similar methods that can have extremely negative effects on the digestive system and the entire body.

Q: How are eating disorders treated?

A: Most eating disorder cases need to be treated on two fronts: an emotional and a nutritional one. On an emotional level, treatment includes psychiatric support (which can be coped with anti-depressant medication) whereas on a nutritional level patients are given strict diets to balance out their condition.

Q: What should I do if I notice my friend is suffering from an eating disorder?

A: Try to convince him to visit a doctor and if this is not possible, announce his family of what you noticed so that they can convince him in turn. It's extremely important that eating disorders are treated, since they can become lethal if left to develop.