Eating Disorders / Question
Published: February 13, 2003
Dear TeenHealthFX,
Can you tell me some information on bulimia and anorexia and eating disorders? Does it help you lose weight? What does it do to your body?
Signed: Info. About Eating Disorders
Dear Info. About Eating Disorders,
TeenHealthFX is glad that you want to find out more about eating disorders in general, but is concerned that you may think that they are a dieting tool. In actuality eating disorders of any kind are a type of mental illness that can negatively affect a person's physical as well as their mental well being. By giving you a little more info on both anorexia and bulimia we hope that you will see that they are not dieting tools, but destructive disorders that over 2 million Americans suffer from each year. For in-depth information on both anorexia and bulimia see the question Does My Friend Have an Eating Disorder?. It does an excellent job of explaining the symptoms and characteristics associated with both disorders.
TeenHealthFX wants you to stress that eating disorders are not a way to lose weight. Many girls begin the process by attempting to lose a few pounds, but instead it turns into a viscous cycle that begins to take over their whole life. Most individuals who suffer with an eating disorder are striving to gain a sense of control in their lives through a restriction of food (anorexia) or by purging whatever it is that they have just eaten (bulimia). No longer is it an attempt to lose a few pounds, but in many cases the patient becomes lost in this disordered universe.
Anorexia and Bulimia can both be very destructive to the human body and all of its systems. They can cause irreversible damage to the kidneys and heart. They also will cause early onset of osteoporosis, bone deterioration, hemorrhaging of the esophagus and death all due to malnutrition. There are other damages as well, these are just a few. The body of a person suffering with an eating disorder can become altered in that they begin to grow a thin layer of hair all over their body, they can lose their hair on their head and women stop menstruating.
Please look at the various other questions that address eating disorders on our site. Each one has very valuable information. There are other eating disorders as well including compulsive overeating and binge eating. They are all destructive and if you or someone you know may be suffering from an eating disorder, TeenHealthFX encourages you to talk to someone, a counselor, parent or school nurse. I hope that you have gained a clearer picture of the severity involved with eating disorders and why they should never be considered as a dieting option. The only way to truly get into shape is to Eat Healthy and Exercise.
Signed: TeenHealthFX
Teens with untreated depression are more likely to engage in risky sexual behaviors, leading to higher rates of teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.
