Eating Disorders…Lets Talk About Them (4 of 6)
Food makes the world go ‘round…..(at least that’s what we are taught). A promotion, graduation, birthday, retirement, anniversary, holiday……we have an excuse to eat for every occasion, but then society says people should be “healthy” and “fit”. That sounds pretty contradictory to me! So is it a wonder that so many people suffer (often in silence) from eating disorders? Athletes in particular are expected to maintain performance ready physiques and whether they win or lose, the reward and choice of comfort, is usually food. Again, contradictory. I’m assuming most have heard of Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa, but people typically get them confused. Hopefully this will enlighten you.
Anorexia Nervosa is the “refusal to maintain a minimally normal body weight” (APA:DSM-IV). Being underweight is the main distinguishing factor of the disorder. A person must weigh less than 85% of what’s considered “normal” based on height/weight. The loss of weight is typically achieved through dieting, fasting, excessive exercise, or binge/purge (eating and vomiting). Bulimia Nervosa is characterized by “repeated binge eating and/or inappropriate compensatory methods to prevent weight gain” (APA: DSM-IV). Weight gain prevention is achieved by purging, misuse of laxatives, diuretics, enemas, fasting, or excessive exercise (sometimes referred to as Exercise Bulimia). Both disorders sound similar. The easiest way to remember the difference between the two is that with Anorexia, a person is unable to maintain normal body weight. With Bulimia, a person is able to maintain normal body weight.
Depending on the sport and levels at which one must take their body to excel in competition, many of the characteristics of the disorders are experienced by athletes. The use of manipulated diets, enemas, and extreme exercising is common in prepping for a bodybuilding, fitness, or figure competition. Women may also experience amenorrhea (loss of menstrual cycle) due to low body weight when doing contest prep. Some of these characteristics are also not uncommon for gymnasts or distance runners. So does that mean if you experience these symptoms you have an eating disorder? Of course not. There are several other factors that would warrant the diagnosis.
Unfortunately, due to society’s emphasis on “size” more people are dealing with the pitfalls of these disorders. These are not gender specific disorders, or socioeconomic disorders. They do not care about your race, age, or ethnicity. These are UNFORGIVING disorders that claim more lives than any other psychological disorder. I truly believe awareness is key to prevention. My hope is that knowing and understanding some of the characteristics associated with the disorders will allow us to look at our own behaviors and attitudes with regard to food and exercise and evaluate whether they are being done for healthy or unhealthy reasons. Additionally, I hope that through education we can help others who may be suffering from these disorders.
www.nationaleatingdisorders.org
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