4.5.12. Feeding and Eating Disorders

In anorexia nervosa, the individual has a distorted body image that leads her/him to see herself/himself as overweight. Often refusing to eat, exercising compulsively and developing unusual habits such as refusing to eat in front of others, the person may lose large amounts of weight and even starve herself/himself to death.

Anorexia nervosa is a serious eating disorder where individuals have an unrealistic view of their body size. They strongly believe they are overweight, even if they are underweight. This leads them to avoid food and sometimes engage in excessive exercise. This mindset causes them to harm their health severely. The refusal to eat can escalate to dangerous levels, causing fatalities.

Consider a student named Sarah who used to be very active and enjoyed sports. However, after comparing herself to other girls on social media who appear very thin, she starts believing she needs to lose weight. She starts skipping meals, obsessively counting calories, and working out excessively. This severe focus on her body image leads her to eat less and less, ultimately risking her health.

In bulimia nervosa, the individual may eat excessive amounts of food, then purge her/his body of food by using medicines such as laxatives or diuretics or by vomiting. The person often feels disgusted and ashamed when she/he binges and is relieved of tension and negative emotions after purging.

Bulimia nervosa involves cycles of eating a large amount of food in a short period (bingeing), followed by efforts to prevent weight gain through vomiting or using laxatives (purging). This disorder is characterized by feelings of shame and a lack of control over eating habits. Many individuals experience temporary relief from emotional stress after purging, but the behavior can lead to serious physical and psychological issues.

Imagine someone named Alex who feels stressed due to school and family expectations. To cope, Alex indulges in large amounts of pizza and ice cream late at night but then feels guilty afterward. To counteract this guilt, he makes himself throw up. While Alex feels relief temporarily, this harmful cycle damages his health significantly.

In binge eating, there are frequent episodes of out-of-control eating. The individual tends to eat at a higher speed and continues eating till she/he feels uncomfortably full. In fact, large amounts of food may be consumed even when the individual is not feeling hungry.

Binge eating disorder involves recurrent episodes where an individual eats an unusually large amount of food in a short period and feels a loss of control during these episodes. Unlike bulimia, individuals do not regularly purge. This disorder can result in emotional distress and is often linked to feelings of discomfort or regret about eating behaviors. It can lead to obesity or other health complications due to poor eating habits.

Think of someone like Jamie, who after a difficult day, finds herself reaching for a whole cake in the kitchen. While she is fully aware that she is not hungry, she cannot stop herself and ends up consuming the entire cake in one sitting. Although she feels momentary pleasure while eating, afterward, she is filled with regret and discomfort, as she knows she has overeaten.

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