Eating Disorders can Harm your Health
In the United States, the number of eating disorders amongst both women and men is growing. According to the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) as many as 10 million females and one million males are struggling with anorexia and bulimia. Eating disorders are serious and have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness. Some start as young as six years of age.
An eating disorder is more than just a fad or a diet, it is a behavior that saturates all parts of the person’s life physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Over-eating, purging, starving or over exercising becomes an escape to cope with feelings, emotions and life circumstances, however it doesn’t start out that way and can harm you.
Binge eating disorder is characterized by compulsive overeating in which people consume huge amounts of food while feeling out of control and powerless to stop. Many people overeat from time to time, but if overeating is a regular and uncontrollable habit, you may be suffering from binge eating disorder.
Binge eaters use food to cope with stress and other negative emotions, but their compulsive overeating just makes them feel worse, according to the Helpguide, an organization for helping people understand, prevent, and resolve life’s challenges. Their goal is to give you the information and encouragement you need to take charge of your health and well-being and make healthy choices.
An eating disorder is present when the person starts to think more and more about food and weight, and can be caused by over-eating as well as under-eating. Both cases are bad for your health. Anything in excess is bad for you. Do your own analysis and check yourself for signs of an eating disorder.
Some people will frequently structure their day by how they are going to avoid eating, or when and what they’ll eat and how they’ll get rid of it after by purging or exercising. There is a eating disorder when diets and food become more important than anything else in life. There is also an eating disorder when the person eats in excess, for any reason.
At the beginning, the eating disorder behavior brings the person pleasure, but this pleasure is short lived. After awhile the disorder becomes a habit and often turns into an addiction. The person becomes trapped and is no longer in control. The mind takes over and the body responds and the behavior becomes automatic, making it even more difficult to stop, and the person is now on a path of self-destruction of your good health.
So be sincere with yourself, if food is a problem for you, go get help. Eating too much, or not eating enough, are just as bad. Help is available and can solve your problem. A good, well-balanced diet is best for enjoying good health and keeping fit.