How do you know that you have an eating disorder? By experiencing unhealthy eating behaviors like eating little or too much when worrying about your body shape and weight. Women are the most affected by this condition and start at puberty for many individuals. Doctors can treat some female eating disorders and reverse them through a series of programs and activities. Continue reading to find out more about eating disorders and how to solve the problem.

A perfect storm of many contrasting factors combines to cause an eating disorder. Things like personal history, experience, temperature, genetics, and past trauma are the condition’s cause. Five recognized eating disorders affect females with different signs and symptoms. Eating disorders do not discriminate, affecting genders, race, age, status, ability, and anyone with unhealthy eating habits.

What is an Eating Disorder?

Eating disorders are a range of psychological conditions that foster the development of unhealthy eating habits. The disease impairs physical health functioning like how the person thinks, feels, mood, and individual behavior. This mental health condition negatively affects interpersonal relationships, work, school, and body health.

Mental health conditions such as anxiety, substance abuse, and depression co-occur with the eating disorder. An untreated eating disorder can cause serious medical problems and psychosocial body functioning, affecting how you relate.

Early Recognizable Signs of Eating Disorders

Noting early signs of an eating disorder can be easy as some are too physical that the victim cannot hide. Behavioral signs can be hard to spot, while psychological symptoms can’t be noted easily unless through a conversation. Different disorders carry unique signs that do not merge with other diseases but cause effects to individuals.

Abuse of Drugs

Women affected by eating disorders use different drugs for various reasons. Others use them to increase appetite, while others use them to reduce their body weight. Women that deal with weight loss often use alcohol as it lacks calories, causes vomiting, and dehydrates the body. Diuretics pills increase the flow of urine, reducing water in the body and lose weight.

Those with anorexics disorder use methamphetamine to make them feel less hungry. Many use diet pills to binge and purge themselves to lose weight. Also, women use laxatives to induce vomiting or diarrhea to remove food from their bodies. Some use nicotine to suppress their appetite when others use marijuana to accelerate desire. Abuse of drugs is a valid sign of eating disorders. Get yourself fixed if you need addiction treatment for eating disorders.

Change in Eating Habits

Females suffering from an eating disorder tend to feel ashamed when eating with or in front of other people. Some women hide food to eat later when they are alone. Others females slow down the speed of consumption when gathered with family members. When someone increases or decreases eating rate, it is a clear sign of an early eating disorder.

If she can cook and restrict what she consumes or follow specific eating patterns, she suffers from the condition. Women who can eat to a discomfort point when not hungry or experiencing disgust after a meal explains a developing eating disorder. When you identify simple things and eating routine changes explains a developing eating disorder.

Change in Appearance

People struggling with new body image tend to wear baggy clothes to hide their body size as they may feel ashamed of extreme weight changes. Unusual sleeping patterns, sensitivity to cold and dry skin or hair are the common changes that suggest a disorder. When you see someone skipping meals with fake excuses and adopts a highly restrictive exercise plan or diet, consider it an eating disorder.

Some women think and feel differently about their body sizes. Those thinking they can handle big body sizes tend to consume more. Females with thin bodies work thoroughly and choose what to inject into their digestive systems.

Extreme Weight Loss or Gain

The typical warning sign for anorexia disorder is weight loss. If the person you care for loses weight gradually, search for other signs of eating disorders and develop a working plan to neutralize the condition. Some individuals gain weight within a short period, which explains they may be suffering from bulimia disorder.

Also, those affected by binge eating can eat without reducing their weight. Once women find out they have an eating disorder, they work through thin and thick to recover their everyday lives. Most women work too hard to reduce weight and keep their bodies fit when others can eat much to increase their body size.

Disturbed Menstruation

Women that experience anorexia nervosa disorder can have their menstrual cycle disturbed due to little eating or excessive exercising. Once your period stops, it is a clear warning sign that your body is not operating correctly and can be an eating disorder entangling your system. Menstrual dysfunction occurs in all eating disorders, with anorexia nervosa leading and binge eating and other conditions.

Some of the factors that can cause menstruation dysfunction are metabolic disturbance and nutritional status. Amenorrhea caused by all eating disorders is associated with low-calorie intake and excessive exercising. Disturbing menstruation is a recognizable sign of an eating disorder development.

Compulsive Exercising

If you note any individual female working out compulsively, it may be a sign they are fighting both bulimia and anorexia. Women suffering from these disorders can even exercise during the night or odd hours, making sure to complete their workout routine. When you have an eating disorder, nothing can block your training, not even bad weather, illness, or crucial occasions.

Focusing more than usual on routine compulsive training even when injured or having fatigue to reduce weight is a sign of an eating disorder. Women that always talk of being fat and need to reduce weight may be affected by anorexia nervosa disorder.

Conclusion

Eating disorders affect up to 30 million women in the United States regardless of ethnicity, religion, gender, or socioeconomic status. These conditions can be life-threatening, with the highest mortality rate for mental issues. Eating disorder lacks a miracle cure, but records state many have successfully gone through treatment stages and recovered their lives.

The risk of contracting these disorders is high as they are triggered by many factors ranging from biological, psychological, and environmental. Maintaining a balanced diet, doing some exercises, and regular checks are the best ways to avoid eating disorders.