Three Common Eating Disorders
Eating disorders can be fatal. They are an illness characterised by a person’s unhealthy relationship with food intake, and obsessions surrounding weight gain and body image.
An eating disorder is a mental health condition that also affects physical well-being. A person’s relationship with food and their food intake may be used as a mechanism to cope with difficult emotions and other life circumstances.
Types of Eating Disorders
Binge eating is when a person has frequent episodes of binge or excessive eating, meaning that people who suffer from this disorder are often overweight or obese. These episodes are accompanied by feelings of high distress and a loss of control.
Bulimia nervosa consists of binge eating, followed by counteractive behaviours to compensate for the overeating. This may include purging where a person vomits or resorts to laxative use, fasting, or excessive levels of exercise. A person suffering from bulimia may fall within the normal weight range, however they are deeply unhappy with their own body image.
Anorexia nervosa is the endless pursuit of extreme weight loss and thinness. Sufferers have a distorted perception of body image, a fear of gaining weight, and serious levels of disturbed eating characteristics. Food intake is reduced to the point of malnourishment and starvation.
Training
Training courses involving eating disorder awareness are suitable for health and care staff working to support people. They allow professionals to gain an insight into the signs, symptoms, causes and risks, together with knowledge of the support tools that can be offered to those suffering from eating disorders.
For details of mental health training courses, including those which explore eating disorders, visit a provider like www.tidaltraining.co.uk/mental-health-training-courses/.
The timescales and recovery from eating disorders can be complex and require a long-term treatment plan involving a team of specialists and support.
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