It sounds so simple: When you are hungry, you eat. When you feel full, you stop. But for the ten million Americans who struggle with eating disorders, it's anything but easy. Take, for example, a young woman who was arrested for stealing from a California grocery story. The suspect had stolen $10 worth of candy bars and other sweets and consumed it all - more than 4,000 calories - in 30 minutes.

"The suspect, Katie, was sobbing, very ashamed, and extremely remorseful. Katie, a student at a local community college, related that she suffered from bulimia nervosa. She had not intended to engage in theft while in the story, but became overwhelmed by anxiety and had an un-ignorable craving to eat... She then was compelled to rid herself of the calories and had induced vomiting in the employee's bathroom."

Though anorexia gets more attention, bulimia is actually more prevalent - affecting one in seven females ages 12-25. The medical consequences of bulimia - a disorder marked by bingeing, then purging, in response to feelings of depression, anxiety or worthlessness - are immense, and anyone who exhibits symptoms of the disorder needs to seek immediate help. Source: Officer.com.

Labels: bulimia, purging, shame

The results of a new study suggest that a person who uses a variety of purging methods may have a more severe eating disorder than one who purges just as often but uses the same method every time. The study involved 76 women with purging disorder and 35 women who did not engage in the practice.

"The individuals who used multiple purging methods exhibited greater body image disturbance, were more restrained in eating, and were more concerned about eating, the researchers found."

Researchers also found that women who purged more frequently, but used the same method, were more prone to depression, anxiety and personality disorders. The findings could help doctors better understand the severity of an eating disorder, which would allow them to adapt treatment accordingly. Source: Reuters

Labels: body_image, purging, severity

A team of researchers from the University of Iowa at Iowa City has found that the types of purging methods used by someone with an eating disorder may indicate the severity of the disorder. The team also found that someone who purges frequently using the same method was more likely to suffer from anxiety and/or depression.

"The individuals who used multiple purging methods exhibited greater body image disturbance, were more restrained in eating, and were more concerned about eating, researchers found."

Keel and her colleagues evaluated the behaviors of 76 women with purging disorders and 35 with healthy means of weight control. The ones who used multiple purging methods didn't binge eat more frequently, and the ones who used the same method repeatedly were more likely to be diagnosed with a personality disorder. The research team hopes their findings will give doctors better indicators of the severity of a person's disorder.

Labels: binge eating, purging, severity

Pamela Keel, of the University of Iowa, recently completed research on a little-known eating disorder simply known as purging. Purging is different from bulimia, in that women with purging disorders don't binge-eat. Despite that, they feel the need to purge, even if they've only eaten a small amount of food.

"The dangers of purging disorder are similar to those of bulimia: psychological problems, dehydration, electrolyte imbalances that can affect the heart and kidneys, and potential dental problems because of self-induced vomiting."

Keel conducted research from 2001 to 2005, during which time she studied three different categories of women: those with bulimia, those with symptoms of purge disorder and those with no eating disorder at all. If continued study supports purging as a separate disorder, it could cause the American Psychiatric Association to revise its eating disorder criteria, which could help doctors to adequately screen for purge disorders.

Labels: awareness, dangers_of_eating_disorders, purging