Eating disorders are a serious mental illness. They are not diets, not a phase, and not just something for vain people. They can affect anyone no matter what their age, gender, religion, nationality, financial status, or sexual orientation. Another thing is, you cannot see an eating disorder as they are a mental illness, what you see are some of the harmful effects of one. Often, when someone is struggling with an eating disorder, they may feel that they are not "bad enough" to get help. That is a myth. They can be life-threatening at any weight. Eating disorders are extremely complicated to treat, so early detection is key because the longer someone is struggling, the harder it is to fully recover. If you are struggling with even disordered behavior it is encouraged to seek help, so you don't spiral down further. One of the most common eating disorders is the category of OSFED (other specified feeding or eating disorder) because of how varying this is, we were not able to include this and all of the things that fell into this. If you would like more information on this, the button at the bottom of the page will take you to another website with more information. It is possible to fully recover from an eating disorder.
Anorexia Nervosa
Anorexia is a serious eating disorder that results in dangerous and unhealthy weight loss, can cause extreme fear of weight gain, distortion of body image, and refusal to eat. Someone who is affected by anorexia will go to extreme lengths to avoid gaining weight. Thoughts about body image, food, restricting, and more can take over people's thoughts and get in the way of friends, daily tasks, and everyday life. Symptoms include: restricting, obsessions with food and calories, pretending and lying about eating, strange/secretive food rituals, preoccupation with food, sudden weight loss, fixation on body image, harshly critical on appearance, denial they're too thin, compulsive exercising, throwing up after eating, using laxatives and diet pills, and more.
Bulimia Nervosa
Bulimia is a serious eating disorder that results in dangerous and unhealthy weight loss, can cause extreme fear of weight gain, distortion of body image, and refusal to eat. Someone who is affected by bulimia will go to extreme lengths to avoid gaining weight. Thoughts about one's body image, food, restricting and more can take over people's thoughts and get in the way of friends, daily tasks, and everyday life. People suffering with bulimia will typically induce vomiting directly after eating to avoid weight gain. Symptoms include: restricting, obsessions with food and calories, pretending and lying about eating, strange/secretive food rituals, preoccupation with food, sudden weight loss, fixation on body image, harshly critical on appearance, denial they're too thin, compulsive exercising, throwing up after eating, using laxatives and diet pills, and more.
Binge-Eating Disorder (BED)
BED is a common eating disorder that involves frequently eating large amounts of food while feeling absolutely powerless to stop, and then feeling distressed and guilty after eating. Unlike bulimia, binge eating disorder does not involve feelings of needing to make up for the food eaten by purging. Symptoms include: Constant eating, eating large amounts, hiding or stockpiling food, eating while full, embarrassment, stress that is resolved by eating, and more.
Statistics
-10 to 15% of all Americans suffer from some type of eating disorder.
-10 million women and 1 million men in the USA battle an eating disorder daily.
-Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness.
-The mortality rate for Anorexia is 12 times higher than the death rate of ALL causes of death in women aged 15-24.
-80% of all children have been on a diet by the time they reach fourth grade.
-In 2005, more than 500,000 Canadians suffered from an eating disorder.
-Eating disorders are found at all ages, although they are primarily found in teenagers and young adults.
-With treatment, 60% of people with eating disorders recover.
-Every 62 minutes, someone dies from an eating disorder.
-10 million women and 1 million men in the USA battle an eating disorder daily.
-Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness.
-The mortality rate for Anorexia is 12 times higher than the death rate of ALL causes of death in women aged 15-24.
-80% of all children have been on a diet by the time they reach fourth grade.
-In 2005, more than 500,000 Canadians suffered from an eating disorder.
-Eating disorders are found at all ages, although they are primarily found in teenagers and young adults.
-With treatment, 60% of people with eating disorders recover.
-Every 62 minutes, someone dies from an eating disorder.
For more information on eating disorders, click the button below!