Types and symptoms of eating disorders
Eating disorders -- such as anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorder - include extreme emotions, attitudes and behaviors surrounding weight and food issues.
Eating disorders are serious emotional and physical problems that can have life-threatening consequences for females and males.Learn more about following types of eating disorders and their symptoms.
Consequences of eating disorders
Eating disorders are potentially life-threatening conditions that affect a person's emotional and physical health, and they can have severe consequences for health, productivity and relationships.
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Eating disorders among college students
Eating disorders affect people of all ages but are especially prominent among college students.
The Multi-Service Eating Disorders Association (MEDA) cites the following statistics on college student eating disorders:
- 15% of women 17 to 24 have eating disorders.
- 20% of college students said they have or previously had eating disorders.
- 91% of female college students have attempted to control their weight through dieting.
While recent information is not available, experts say eating disorders among male college students are also increasing.
Diagnosing college student eating disorders
The earlier eating disorders are diagnosed in college students and treated, the more likely it will be that they will recover completely. And yet many college students do not receive treatment for their eating disorders until their illness is at an advanced stage.
At that point, college students, like other patients, may already have or may be at risk of having a severe medical condition. Eating disorders can damage almost every organ system or body part, including the brain, liver, kidneys, heart, GI tract, bones, teeth, skin and hair.
Eating disorders can result in osteoporosis, slowed growth, kidney problems, ulcers and heart failure if left untreated. Eating disorders can also lead to death.
So why aren't eating disorders diagnosed earlier? One reason is that college students with eating disorders often hide them.
College students with eating disorders - and their family and friends - may be in denial about their eating disorders or be unaware of the signs of eating disorders.
Another reason is that many college students who have eating disorders are not people we would think of as having eating disorders.
We've come to think of eating disorders as affecting young women. Yet, they are increasingly common in males and females, and people of all ages, from pre-teens to seniors. While college students are especially at risk, eating disorders are increasingly common even in pre-teens.
The more a college student knows about eating disorders, the better they will determine whether other college students, family members, or friends have eating disorders.
Types of college student eating disorders
The most common college student eating disorders are anorexia, bulimia and binge-eating disorder.
Most patients do not meet all of the clinical criteria for their eating disorders. Even if they have some of the symptoms or come close to meeting the requirements, they should seek medical treatment.
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College students with anorexia may take extreme measures to avoid eating. They often become abnormally thin - and still talk about feeling fat or bloated.
Because they have a distorted image of their body, they typically diet even when severely underweight. Signs of anorexia include:
- An intense drive for thinness
- Refusal to maintain a minimally average weight
- Fear of becoming fat
- Distorted body image
- Denying feelings of hunger
- Avoiding situations where food is involved
- Developing rituals around preparing food and eating
- Obsession with dieting
- Social withdrawal
- Pronounced emotional changes, such as irritability, depression and anxiety
Despite dieting, people with anorexia are typically preoccupied with food, cooking, nutrition and the number of calories in each meal.
Another sign of anorexia is the tendency to exercise obsessively beyond what is needed to maintain good health. Individuals with anorexia weigh themselves frequently, often restricting food, relationships, social activities and pleasure.
Physical signs of anorexia include thinning hair, dry, flaky skin, and cracked or broken nails. Women with anorexia often stop menstruating. The clinical definition says people suffering from anorexia are 85% or less of their ideal body weight.
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College students with bulimia typically "binge and purge."
A binge consumes a large amount of food and forced purging and vomiting within a short period. College students with bulimia may use other methods to compensate for their binging and control their weight, such as excessive exercise or the use of laxatives or diet pills.
College students with bulimia can frequently hide their affliction because they often maintain average body weight.
Physical signs may include:
- swollen glands, discolored teeth and calluses on the hands caused by self-inducing vomiting, staining or deterioration of tooth enamel.
- broken blood vessels around the eyes
- stomach pain
- weakness or fatigue
People with bulimia are always highly concerned with their body weight and shape. They may have a distorted image of their body, creating complex schedules to make time for binging and purging.
They are often socially withdrawn, depressed, severely self-critical and obsessed with weight loss and controlling what they eat. Other signs may include:
- Consuming vast amounts of food with no apparent change in weight
- Hiding of food
- The frequent presence of a large number of food containers and wrappers
- The regular smell of vomit
- Frequent trips to the bathroom after meals
- Excessive use of diuretics
- Going to the kitchen frequently when everyone is sleeping
- Excessive, rigid exercise
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As the name implies, binge eating disorder characterizes uncontrollable, excessive eating, followed by feelings of shame and guilt.
Unlike those with bulimia, college students with binge-eating disorder typically do not purge their food. However, many who have bulimia also have binge-eating conditions.
College students with binge-eating disorders are typically overweight or obese. They feel like they have no control over their behavior, eat in secret and are not hungry.
They also feel shame and remorse over their behavior and may hide food. Excessive amounts of food containers and wrappers are also evidence of binging. Other signs include:
- Eating in secret
- "Grazing" continuously without feeling satiated
- Eating when stressed or when feeling uncertain how to cope
- Feeling unable to control how much they eat
- Experimenting with different diets
If you know a college student with an eating disorder, or believe that you or a loved one have an eating disorder, seek professional counseling immediately.
Remember, the longer an eating disorder goes untreated, the more advanced it is likely to become - and the more difficult it will be to achieve full recovery.
Sources: Content Adapted from Walden Center for Education and Research, National Eating Disorders
Association; Online Screening for Eating Disorder
Missouri Eating Disorder Council; Eating Disorder Center of Kansas City