Eating Disorders

Male Eating Disorders: 10 Things You Can Do To Help

2009-10-21T15:48:00.002+02:00

According to general statistic one out of ten patients with eating disorders is a man. That means that men are 10% of all eating disorders suffers, but according to the opinions of many experts the number could even be higher.

The problem with men is that they are reluctant to come and complain about their problems and hide their problems longer than women do. All these make it hard to show an accurate statistic for male-sufferers. Clinicians agree that diagnosing anorexia and bulimia in men is more difficult than it is in women despite identical behaviours.

Men are also much more likely to be diagnosed with depression associated with appetite disturbances. A large proportion of men suffering from eating disorders are athletes. There is a tendency among male-athletes to diet or avoid certain foods in order to achieve a target weight or body image.

Other occupations which are prone to developing eating disorders are horse racing, modelling, dancing, distance running and driving.

The lack of visibility of eating disorders in men means a number of things. First, men don't discuss anorexia-bulimia problems and they don't share their information with other men. Most of them think that the topic is a female issue.

Second, men associate beauty with body mass, muscle bulge and definition, not weight loss. For many men admitting that they have an eating disorder can undermine their masculinity. This makes men keep their secret about their eating problems to themselves if they have one.

Third, men think that society expects them to be tough and seeking help for emotional problems (especially something related to food) makes many males feel uncomfortable, so they don't do it. Nevertheless, the statistic shows that:

- About 3% of men diet all the time or at least ten times a year. - About 10-14% of young men deliberately vomit after meals in order to control weight and/or relief their stressful feelings.

- Up to 21% of men have history of binge eating (when they binge food to moderate their emotions).

The latest studies also showed that psychologically male eating disorders are similar to female eating disorders. They both have similar emotional grounds and start for similar reasons.

What are the kind of strategies we can use for prevention and early intervention of male eating disorders?

1. We should recognise that eating disorders do not discriminate on the basis of gender and men can be affected the same as women.

2. We need to learn about the warning signs of eating disorders in men: weight fluctuations, extreme concerns about weight and body image, general withdrawal from others, extreme fussiness regarding eating certain foods, mood swings, frequent measurements of their own body and weight, counting calories and reading food labels, overexercising and the like.

3. We must understand that certain activities and professions (being an athlete, actor, dancer, jockey etc.) put men at risk of developing eating disorders.

4. We should talk with young men about cultural attitudes to "masculinity" and how it is portrayed by media.

5. Encourage male's involvement in traditional "non-masculine" activities such as shopping, laundry, and cooking.

6. Demonstrate our respect for gay men.

7. Should never emphasise body size or shape as an indication of a man's worth or identity as a man.

8. We should confront others who try to tease men who do not meet traditional cultural expectation for masculinity.

9. As parents and teachers we should listen carefully what young men are saying about their feelings and emotions and take them seriously.

10. All fathers should understand their important role in the prevention of eating problems in their sons by not degrading them if they are not interested in sport or other so called manly events.

To conclude, male eating disorders are an important issue nowadays. Understanding, talking openly about these problems will help enormously to fight it. Encourage men to talk and share their experiences will be the first important step to overcoming it.

About the Author
Dr Irina Webster MD is the Director of Eating Disorder Institute. She is an author of many books and a public speaker. To read about eating disorders books go to http://www.eating-disorders-books.com

Adult Eating Disorders: How To Deal If The Person Doesn't Admit Having One

2009-10-21T15:45:00.002+02:00

If you are dealing with an adult who suffers from an eating disorder, then you should adjust your talk to a relevant format.

Remember, an adult may use stronger language than a child would use. Do not get angry. It will not do any good, and will probably make things worse. Plus, the sufferer will not want to confide in you.

Remember that your appearance and tone of your voice should make her/him feel that you are coming with an open heart, and you do it only because you love her/him and care very much about the person: that you don't have any intention of putting them down or embarrassing them in any way.

Be sensitive, diplomatic and intuitive. Regardless of what happens during the conversation, you should finish the exchange letting the person know that you are willing to listen to them anytime they feel more comfortable about talking.

If the person you want to help doesn't admit they have a problem, then:

1. Understand that you (and the person close to you) are not responsible for their illness BUT you should take responsibility to do what you can to help them to improve and recover. Without this decision to help, it is more difficult for them to improve on their own.

2. Focus on loving and supportive relationships between you and the sufferer. Avoid being on a drama triangle which means avoid being a "Persecutor", a "Rescuer", or a "Victim"

3. Create intimacy between you and the sufferer. When the sufferer feels completely secure with you, she/he will open up and talk about the problem.

The ways to create intimacy between two people are: - Be Present and Tune In. - Ask questions in which you can show your caring and lovable attitude toward the person. - Listen with Empathy and compassion. - Accept without Judgment. - Saying softly "Tell me more..." when you are listening it will make her/him feel immensely loved by you and connected to you at a deeper level. - Reflect Back. - Respect Soul. - Be Transparent. Let others see into your heart and inner world. - Speak Gently. - Realize that if the person doesn't want to talk about her/his problems and denies their anorexia-bulimia, it could be the result of her/his emotional state of mind at that time. They could be experiencing emotional cut-off.

4. Emotional cut-off refers to the mechanisms people use to reduce anxiety from any unresolved emotional issues with parents, siblings, and other members from the family.

To avoid sensitive issues, some people either move away from their families or rarely go home. Or, if they remain in physical contact with their families, they avoid sensitive issues by diverting the conversation, cutting off the risk of having to face their emotions.

The opposite of an emotional cut-off is an open intimate relationship. It is a very effective way to reduce a family's over-all anxiety and acts like security priming.

5. Continue on with your education about eating disorders. The more you know about the disease, the easier it becomes to conquer it.

From our personal experience coping with a person suffering from an eating disorder, it is obvious that there isn't one single definitive guide or course of action for you or the sufferer to follow that will guarantee a solution to their eating problems.

Your attitude and beliefs about how the sufferer should act and your ability to interact as a caregiver can affect the way you respond to your loved one.

Remember, that if one approach for coping with your loved one's illness does not work, there is always another way. People who develop eating disorders are absolutely normal. However something happens in their lives that make them suffer emotionally and they turn to an eating disorder to compensate for this emotional discomfort.

So, you as a caregiver have to be very understanding, caring and most of all non- judgemental if you really want to help.

About the Author
Dr Irina Webster MD is the Director of Eating Disorder Institute. She is an author of many books and a public speaker. To read about eating disorders books go to http://www.eating-disorders-books.com

The Causes and Treatment of Bulimia Nervosa

2009-10-21T15:37:00.002+02:00

Bulimia nervosa is obsessive compulsive disorder of eating. The person suffering from this disorder has the tendency to consume big amount of food in a short span of time. Research says - the individual who is suffering from bulimia nervosa can eat much more than 3,000 calories in an hour.

Normally, bulimia nervosa starts at adolescence age and typically can be seen in women; it's never mean that men are untouched from this disorder. Men also suffer from this disorder but comparatively in lesser number. The intensity of this disorder obsesses the individuals to be compulsive for the food. Resultantly, individuals loose their control and start eating. If it not get cured on time, its consequences could be dangerous enough to cause life-threatening troubles like heart damage and injury of digestive system. The other severe problems are anxiety disorders, kidney damage, and dental problems.

In addition, this disorder also forces individuals to indulge themselves into self-destructive behaviors like kleptomania, alcohol/drug abuse, sexual promiscuity, and self-mutilation.

The causes of bulimia nervosa are yet unknown to physicians and researchers. However, the probable causes are:
* The person who is already suffering from anxiety or other obsessive compulsive disorder.
* Has low self-esteem.
* If the person has not healthy relationship with his/her family members.
* It might be heretical.
* Sometimes, culture also causes bulimia nervosa.

Bulimia nervosa symptoms are viz...

* Consume excessive food in short period of time.
* Excessive care if body's weight and shape.
* Tendency to purging (self induced vomiting) immediately after intake of food by taking enemas or by abusing laxatives. And, it causes dehydration.
* Self-criticism; unhappy mood; feelings of embarrassment and guilt during and after bingeing and purging.
* An acute fear of becoming fatty.
* Too much exercise or fasting.
* Kidney problems and tooth decay.

The person who is suffering from bulimia nervosa has no need to bother about it because there are many bulimia treatment centers running useful bulimia treatment program. Many people get cured and again re-started their healthy lives.

The objective of bulimia treatment is to lessen or abolish binge eating and purging tendency. Hence, as soon as individuals identify the bulimia nervosa symptoms, they should immediately get in touch with bulimia treatment center. Bulimia treatment center provides comprehensive medical care by monitoring the all activities of patients. However, bulimia treatment program exclusively designed in such a way that it -

* Counsels the patients to diagnose the problems properly
* Assists in restoring the lost weight
* Control the behaviors of excessive eating, dieting, and purging
* Provides long term bulimia treatment for full recovery
* Bulimia treatment program also takes care of the other disorder associated with bulimia nervosa.

Moreover, the bulimia nervosa, disorder of excessive eating can be easily diagnosed and cured by proper identification of problems. Bulimia treatment center has well established program for the treatment of bulimia patients. Above all, psychotherapy helps patients to regain the lost self-esteem and correct the distorted behaviors.

About the Author
For more information regarding Bulimia treatment, Bulimia treatment program, Bulimia Nervosa Symptoms and Bulimia Treatment Center; please visit: Bestbulimiatreatment.com

The Integrated Approach of Eating Disorder Treatment Center

2009-10-21T15:33:00.002+02:00

Eating disorder is such a complex problem that appears with many other serious problems like anxiety disorders, drug/alcohol addiction and some other psychiatric problems including bipolar disorder. Therefore, almost every eating disorder treatment center has the facility to diagnose all problems associated with eating disorder and provide proper medical remedy.

The eating disorder treatment center has the programs to assist the persons who are suffering from eating disorder and re-establishes their normal lives. It provides a supportive and cooperative environment along with necessary components. Besides, it also carefully copes up with the underneath problems like stressors and biochemical factors that cause them to binge, purge, and starve repeatedly. The experts of respective fields utilize a multi-disciplinary treatment approach to diagnose the all problems inter-connected to eating disorder.

Based upon the patients' problems, needs and feedback, eating disorder treatment center offers individualized treatment approach like anorexia treatment, bulimia treatment, bipolar disorder treatment etc. In addition, it applies specialized and integrated techniques i.e. psychodynamic, education, and cognitive behavioral therapy.

More often, eating disorder treatment requires long-term treatment with special care; therefore, the most of the time severely affected person need to get hospitalize. The purpose is to keep patients under 24 hours and 7 days surveillance. Here patients with medical treatment also have been asked to follow yoga, relaxation, and stress management techniques. There is a cumulative effect of these treatments that assist to gain normal life soon.

However, sometimes eating disorder complicacy increases more consequently patients fallen under deep distress and started to feeling guilt and remorse which further lead them towards drug addiction and alcohol addiction. Hence, in this special situation, individuals immediately need to consult drug treatment center and alcoholism treatment center accordingly.

For more information regarding: Eating Disorder Treatment, Bulimia Treatment, Bipolar Disorder Treatment and Addiction Treatment; please visit: Womenstreatmentprogram.com

About the Author
For more information regarding: Eating Disorder Treatment, Bulimia Treatment, Bipolar Disorder Treatment and Addiction Treatment; please visit: Womenstreatmentprogram.com

How to Handle Eating Disorder Problem?

2009-10-21T15:30:00.002+02:00

Eating disorder is a severe problem that causes mental sickness to the individuals. Consequently, it damages the individuals' lives physically and emotionally. Individuals suffering from eating disorder having tendency of eating too much calories in short span of time, devour food secretly, compulsively counting intake calories and on the contrary, some individuals have the fear of becoming fatty so they do excessive dieting.

Eating disorder ranges from moderate mental distress to life-threatening anguish, and can affect every aspect of individuals' daily lives. Individuals suffering form it, develop negative attitudes about themselves that charge the damaging behaviors. They criticize about their food, weight, body shape, and self image. Hence, eating disorder is not only about excessive and frequently eating and dieting rather it is a complex psychological disorder that badly influences the individuals' eating patterns and then develops the tendency to maintain it. Normally, this disorder occurs during adolescence or young adulthood. In comparison to men, women and girls are more likely to develop eating disorder.

Some important eating disorders are - Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, Binge Eating Disorder, and Orthorexia. Though, it is such kind of disorder that easily cannot noticed, nevertheless followings are the few eating disorder symptoms help in identifying the disorder viz...

* Compulsive attention on healthy, food, and nutrition.
* Development of interest in reading about food, nutrition, and calories.
* Avoid eating fatty and highly nutritious food and become very choosy - what to eat and what not to eat.
* Excessive dieting
* Much bother about their weight and having no satisfaction over their own body images
* Weak concentration

If the eating disorder symptoms have been identified in early phase, its treatment is easily possible. However, the eating disorder treatment depends upon the individual's specific symptoms and severity of the disorder. The right approach of eating disorder treatment is identification of physical and psychological aspects of disorder. Most of the time, its treatment is done with the combination of psychotherapy, nutritional counseling, and group support. Nevertheless, if it seems more serious, there are many recognized eating disorder treatment center and eating disorder clinic, where treatment done under physician's surveillance.

Eating disorder treatment center has residential programs that offer a comprehensive range of treatment methods. The purpose is to be careful the patient's requirement properly. After proper diagnosis, physicians provide the best level of treatment accordingly.

However, sufficient information about the eating disorder is available on the INTERNET. An individual can take eating disorder help from the internet. In addition, it could help in identifying the eating disorder symptoms and its treatment. Internet also helps in finding the best eating disorder clinic present in the city.

About the Author
For more information regarding Eating Disorder Clinic, Eating Disorder, Eating Disorder Treatment and Eating Disorder Help; please visit: Eatingdisorderclinics.net

Treatment for Eating Disorder: No more Serious Problem

2009-10-21T15:25:00.002+02:00

Eating disorder is a complex and long-term psychological disorder that distorts the eating behaviors of individuals. Initially, it is difficult to identify the symptoms of this disorder, therefore it is commonly known as misunderstood and undiagnosed disorder. But it becomes discernible after severe ness of its consequences i.e. - eating frequently, eating excessively in short span of time, and dieting. The most important eating disorders are Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, Binge Eating, and Compulsive eating disorder.

However, the compulsive and binge eating disorder sometimes use interchangeably and associated with the person who eats excessively even not feeling hungry. People suffering from compulsive disorder do not able to control their eating tendency and often eat large amount of food then the requirement.

Since, it is a complex disorder; therefore for the treatment, the proper diagnosis is imperative. It includes surveillance, medical care, nutritional counseling, psychotherapy, and facilitation of medicines. Hence, the treatment of eating disorders is no more serious concern and very much possible with the integrated approach of - Psychotherapists, Endocrinologists, Nutritionists, and healthcare providers with the support of family members and friends.

If the problem is more serious and complicacy increased in the form of excessive weight loss, purging, and depression, the patients require hospitalization. The seriousness of this disorder is associated with the some other problems such as anxiety disorders, drug/alcohol addiction and psychiatric problems which also need treatment with proper care simultaneously.

Timely and proper treatment of this disorder protects individuals from the other problems develop along with it. There are many eating disorder clinics that check up carefully and provide needful guidance to patients. Therefore, if there is even little doubt over it - just get in touch with the expert and take eating disorder help immediately. However, you can also search over the INTERNET for the best treatment centers.

About the Author
For more information regarding Compulsive Eating Disorder, Binge Eating and Treatment for Eating Disorders; please visit: Eatingdisorderclinic.org

A Closer Look on Eating Disorders

2009-10-21T15:15:00.002+02:00

Eating is a favorite past time of many people. However, when eating habits become excessive or deficient then a red flag in health is raised. There are many factors influencing people on the formation of their eating habits. Some of these factors include food availability, family, cultural practices and mass media. People are persuaded to lose weight due to popular fashion trends, activities and occupations. People feeling extreme to body weight and shape often choose to not eat normally.

Studies related to eating disorder are discussing at what point does a person goes beyond controlling their eating behaviors. Eating disorder is not just a simple change in behavior but rather a medical illness which has underlying reasons. The two major types of eating disorder are anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Another type called binge-eating nervosa has no formal psychiatric diagnosis yet. Symptoms of this disorders usually appear during early adulthood.

Oftentimes, eating disorders happen simultaneously with mental disorders such as depression, alcohol or dug abuse and anxiety disorder. Moreover, people suffering from eating disorder are more prone to other illnesses like heart problems and kidney failure. It is very important to diagnose eating disorder as early as possible.

Getting Thinner: Anorexia Nervosa

Anorexia nervosa, or simply anorexia, is a combination of eating and mental disorder. A person suffering from anorexia goes way beyond just losing down the weight. As time passes, weight loss becomes the center of the person's life. The individual do things in extreme manner - over dieting and over exercising. In some cases, patients seek the use of diuretics or laxatives. This can be considered both an obsession and addiction to get thin.

A person is said to be anorexic when these symptoms are exhibited: · Has increased interest in pieces of information about food. · Always has an excuse not to eat. · Feeling fat even though scales says otherwise. · Obsesses with over-all appearance · Frequently in denial of being too thin. · Exercises without following any program.

The effects of anorexia nervosa cover the whole body system. It can result to complications of organs. Specific effects of anorexia in the body include missed menstrual periods, weakness, chills, dry and yellowish skin. A patient can also experience constipation, abdominal pain, insomnia and headaches.

There are three things to be achieved in treating anorexia: to restore the healthy weight of the person; resolve the psychological issues related to the eating disorder; and manage the behaviors that will bring back unhealthy eating habits.

Different types of therapy are available for a person suffering from anorexia. There are cognitive therapy, behavior therapy, family therapy and group therapy.

Purging: Bulimia Nervosa

According to statistics, at some point in their life, 3% of all the women in US will experience bulimia. Bulimia or bulimia nervosa is distinguish with series of binge eating occurring multiple times a day followed by extreme means control weight. Bulimia is considered a psychological disorder related to depression, stress and obsession to physical appearance. Binge eating brings patient short-lived happiness of not adding a pound to the current weight despite consuming tremendous amount of food.

In an episode of binge eating, a bulimic can consume 3,000 to 5,000 calories in an hour. After this, the person will turn to inappropriate ways to keep the weight off - induce vomiting, take laxative or do excessive exercise.

Bulimia is characterized with both psychological and physical symptoms. When a person shows the following symptoms, it is better to consult a physician right away: · Uncontrollable and secretive eating habits. · Goes to the washroom after meals to throw up. · Takes laxative or diet pills after eating. · Works out excessively. · Has calluses in the hand caused by sticking the finger down the throat. · Discoloration of teeth due to exposure to stomach acid. · Experience weight gain and loss in matter of days.

One of the most dangerous effects of bulimia is dehydration due to purging. Also, the use of laxatives, diuretics and diet pills can lead to electrolyte imbalance in the body. Other consequences of bulimia to physical health include abdominal pain, swelling of hands and feet, sore throat, tooth decay, dizziness, ruptured stomach and chronic constipation.

Overcoming bulimia is possible through multidisciplinary approach including medical and psychological treatments. These treatments aims to restore good physical health and right eating patterns. The cognitive-behavioral therapy consists of two phases: breaking the binge-and-purge cycle and reducing the unhealthy thoughts and patterns.

To know more how you can manage the signs and symptoms of eating disorder, check out the eft training manual or take part in the EFT training. Discover the healing power at your fingertips!

About the Author
Bridgette Puckette is an EFT practitioner.

Cure Your Eating Disorder With The Power Of Neuroplasticity: 5 Crucial Steps

2009-09-27T11:26:00.002+02:00

Neuroplasticity is the ability of the human brain to change itself based on how we live our lives. Our brain consists of cells or neurons that are interconnected.

It means that different life experiences and different behaviours are constantly changing the strength of these connections, by adding or removing connections, and by adding new cells.

"Plasticity" relates to learning by adding or removing connections, or adding cells. According to the theory of neuroplasticity, thinking, learning, and acting actually change the brain's physical structure or anatomy as well as functional organization, known as physiology, from top to bottom.

The brain's plasticity exists from "cradle to grave" and the adult brain is not "hard-wired" with fixed and immutable neuronal circuits as was previously thought.

So, neuroplasticity is the power to produce a more flexible and beneficial behaviour for the treatment of eating disorders. However, these positive changes will only happen if you target the eating disorder in a certain way. These can be subdivided into 5 steps of actions that you should undertake to stop your eating disorder.

The 1st step: Believe that you can stop your eating disorder. Do exercises to begin changing the way your mind works.

2nd step: Re- Identify. Recognize the false nature of your eating disorder thoughts.

3rd step: Re-Symbolize. Escape from loop thinking that feeds the eating disorder. Loop thinking is when a thought like binging or starving oneself gets caught in a loop going around it the brain continuously and never being released.

4th step: Re-Direct. Defeat recurrent thoughts that give power to the disorder.

5th step: Re-Evaluate. De-value and ignore harmful urges until they start to fade away.

By following these steps you can clearly see that by directing your attention away from food, weight and body image, you could learn to focus on positive eating habits and overcome destructive negative thoughts.

Doing this, you as a eating disorder sufferer will be able to make permanent changes to your own neuronal pathways and change your life.

To conclude, I want to say that the power of neuroplasticity can be a real "cure" for eating disorder sufferers. By eating disorder "cure" I mean that you achieve a state of mind where you can control your thoughts and feelings, instead of the thoughts and feelings controlling you. You can do this by influencing your subconscious mind.

The subconscious mind is your hidden level of awareness, where your automatism lies. This part of your brain controls all the things you have learned that are now automatic such as riding a bike, tying your shoe laces, and unfortunately for the sufferer the place where the eating disorder lives.

With the help of the 5 steps you will learn that it is possible for you to reach your subconscious mind and make certain positive changes that will turn your life around: at escape from your eating disorder.

About the Author
Dr Irina Webster MD is the Director of Eating Disorder Institute. She is an author of many books and a public speaker. To read about eating disorders books go to http://www.eating-disorders-books.com

Home Treatment for Eating Disorders!

2009-09-05T12:18:00.002+02:00

Home Treatment for Eating Disorders.

As a doctor I have worked with many women struggling with eating disorders. I also a former suffer of anorexia and bulimia myself (this was a main reason why I decided to learn everything I can about these conditions and help other people to recover from it).

I believe that most eating disorders are learned behavior. It can therefore be unlearned. By behavior I mean not only actions but thought process and attitudes as well. As with many behavioral problems, early detection often speeds up the recovery.

Those who admit their eating problem in the early stage and are frightened that they might continue - often are able to change their destructive eating habits with relative ease.

Many of the sufferers I see have already had years of individual psychotherapy. Often their therapists have focused on deep-seated underlying causes, which did not help the women with the here and now. Some sufferers have continued to feel bizarre and alone, even though they were told that their behavior was not uncommon. And there are some who never admitted to their secret eating behavior.

Some therapists favor group therapy but I have found that group therapy are good and helpful until only the certain stage of recovery - the stage of admitting that "Yes, I do have a problem and I do need help." Than, to continue with treatment people should come to group therapy again and again. And here is what happens - they all become friends and get close to each other and understand each other. But to continue with the group you have be a member of it , to say another words you have to stay the same. Other ways if you recover you have to leave, but it is difficult for most of them and they prefer just stay the same.

While it is generally true that women in the early stages of eating disorder recover faster, two factors seem far more relevant. The first involves the level of commitment to change. Second, but of equal importance, are the strategies she employs to overcome eating disorder. What can she do in the face of anxiety?

What can she substitute for binge eating? If the woman can call upon more productive strategies to cope with the stresses of daily life, she is on her way to recovery. The commitment to initiate and maintain personal growth through alternative behaviors is therefore crucial.

The best treatment strategy, in my opinion, is when a person has a special recovery program to follow at home. But this is important to be very persistent and consistent with this kind of program so the role of therapist is actually to make sure that the patient is doing it every day and everything is clear regarding the program.

The best program I recommend my patients is made by Karen Phillips (the lady who treated her daughter from terrible anorexia and bulimia by herself). She wrote a book about the method " Mom Please Help.
"

It is very interesting method which helped many people to recover.

Dr Irina Webster.

About the Author
I live in a small town in New Mexico and spend a lot of my free time reading about Health issues and cures. I found this information and wanted to share it with you. If you have Eating Disorders then you should look at this e-Book Mom Please Help.

5 Signs that your Child May have an Eating Disorder

2009-09-05T12:15:00.002+02:00

With each and every year that passes it seems to get harder and harder for parents to protect their children from the evils of the world. It's hard enough to help keep them young and innocent and away from things such as sex, alcohol, and drugs but even if you are successful in doing that there are still dangers lurking and some have multi-billion-dollar campaigns encouraging them.

I guess to say encouraging is a bit harsh but I'm talking about the media's portrayal of thinness as beauty in the world of entertainment. This focus on women being incredibly skinny in order to be rich and famous leaves many women each and every year to developing an eating disorder. Eating disorders come in all shapes and sizes from extremely mild changes in eating habits to extreme tactics to avoid weight gain of any kind. It is important that parents are aware of some of the signs that can be exhibited by those suffering from eating disorders. Below are five signs that your child may have an eating disorder.

1. They talk about their weight constantly - if your child starts to obsess about their weight and begins talking about it constantly, this could be a sign that they either have or are beginning to start the habits that can lead to an eating disorder. Sometimes, these feelings of inadequacy about the way one looks are simply symptoms of a certain age and a phase they will go through, but it is important to pick up on these cues and keep an eye on your child so that they don't become obsessed with their weight.

2. They often avoid meal times completely - another sign that an eating disorder may be lurking in your child is if they begin to avoid meals completely. If you are a household that has always encouraged the family to eat together and your child begins to find excuses to miss those meal times, this can be a sign of an eating disorder.

3. Food starts to go missing in the household - because certain eating disorders result in people gorging themselves on large quantities of food, you should pay close attention if you start to notice foods missing from your household. For instance, a brand-new jar of peanut butter is completely emptied the next day. Bags of potato chips and bread suddenly get consumed within a 24 to 48 hour period. Make sure to make note of these incidences and watch your child carefully.

4. Drastic increase in exercise - another common sign of an eating disorder in your child is if they begin obsessing about exercise. Someone who goes from moderate exercise to an almost fanatical level may be suffering from an eating disorder and trying to lose weight through exercise as well.

5. Noticeable weight loss - obviously, any drastic change in weight could be a sure sign that your child has an eating disorder. If your child begins to lose weight to an unhealthy level, it is your duty as a parent to seek medical attention immediately.

The above are just five of the many signs that may exist if your child has an eating disorder. If you notice these or any other unusual patterns in your child's eating or exercise program, make sure to seek help from a qualified professional so that you know best how to deal with the situation and you don't confront your child using strong emotion. This can often push them away from you and merely exacerbate the problem.

About the Author
Emile Jarreau, aka, Mr. Fat Loss is fascinated by health, nutrition and weight loss. For more great info about eating disorder for losing weight and keeping it off visit http://www.MrFatLoss.com

Eating Disorders Treatment and Complications of Eating Disorders

2009-09-05T12:12:00.002+02:00

While overweight people are often ridiculed, sometimes it is not simply a matter of choosing to be overweight; sometimes it's an addictive eating disorder. This is not to say that there aren't some lazy people who don't take care of themselves, but there are also people who would love to be healthy and fit, but have an addiction that is every bit as serious and difficult to control as alcohol or tobacco cigarettes.

People with eating disorders do not like food; for them it is an addiction. Anorexics regard it as an enemy to be avoided at all costs. Bulimics choose food that will be easy to regurgitate; binge eaters will eat whatever is in the refrigerator or cupboards, however unappetizing it may be; comfort eaters choose indulgent, easy-to-eat foods - cookies, cakes, candies, white bread, all of which produce short-term contentment by releasing serotonins in the brain.

What we are alluding to is the brains ability to reorganise or rewire its neuronal pathways that has lead to certain wanted or unwanted actions or behaviours. For example, in case of people suffering with eating disorders it is unwanted actions like negative thoughts about their body image that lead to the development of at ED. This could have manifested itself by starving, overexercising or binging and purging over a period of time

The second most common eating disorder is bulimia nervosa and the general symptoms of this problem are the person eats like there's no tomorrow, and then instantaneously feels responsible about this loss of self control. The important point to note in this type of eating disorder is people suffering from bulimia may look normal but in reality they are extremely insecure people. In most cases they feel ashamed of everything about themselves and often get angry with their existence.

The difference between emotional eating and a normal diet is that emotional eaters don't necessarily pay attention to their bodies signals that tell them when they are full. Instead, they continue eating to feel satisfied based on whatever emotion it is that they are feeling, not a physiological response. This is where the danger can occur. Eating for any other reason than because your body needs nutrients is not necessarily the wisest idea. Doing this over the course of years and years can lead to significant weight gain.

Let's consider going with the resistance if you will, and cooperate with her desire and legitimate need for control. The reality is you both want control over her eating behavior. You want her to eat; she wants the opposite and is resistant to any attempt you make to get her to eat more. So, how can you as her parent give her a healthy sense of control?

People can also inherit certain personality traits that make them vulnerable to developing eating disorders: like perfectionism, tendency towards anxiety and depression, competitiveness, impulsiveness and extreme stubbornness. All these can make people vulnerable to developing eating disorders.

Hunger is a natural thing and has to be satisfied. If you deprive yourself of food needed to satisfy your hunger this could be the beginning of an eating disorder. Dieting in the short run causes weigh loss but almost 95 percent of it is regained in addition to extra pounds. What happens if you go off your diet is that you end up bingeing because the body starts reacting to what is called the built in starvation reaction which is natural.

About the Author
Read about Facts on Hair Coloring, Summer Makeup Tips and How to Protect your Skin in Winter

How to Tell if You Have an Eating Disorder

2009-09-05T12:05:00.002+02:00

The modern concept of an eating disorder is largely the product of the fashion industry in the 1990s. As models became thinner and thinner, the media glorified this new trend, and stick-thin women began appearing on magazine covers, in commercials, and anywhere else. Once a fashion trend has started, there will always be people that take it too far. Unfortunately, this type of trend was more than just spending money on the newest designer jeans. This one glorified starvation.

A woman with an eating disorder suffers from more than just a physical illness. There is also a warped sense of reality that comes out in the way she treats her own body. Like the phrase "the camera adds 10 pounds", many women with an eating disorder tell themselves they're fatter than they actually are. It can take a great deal of counseling and rehabilitation to convince these women that they can be beautiful without wasting away to nothing.

Anorexia nervosa is one of the most common types of eating disorders. In this eating disorder, a woman will purposely avoid eating enough so that she can lose weight or keep from gaining weight. While not eating can keep you thin, it also is keeping you from absorbing vital nutrients that support your brain, heart, liver, bones, muscles, and everything else in your body. The reason these women look so frail is that their bodies simply cannot live on next to nothing, and so their bodies have to eat up their own muscles and organs to stay alive. Anorexia is a very serious mental and physical disorder. On the mental side of it, these women often claim that they feel in control of at least one aspect of their lives by denying themselves something that their bodies need.

In addition to anorexia, bulimia nervosa is a prevalent type of eating disorder. Depending on how someone with bulimia conducts herself, the condition might be even more serious than anorexia. A bulimic person will purposely vomit or exercise excessively after eating so that they don't absorb calories and put on weight. However, just like with anorexia, someone who is not absorbing necessary nutrients is going to get very sick. Unlike anorexia, bulimia has another serious side effect: frequent vomiting over time can cause your stomach acid to eat away at the esophagus, the lining of the throat, and the teeth, while too much exercise breaks down muscles, bones, and joints. Sometimes, bulimic patients will binge on food, eating an unhealthy amount all at once, and then feel guilty and purge their bodies. This is a dangerous condition that can cause a healthy person to quickly deteriorate.

Finally, there is simply overeating. Many people self-medicate with food when they are depressed, and this can cause morbid obesity if not kept in check. The symptoms of any eating disorder can be summed up as eating in an abnormal fashion and having an unhealthy mental association with food. While it can be hard to tell what exactly is normal anymore, a diet should consist of all three macronutrients: carbohydrate, protein, and good fat. It should nourish your body, and it should be enough to support your daily activity. If you or someone you know throws away food or is losing weight at an alarming rate, you should make sure to seek professional help.

About the Author
Emile Jarreau, aka, Mr. Fat Loss is fascinated by health, nutrition and weight loss. For more great info about eating disorder for losing weight and keeping it off visit http://www.MrFatLoss.com

How to Overcome Binge Eating.

2009-09-05T12:02:00.000+02:00

How to Overcome Binge Eating

People of all ages and economic situations can easily become prone to many eating disorders that eventually destroy them and their family if not remedied. I suppose that you have already heard or read about the more obvious ones, Bulimia or Anorexia but there is one other disease that is very insidious and that is Binge eating. It is a disease that creeps up on one and is very hard to overcome.

This is probably the worst of all overeating diseases. Of course there are time when we all can overindulge, Thanksgiving, Christmas or going out for a meal. I guess that is in some way acceptable, but the Binge Eater does it most every day. This is a major problem in his/her life and the condition usually makes the person overweight and unhappy. Not a Happy Bunny in any sense of the word.

It is a fact that a Binge eater will overeat to the extent that they will feel sick. They will usually eat many thousands of calories in a single sitting and many of the foods consumed are not nutritional and can include many types of `Comfort Foods`. They will often enjoy sweet or savoury foods and in some cases they can also have a problem with drinking alcohol. It is perfectly possible for a Binge Eater to consume more food in one day than a normal person will eat in a week and the food they eat can change from day to day.

The Binge Eater will not usually vomit in order to rid themselves of the food consumed, as does the average Bulimic or Anorexic. In consequence the individual tends to be rather overweight. He/she will often binge eat all of one day and then spend the next couple of days starving themselves or attempting to take some vigorous exercise in an effort to remain at the same weight. This is an extremely dangerous practice and can lead to many other problems for the person.

As can be expected Binge eating can lead to many other unpleasant diseases both physical as well as emotional. The condition usually begins when a person is suffering from some kind of problem and he/she feels that there is no answer to it, so they turn to eat for comfort and when they feel that they are getting some kind of relief, they become entangled with this disorder.

In order to learn how to eliminate this dangerous condition from their life, the Binge eater needs to find help as soon as is possible from their doctor and in order to learn how to lose their excess weight, they need a successful slimming plan.

For more information on such a slimming plan Click Here!

About the Author
The Author is a 78 years old Retiree who has many interests including the best ways of overcoming Binge eating. If you suffer frojm this ailment, you should read this article.

The Top Three Eating Disorders And Their Symptoms

2009-09-05T11:59:00.002+02:00

It is not known how many people are actually suffering from an eating disorder. The very nature of eating disorders and the shame attached to having them means that many people hide their disorder or refuse to acknowledge that they have a problem. Also the symptoms in the early stages of an eating disorder are very hard to diagnose. It is estimated that between 5 and 8 million people in the United States are suffering from an eating disorder, with the majority being white women between 12 and 35 years of age. The three most common eating disorders are described below.

Anorexia Nervosa The first picture that people visualize when thinking about eating disorders is that of a painfully thin young woman suffering from anorexia. In actual fact anorexia nervosa affects about 1 in 100 people and is the least common of the major eating disorders. It was just the first eating disorder that got lots of mainstream media attention. Although it is not as common as the eating disorders listed below, it is still the most dangerous and someone is twelve times more likely to die of anorexia than someone who is not suffering from an eating disorder. This is based on findings of the Academy for Eating Disorders. Someone struggling with anorexia is someone who is terrified of being fat. This fear dominates their entire life, even to the risk of ending that life. It does not matter what the scales or people around them say, this person believes they are always on the point of becoming fat. To stop this becoming a reality, the anorexic person simply stops eating and this can have drastic consequences for their health. Other symptoms of anorexia nervosa are purging (similar to people with bulimia) and compulsive over-exercising, all manifestations of a compulsion that they must lose weight.

Bulimia Nervosa People suffering with bulimia are known for the binge and purge cycle. Huge amounts of food are taken rapidly at once. Sometimes this is over ten thousand calories at a time. This is the bingeing phase. The next phase is the purging. This can take several guises but the aim is to get rid of the calories taken in. Purging is typically achieved through forced vomiting, use of laxatives and compulsive exercising. After this cycle, the sufferer usually feels ashamed and worthless. As with anorexics, bulimics attach a direct relationship between their weight and self worth. Bulimia is up to three times more common an eating disorder than anorexia nervosa and is often hand in hand with drug and alcohol problems.

Binge Eating Disorder People suffering from binge eating disorder follow the same behavior patterns as bulimics. The main difference being is that they don't follow the purging part of the cycle. They still feel the same levels of shame and worthlessness. To keep their weight fairly static, instead of purging, they will go through extended periods of extreme dieting. However lots of people with binge eating disorder become obese. This disorder is the most common of the eating disorders that affect men. Consequently up to 8 people in 100 in the United States have binge eating disorder.

About the Author
Lydia Clark is a journalist writing on all aspects of women's health. Her latest website is http://www.childrenspartyfavors.org where she provides information on the best childrens party favors to be found online.

Common Adolescent Eating Disorders

2009-09-05T11:55:00.002+02:00

Since the adolescence is the age where bones are sprout and grow rapidly, well nourished food must be given to the adolescent to facilitate normal growth & development. The nutritional intake must be monitored regularly and modified depending upon the growing needs. Teenagers tend to develop eating disorders which affect their nutritional health. The eating behavior must be corrected as early as possible as it can lead to the development of complex illnesses. Eating disorder is the third common chronic illness, especially in adolescent females and the number has been increasing rapidly from the past thirty years.

There are two subcategories of eating disorders, anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Anorexia nervosa is the restrictive form, where the intake of food is limited severely. In bulimia nervosa is the eating disorder where the adolescent binges on food and then tries to minimize the effects by forcibly vomiting, fasting, and catharsis or over exercising. When handling adolescence eating disorders, they must be handled differently from adult eating disorders. Adolescents face problems such as growth retardation, suppressed height, abnormal weight, pubertal delay, menstrual periods absence, and menses unpredictability. When the adolescent is growing there will be critical tissue components loss like loss of body fat, muscle mass and bone mineral.

Nutritional imbalance is also caused which reflect abnormalities in the levels of vitamins, mineral and other trace elements. The problem is that these abnormalities cannot be recognized clinically. But since protein and calories are essential to the growth of the adolescent, it is important to trace their abnormalities. Because of the problems, healthy adulthood is not a possible thing. Because of all these reasons, it is important to diagnose adolescence eating disorders as early as possible. Eating disorders give rise to peak bone mass impaired acquisition in case of adolescents. When they turn into adults, this problem aggravates to osteoporosis. Even internal organs get affected due to eating disorders. All this can be prevented by early intervention so as to limit, prevent and ameliorate medical complications, which can turn become life threatening.

Adolescents who practice unhealthy weight control practices and are obsessive about figure, weight, food or exercise should be treated clinically. Not only should the symptoms be checked, but their duration, intensity and frequency should also be checked. Although most of the physical complications caused due to eating disorders get solved with the help of nutritional rehabilitation some of the conditions become irreversible and the long term consequences of this are very dangerous. It is best if the eating disorders are recognized in the early stages as it won't result in irreparable damage. The medical monitoring should be pursued till the adolescent returns back to appropriate psychological and medical health.

Eating disorders not only result in physical abnormalities, but also psychological abnormalities. Adolescents with eating disorders take onto social isolation, low self esteem, affective disorders, low self concept, substance abuse, anxiety, and depression. Usually adolescents switch to unhealthy eating habits because of depression and lack of knowledge about affective techniques to lose weight. So the patients who are being treated for eating disorders must also be treated for psychiatric illness, if they have any. Even if the habits doesn't fit the strict criteria, adolescents who limit food intake, binge, vomit or purge accompanied with or without harsh weight loss, should be monitored because of the involvement of risk of even death. Early treatment will have an improved outcome. But the level of intervention in adolescents should be less when compared to adults.

About the Author
To learn about severe indigestion, stomach illness and other information, visit the Health And Nutrition Tips website.

Key Features of Eating Disorders

2009-09-05T11:51:00.002+02:00

If you are unsure of whether you or someone you know is suffering from an eating disorder, it would help for you to know the key features of eating disorders. The simple fact of the matter is, everybody is different and there is no blanket statement or recipe for an eating disorder. You could know someone who has a hearty appetite and not realize that he is binge eating, or know someone who looks like she's a healthy weight who is starving herself in order to avoid gaining weight. Nevertheless, there are some key features of eating disorders that can help you determine whether someone is in danger as a result of an eating disorder.

Key Features of Anorexia

If someone has anorexia, it likely that she will exhibit some of the following signs. She might refuse to keep her weight in a healthy range. She might express to you an irrational fear of getting fat. She might repeatedly deny that there is anything wrong with her weight, even though she is visibly too thin. It is also possible that she might stop menstruating, so if she ever mentions this to you, convince her to seek professional help immediately.

Depending on the kind of anorexia, she might exhibit some other signs. You might notice that she restricts her diet and exercise to an unhealthy level, or find her binge eating and purging. If you notice her losing weight rapidly, avoiding fattening foods, or saying she is never hungry, these are also good indicators that she is not willing to eat.

Key Features of Bulimia

In general, bulimia is characterized by frequent "purging", or getting rid of food in your body before it can be absorbed or digested. This can be done either through the repeated abuse of laxatives, excessive exercise, self-induced vomiting, diuretics, or fasting. If someone has bulimia, she will likely have recurrent episodes of binge eating, followed by purging. If any of these signs happen at least twice a week consistently, the victim has bulimia.

Like with anorexia, a bulimic is deliberately hoping to avoid getting fat, often with an irrational fear of it. They counteract the intake of calories by using drugs or purging their bodies. Often, they are always preoccupied with eating and food because their bodies aren't getting enough nutrients. If they consistently engage in overeating, followed by purging, they should seek medical help.

Mental Disorders

Anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating are not just physical illnesses. For someone to being suffering from a full-fledged eating disorder, they are also suffering from crippling self-doubt, low self-esteem, a distorted view of reality, abuse, or something that has convinced them that what they are doing is not only okay, but necessary. They may or may not want to change once they do it, because it starts to feel good. Unfortunately, they are on a slippery path once they start down it. Now that you know the key features of eating disorders, you should consider whether you or anyone you know is exhibiting those indicators and seek professional help immediately.

About the Author
Emile Jarreau, aka, Mr. Fat Loss is fascinated by health, nutrition and weight loss. For more great info about eating disorder for losing weight and keeping it off visit http://www.MrFatLoss.com

How An Eating Disorder Can Destroy You

2009-08-05T21:36:00.001+03:00

An eating disorder isn't something to be ashamed of. On the contrary, anorexia and bulimia are diseases, and like all diseases they can never be "blamed" on their victims. If you're sick, or have an addiction like exercise addiction, it isn't your fault, because your sickness is out of your control. The only catch, of course, is that the same principle is no less true of your healing.

No eating disorder victim ever gets better without professional help. You wouldn't expect a cancer patient to forgo the care of an oncologist. The same principle applies to eating disorder victims, for anorexia and even bulimia, and eating disorder treatment specialists. Whoever you are, however tough you believe yourself to be, you can't expect such complete nutrition and to achieve and lasting recovery outside of a private eating disorder treatment facility. The good news, though, is that the right choice will quite literally change your life.

Cliffside Malibu has a long history of helping eating disorder victims get better from the inside-out. Cliffside's secluded private estate is known throughout the world as a premier destination for eating disorders treatment, and the center's licensed counselors and therapists are leading figures in their respective fields. You already know what you stand to lose in the fight against your eating disorder. Now, for your own sake, it's time to let Cliffside Malibu show you what you stand to win. You will never, ever, regret having made the right decision.

As with all co-occurring disorders, Cliffside Malibu treats eating disorders as a co-occurring disorder with drug and or alcohol abuse.

If you'd like more information on this topic, please call 1-800-501-1988, or visit our website at www.cliffsidemalibu.com .

This press release may be used freely, provided that the resource box is included and the links are active. A courtesy copy of the issue or a link to any online posting would be greatly appreciated.

About the Author
Cliffside Malibu

Eating Disorder Treatment Saves Mind And Body

2009-08-05T21:32:00.001+03:00

Mesa, AZ, July 9, 2009/PressRelease/Anorexia and Bulimia are incorrectly thought of as issues that young girls go through in the name of vanity. Unfortunately this misconception leaves many people both men and women, suffering through these disorders without the help that they need. Often times Anorexia and Bulimia are a product of other deeper psychological problems that may not ever be addressed properly. Casa Palmera is an eating disorder treatment center that has developed techniques and therapies that will help individuals living with Anorexia or Bulimia regain back their lives.

Gone untreated both Anorexia and Bulimia will cause health problems. Anorexia causes more than weight loss. Hair loss, fragile nails, yellow skin, and skeletal damage all occur when the body is depleted and starved of the essential vitamins and minerals that the body needs to function properly. In some cases liver and kidney failure, and an irregular heartbeat may also occur, and all too often, when left untreated, death. Although people who suffer with Bulimia encounter the same medical problems, Bulimia brings with it its own set of maladies. From the act of purging alone a person with Bulimia will encounter bad breath and rotted teeth, and possible ruptures in the throat and stomach. The need for widespread attention to Anorexia and Bulimia is apparent, and required if we are going to stop the senseless deaths of people caught in the middle of a disorder they don't have the tools to overcome.

Integrating a holistic program that promotes total healing of the person both inside and out is how Casa Palmera addresses eating disorders. An integrative medical approach coupled with psychotherapeutic modalities address the medical and psychological aspects of eating disorders. Teaching the healthful balance of spiritual reflection, fitness, healthy eating, and stress management, a resident at Casa Palmera will learn how to live their life in a positive way that will be rewarding. Using relaxing exercises that focus on the entire person such yoga, and meditation, the body will respond greatly to recovery and with 24 hour care in a safe, nurturing environment, a resident of Casa Palmera will learn what is the healthy, self loving way to care for themselves.

The foundation of Casa Palmera's approach to health and well being is to treat the entire person based on 4 core elements. The staff at Casa Palmera is a diverse, comprehensive, extensively trained staff of professionals that work as a team to promote healing and giving the tools to each person and training them to use those tools to live a healthy, happy life.

If you are looking for an answer to your questions, if you are desperately worried about someone you love that is slowly killing themselves because of Anorexia or Bulimia and you know you have to get help, if you have tried other forms of anorexia treatment and it has failed, if you are looking for bulimia treatment that works, Casa Palmera is the answer. Casa Palmera can help you help the one you love. To schedule a consultation or if you just need to ask questions, contact Casa Palmera via email at info@casapalmera.com or call 888.481.4481.

About the Author
Contact Details: http://www.casapalmera.com/ Phone: 888.481.4481 14750 El Camino Real Del Mar, California 92014 US

Bulimia Eating Disorder - When people misuse food

2009-08-05T21:26:00.001+03:00

Bulimia is yet another eating disorder reality and one of the fastest growing neuroses in the western world. Unlike anorexia which is a very visible as serious disease, bulimia is a master of disguise and characterized by binging and purging behaviors. The person who face this type of disorder usually consume or eat a lot of food at once and then try to get rid of the excessive food either by vomiting, using laxatives or even sometimes by over-exercising. In addition to this, person with bulimia eating disorder is preoccupied with his or her weight and body image. These days this type of eating disorder is most common in adolescent and young adult women. This type of eating disorder might appear a tiny factor in their early stages, but with the passage of time it may develop and produce numerous negative effects. Though the exact and real cause of bulimia is not known, there are various factors that appear to cause its development, like:

•As per recent studies, it has been found that eating disorders occur more frequently in relatives of people with bulimia than in others. This incidence appears to be related to genetics, but family influences may also be important.
•Researchers have even recommended that altered levels of the chemical serotonin in the brain also play a major role. Serotonin levels are usually interrelated to the development of clinical depression.

Effects of Bulimia If we talk about the effects of Bulimia then we can see that the repeated loss of fluids and nutrients caused by bulimia can render a body useless. The sufferer may also feel fatigue and apathy. It may even lead to casualty, if the disease is not taken care of. The functioning power of internal organs can be severely disrupted by bulimia and more likely an organ may fail to work. Symptoms of Bulimia Bulimia may affect the whole body of the person and so it becomes very important to identify its warning signs, like-
•Extra obsession with calories and food
•Routine use of different medicines to control weight of body.
•Unusual swelling around the jaw.
•Over concern about body weight even if the person is not overweight
•Damaged tooth enamel & bad breath
•Sore throat or mouth sores
In addition to all this, people with bulimia might complain of general weakness, abdominal pain and loss of menstrual cycles. Sometimes, they might also complain of vomiting or diarrhea without telling that it is self-induced. Treating Bulimia Bulimia treatments should be followed strictly, if possible it must start from the early stages of the condition. Early treatment is very important, because if a person tries to delay in treating this eating disorder, excessive eating behavior pattern might further become more deeply ingrained and harder to change. Today many people suffering from Bulimia are treated by psychologists without being admitted to the hospital until a severe physical complication requires hospitalization. Therapies like Individual therapy, combined with group therapy and family therapy are new way of treating Bulimia eating disorder. These days often counseling combined with the use of antidepressant medication are widely practiced for treating Bulimia eating disorder. Apart from all this, as per recent observation it has been found that people with bulimia are more likely to have vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Moreover, vitamin deficiencies can result cognitive difficulties such as poor judgment or memory loss. Getting enough vitamins and minerals in daily diet or through supplements can correct the problems and reduce symptoms. Bulimia is usually a long-term disease, and so it also becomes very important for an individual who are suffering from Bulimia check his or her weight, exercise habits, and physical and mental health periodically.

About the Author
Kildare Street Clinic is a specialized eating disorder treatment center in Ireland. Get effective Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for treatment of Bulimia nervosa, Anorexia nervosa and other eating disorders.

Do Parents Cause Eating Disorders in Their Children

2009-08-05T21:19:00.001+03:00

There has been a lot of discussion lately on the roll of parents causing eating disorders in their children, is this the case or not?

It is very sensitive topic because it is painful for families to even think that they are a possible cause of their daughter/ son bulimia and/or anorexia. I am a medical doctor and suffered anorexia and bulimia for over 15 years. Also I have been involved in the treatment of hundreds of eating disorder sufferers. Personally, I don't know a family who wishes to foster eating disorders in their children. I would say that parents and the family do not cause eating disorders directly. However, I know first hand that the family atmosphere, parenting style and undiagnosed mental and emotional problems in parents contribute a lot to the development of eating disorders in their children. There is a lot of research around about the roll of genetic predisposition in eating disorders. Yes, eating disorders do have a genetic component as well, but it is only the vulnerability to develop an eating disorder not the disease itself that people can inherit. People can also inherit certain personality traits that make them vulnerable to developing eating disorders: like perfectionism, tendency towards anxiety and depression, competitiveness,impulsiveness, and extreme stubbornness. All these can make people vulnerable to developing eating disorders. It is the environment that turns people's vulnerability into the disease. The way people live their lives from their birth that can make genetic vulnerabilities become an illness. The first and most important environment people have is their family. Often people with eating disorders describe how in their childhood they had a tense family environment where parents very strictly and controlling.

Children in families like this don't have much space to experiment and to be free. These types of parents don't let their children find their own way in life, turning them into puppets that are forced to be followers and controlled by strict rules. In families like this children turn to eating disorders as a way to control their lives the best they possible can and to find emotional escape in the space of their eating disorder. The other type of families is the overprotective one. Their protective behaviour puts onto the child so many limitations that the child is likely to seek her/his freedom and escape in things like eating, non-eating and manipulating their own weight.

These parents cannot let their children be different than what their mental image of them is or the way they think the child should be. They look at the child's achievements only from the angle of their own desires and opinions. Most of parents in these types of families still want only the best for their children and don't even realize that what they are doing is bad for the child. Many parents have their own emotional issues to deal with, which are still unresolved and deeply rooted in their own childhood.

Some parents maybe even have undiagnosed mental disorders like OCD or personality disorders. Because these disorders have never been diagnosed parents are not aware of them and continue to put enormous pressure on their children and other family members. Many doctors and therapists consider that blaming parents for their children's disorder is not a good idea, because parents may feel guilty and shameful for the way they are themselves. These feelings of guilt and shame can stop parents from helping the child to recover and parents may even refuse to participate in the child's recovery program. Nevertheless, it is proven now that if the family atmosphere remains the same a non- loving, demanding, restrictive and an overprotective one, the child has little chance of getting better. The purpose of writing this article was not to put lots of blame onto parents, but just to warn the families of eating disorder sufferers that certain changes need to made in the family atmosphere if the family wants to help their loved one recover.

About the Author
Dr Irina Webster MD is the Director of Eating Disorder Institute. She is an author of many books and a public speaker. To learn more about eating disorders go to http://www.eatingdisorder-institute.com

Eating Disorders Can Be Developed By Even The Simple Act Of Dieting

2009-08-05T21:13:00.001+03:00

Eating Disorder Treatment

People often develop an eating disorder by simply dieting. They often believe that if they lose weight they will gain self confidence and feel better about themselves. Unfortunately, that is not what happens. In order to become the person that you are dreaming of being it will require a lot of hard work; you will have to have achievements and successful problem solving skills. There are no short cuts on this road and becoming the kind of person that you dream of being does not happen by being unhealthy. What will happen instead is poor health, severed relationships, being depressed, obsessed, anxious, guilty, and self-loathing. There surely are very many beautiful human beings in this world but what is on the outside is really what is the least important. In order to be successful and filled with confidence you must make a lasting impact on people you meet. You must make a strong physical presence. Be intelligent, funny, and filled with life. Be reliable, confident, strong, and competent. Respect yourself and in turn you will be respected. These are the tools that we will provide you with in our Eating Disorder Treatments, this is our goal. When you have an eating disorder, like binge eating, you need to reach out for Eating Disorder Treatment as soon as possible. Here you will be taught how to live healthy and peacefully with yourself and with food. Only qualified health professionals that have experience in eating disorders will be part of your treatment plan.

Eating Disorder Treatment Explained

Even some of the most self abuse does not constitute hospitalization. Most insurance will not pay for it anyways. Eating disorders can be so addictive that the chances of stopping them with outpatient treatment are nearly impossible. This is why Eating Disorder Treatment is such a great alternative. Most Eating Disorder Treatments take place on an inpatient basis. Some people like to attempt outpatient treatment first but the problem with that is that it is often insufficient or the severity of your eating disorder may be too advanced for outpatient facilities to accommodate it, you might need a more structured and intense program, and also outpatient therapy can cost a lot of money and many patients require repeated hospitalizations.

Residential treatment, for example anorexia treatment, offers clinical care around the clock in an environment that is much more relaxed. It is much more affordable and you are not in a hospital setting. You will never get short changed on help while we are treating you nor will your level of care ever be compromised at any time. It is very important to check out a number of places before you make concrete plans but we are confident that you will return to us because we are the best and we can offer you the best care possible.

Getting the Help You Need

Some people will opt for Eating Disorder Treatment right away and other people will spend time at an inpatient facility first. For eating disorders, residential treatment is growing greatly and becoming much more popular as a way to deal with this kind of illness. Not only is the cost very attractive but the level of care and treatment is second to none. Residents are involved in all areas of cooking, planning the meals, shopping, and other household duties that are required of daily living. Even for Bulimia recovery, no hospital can offer this form of treatment but it is so necessary if you are going to return home and be a successful member to society. While you are a resident you will have supervision along with treatment while monitoring your progress.

Eating Disorder Treatments are specifically designed for restoring and stabilizing habits for healthy eating. You will see your therapist regularly as well as a dietician and the psychiatrist. You will be involved in group therapy and staff is available round the clock. This is a very beautiful, successful, and comfortable treatment center.

As with all co-occurring disorders, Cliffside Malibu treats eating disorders as a co-occurring disorder with drug and or alcohol abuse.

If you'd like more information on this topic, please call 1-800-501-1988, or visit our website at www.cliffsidemalibu.com .

This article may be used freely, provided that the resource box is included and the links are active. A courtesy copy of the issue or a link to any online posting would be greatly appreciated.

Copyright 2009 Cliffside Malibu

About the Author
Cliffside Malibu

Eating Disorders Treatment: Narrowing Down The Search

2009-08-05T21:09:00.001+03:00

Eating Disorders

Eating disorders are devastating and life-threatening disorders. Choosing the right treatment facility is crucial in overcoming these disorders. We offer you referrals and recommendations to the finest luxury eating disorders treatment facilities in the world, because you deserve no less than the best in both treatment and accommodations. If you think you're suffering from an eating disorder, you need to get treatment right away. Because disorders like anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa have become common, there are many different places you can go for treatment. You could choose anything from an outpatient program to a live-in, long-term residential program. Some ED clinics are in a hospital-like setting, while others try to make you feel at home.

And then there are luxury treatment centers for eating disorders. There are good facilities worldwide that have clinical settings, and even outpatient programs that are good after you've been in residential treatment. But when you're looking for the finest luxury treatment facilities, there are still several to choose from. We'll help you pick the ones that are potential matches for you. After all, not every eating disorders facility will be right for every person. You're unique, and what works for someone else might not work for you.

Dangers of Eating Disorders

The most commonly talked about eating disorder is anorexia nervosa. With this disorder, a strong fear of gaining weight causes a person to eat very little, and sometimes stop eating altogether. Body weight drops below a healthy minimum weight, but the person suffering still feels like she needs to lose weight. She sees herself as if in a funhouse mirror. Though she's extremely thin, she sees an overweight person who still needs to lose weight. This distorted body image leads to more weight loss. If not caught early, weight loss can become so extreme that it becomes life threatening. While mostly women and girls develop anorexia nervosa, a small percentage of victims are men. Aside from weight issues, there are control issues for someone suffering from anorexia. The ability to control everything that goes into a person's body makes them feel powerful. And the more they restrict what they eat, the more in control they feel.

Bulimia nervosa is another common eating disorder, with health consequences that are just as potentially deadly as those found with anorexia. With such extreme consequences, it's important to find the best option when it comes to an eating disorders treatment center. With bulimia, the person doesn't restrict her food intake. Instead, she often does something called binge eating and purging. She'll eat excessive amounts of rich, fattening foods in a binge, and then cause herself to vomit to avoid digesting the calories. Sometimes it becomes so extreme that the sufferer feels the need to purge even small, healthy meals. Any food taken in must be purged out before the calories can be absorbed. The frequent vomiting erodes the surface of the teeth and damages the esophagus. And the person slowly starves, just as with anorexia. Both those suffering from bulimia and anorexia may use other dangerous practices to lose weight, like compulsive exercising, and using laxatives and diuretics.

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California Eating Disorder Treatment: A details Overview

2009-08-05T21:07:00.001+03:00

People have started giving preference to the looks of a person rather considering who he is. The reasons are many and it is quite difficult to avoid health problems. Eating disorder poses major threat to the health conditions. Eating disorder facilities must have a supportive environment and a connected community which can help people to learn what they could not have done being alone. It is very difficult to cope up with disorders and the severity may differ from each individual. Treatment centers must understand the needs of all the individuals and design programs accordingly.

Inpatient eating disorders treatment facility can be the toughest decision to abide by the patients. The treatment centers must often take pride to work with the individuals and help them in determining what they wanted in life. There should be a separate module of training according to the needs of the individuals. The centers must fix up their goals to motivate the patients and help them in understanding the impacts of disorder. One of the greatest benefits that a client could envisage is to get recover in his own environment.

California eating disorder treatment will help the clients to cope up with every pressure in life. It is important to separate the patients from the everyday challenges of life. It might be very hard to bring them back if they face those challenges regularly. There must be groups designed to assist people in setting up their goals and plan their activities while under the treatment. The follow-up groups are also set up to discuss the success issue and they monitor the progress of the patients. They can evidently feel the growing confidence and lasting relationships with peers.

Eating disorders are very much addictive and it is highly impossible to stop them with outpatient treatment. California eating disorder treatment is a great alternative here. There are several sessions carried out as a part of rehab program. They have 24/7 immediate care in a relaxed environment which has got less strain. The level of care and affection showed is immense at any time. The internet is the best source of information to collect data regarding various treatment centers and to compare their features. A best treatment center will have tons of good testimonials from their clients.

The kind of treatment can be decided upon the severity of disorder. Inpatient eating disorder treatment facility will include residential stay where patients will be involved in aspects like cooking, shopping, gardening and in other planning activities. These activities are very important if the patient has to be 100% perfect when he gets out of the treatment center. A resident can have supervision along with treatment while monitoring the progress. These centers must guarantee restoration and stabilization through healthy eating habits. Group therapy can be very much beneficial. People affected with such disorders can walk back to normal life within a short span of time by undergoing a rigorous treatment.

About the Author
If you want to know more about Eating Disorder Facilities then feel free to visit Inpatient Eating Disorders Treatment Facility

7 Signs That Michael Jackson Had an Eating Disorder

2009-07-11T14:11:00.001+03:00

Michael Jackson has died and there are speculations about the cause of his death. Stress, drug problems, weak lungs and heart and extremely low body weight are all implicated.

Numerous rumours suggest that at the time of his death Michael weighted slightly over 100 pounds. Taking into consideration his height 5'.10" his BMI at the time of his death was 14.3 (compare to a healthy range BMI between 18.5 and 25.) This is about 29 pounds lower than would be considered a healthy level.

Low body weight can be a symptom of many diseases but in Michael's case, reports saying that he suffered from an eating disorder.

Eating disorders often have their own causes and certain personality traits make different people more prone to developing them. Apparently, Michael Jackson had many personality traits that would make him susceptible to developing an eating disorder. His stressful life and deprived childhood could be causes for his mental problems.

According to many sources Michael Jackson suffered from Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa.

What are the facts that could point to Michael Jackson having an eating disorder?

1. Jackson did mention publically about how his father physically and verbally abused him as a child and how he developed an eating disorder (provoked by a fear of his father's discipline) by the age of seven.

2. After the case of alleged child "molestation" with a 13-year-old boy, Jordy Chandler, Jackson developed a drug addiction and his childhood bulimia came back to haunt him. The stress from this case put enormous pressure on fragile health of Michael. Although the charges were dropped and the boy refused to testify any further against his "best friend Michael", the damage was already done.

3. Many people who saw him closely over the last few years before his death said he was very thin and frail. They also said that he ate very little. 4. Because of the deep concern about his physical health Jackson postponed the opening night of his comeback in London by a week. Apparently he was worried about his ability to recreate his trademark exhilarating dance moves. This tiredness is also very indicative of an eating disorder; sustenance is needed to be able to do extraneous exercise, something Michael was struggling with.

It is obvious that his fatal heart attack was precipitated by weeks of strenuous fitness routines which could have contributed to his tragic death. Just a week before the tragic event he said: "I don't know how I'm going to do 50 shows. I'm not a big eater - I need to put some weight on".

5. A few months ago at his last appearance in front of the media he announced the comeback shows in London. When he made this announcement his body was skeletal and his skin was extremely pale. He had difficulties making it through the two-minute press conference.

The show promoters were in doubt about Jackson's ability to continue with the show and some even suspected that he wouldn't even make the first concert date, so they sent a doctor to look after him.

6. Michael Jackson obviously had lots of problems regarding his body image and perfectionism. He undertook numerous plastic surgeries, changed skin colour and supported different diets and body cleansing routines. All this had become his obsession and he performed these acts in very extreme unhealthy way. 7. His drug addiction also confirms his obsessive personality trait that is present it most eating disorder sufferers. Before his death he apparently was taking a cocktail of eight different prescription drugs: - Demerol (a painkiller that was injected 3 times daily by his doctor to stop his chronic back pain), - Dilauded (a painkiller he took orally for the same problem), - Vicodin (the third painkiller that was prescribed recently because of the back pain), - Soma (used for muscle relaxation, he took them orally), - Xanax (anti anxiety drug, he took them orally, twice daily), - Zoloft (antidepressant that influence his serotonin level in the brain, he took it orally, daily) - Paxil (another antidepressant that influences serotonin levels in the brain), - Antibiotics to stop skin infection after minor surgery.

This is enormous amount of drugs for anyone, even for a healthy person, but for Michael they were probably fatal.

It looks like Michael's eating disorder definitely contributed to his death. All the things make you wonder why the medical professionals who looked after Michael didn't do anything before his death about his eating problems.

You have to ask yourself why they allow him to stay on so many drugs while his body weight was extremely low. It is just another example of how little most medical professionals know or understand the seriousness of an eating disorder.

Michael would have had his eating disorder to cope with the stress in life. His Anorexia and Bulimia would have temporary made him feel good and he may have felt that nothing could hurt him while he had an eating disorder. This is quite common for suffers of an eating disorder, they actually think it is doing them good, while in reality it is killing them.

Michael had a myriad of problems we are all aware of that, but every time he was about to release a new song someone would file a law suit wanting all his money. Many people stayed around him and pretended to be close to him only for the sake of taking money from him one way or another.

The sad fact is that Michael should never have been allowed to develop an eating disorder in the first place; people who were close to him should have got him help years ago.

Eating disorder can get out on hand very quickly and can kill anyone especially if they have the same meticulous personality as Michael had: a perfectionist one.

The best way to stop this happening is to work on your mindset, educate yourself about how the brain works and how people develop these deadly obsessions. The right knowledge may help many of you to get better and not suffer the same fate as Michael Jackson.

About the Author
Dr Irina Webster MD is the Director of Eating Disorder Institute. She is an author of many books and a public speaker. To learn more about eating disorders go to http://www.eatingdisorder-institute.com

Loss Weight Fast and Anorexia Tips - Rapid Weight Loss Techniques

2009-07-11T14:07:00.001+03:00

As you know anorexia and bulimia are two of the most common eating disorders that is affecting the lifes of a large number of people. And you also know it is an extremely dangerous disorder because it can lead to death. By intentionally starving themselves, anorexics deprive their bodies of the nutrients, vitamins and minerals that are so vital to the functioning of the body. Yet in pursuit of beauty, many people are not just practicing such extreme weight loss method, but encouraging others to do so. A search through the internet will reveal some anorexic support groups. Another search through the net will reveal pictures of anorexics, all reduced to ragged, bony and shockingly unhealthy appearance rather than the slim, beautiful and healthy appearance they pursue.

Are there ways to fast weight loss without resorting to anorexia? The answer is yes, but it requires effort and determination. These are the two of the most important aspects to any weight loss programs. Even anorexia requires efforts and determination. The determination to avoid food no matter how hungry and weak they are feeling. And can you imagine the kind of effort needed to carry out their daily tasks, when their bodies' energy level is so low, and the various systems are not functioning properly due to the lack of nutrition? Well, if they are obsessed enough to do that, I'm sure they can easily achieve their goals in much healthier ways.

Let's look at a couple of simple ways that will help with your weight problem.

The first thing is to understand your body. Being overweight may not necessarily mean you are unhealthy. You may need to just lose a couple of pounds to reach your ideal weight. If you are really overweight, then its time to start looking for a program most suited for you. Begin with a simple healthy diet plan which includes lots of fruits, vegetables, lean meat and water etc. Avoid foods that are too oily or sweet. Then add a simple exercise plan like walking, swimming or dancing.

The next you need to do is to set goals or targets. Make them realistic, like maybe a few pounds a week. Once you have done that, it will help you stay focus and develop the proper mindset which will enable you to lose weight quickly as you go on your program.

To sum up, staying focused, determined and discipline is still your best bet to rapid weight loss. Simple dieting, workout together with the right amount of supplement daily will see that you achieve the results you want much faster than taking drastic or massive plans which often would lead to regaining the weight just as quickly.

About the Author
Dave Lu is a health and fitness enthusiast. He is constantly researching and writing articles as well as reviews on various weight loss and health care products available in the market. You can visit his review site at Best Weight Loss and Health Care Products Review for more information.

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