Eating Disorders

Eating disorders involve a disturbance of eating habits or weight control behaviour which result in impairments to physical health or which affect the young person psychological and social functioning,

An eating disorder occur in people who over evaluate their body shape and weight. Those experiencing an eating disorder see their self-worth largely in terms of their body shape and weight and their ability to control these.

Most commonly, eating disorders develop from age 16 to 19, including anorexia, bulimia and binge eating. To summarise, anorexia is self-induced weight loss through food avoidance, vomiting and/or excessive exercise. Bulimia includes binge eating and then self-induced vomiting.

Behavioural changes to be aware of may include:

• A preoccupation with food
• Becoming withdrawn
• Cutting out foods that were once enjoyed
• Excessive exercising
• Inducing vomiting
• Avoiding meal times with others
• Excessively analysing food labels or counting calories
• Lying or evading questions about types and amounts of food consumed, exercising.