Anorexia is a condition commonly defined as self-induced starvation.  This definition can be misleading because a person with anorexia is often hungry but will refuse to eat by denying their own hunger and need for food as a result of an intense and distorted fear of becoming fat.  Other symptoms include excessive weight loss, restrictive control of caloric and fat intake, as well as obsessive thoughts of food/preparation and extreme worry about body shape and size.

SOME PHYSICAL COMPLICATIONS OF ANOREXIA NERVOSA

• Heart damage (murmur, rhythm disturbance, heart failure)
• Kidney problems (stones, kidney failure)
• Bone density problems
• Low blood sugar, low pulse, low respiratory rate, elevated cholesterol
• Electrolytic imbalances
• Dehydration and malnutrition
• Constipation or slower emptying of food from the stomach
• Changes in menstrual cycle
• Low body temperature, slowed circulation
• Deteriorating hair and nail quality
• Sleep disturbances
• Skin rash, lanugo hair (soft hair that appears on the body for warmth)
• Water retention, bloating, abdominal pain
• Depression and mood swings
• Reduced energy

Bulimia is characterized by a secretive cycle of binge eating followed by engaging in compensatory behaviors such as purging or using laxatives to prevent weight gain.

• A binge consists of eating an amount of food that is definitely larger than most individuals would eat under similar circumstances usually within a 2 hour period.

• Compensatory behaviors are divided into categories: Purging and Non-purging.

• The purging behaviors include induced vomiting, the use of laxatives and diuretics while the non-purging behaviors involve excessive exercise and alternating periods of strict dieting or fasting.

SOME PHYSICAL COMPLICATIONS OF BULIMIA NERVOSA

• Esophageal problems (tears, bleeding, rupture)

• Stomach injuries (inflammation of lining, rupture)

• Intestinal injuries (ulcers, bloody stools)

• Lung complications

• Kidney and heart complications (kidney stones, kidney failure, uneven heart rate, heart failure, diseased heart muscle)

• Skin problems

• Erosion of tooth enamel

• Swollen salivary glands

• Changes in menstrual cycle

• Rectal bleeding

• Dehydration

• Depression and mood swings

Binge eating disorder is characterized by frequently eating more food than most people would consume in a similar period of time. This disorder is marked by periods of impulsive gorging or continuous overeating while feeling out-of-control (as though one cannot stop or control how much he/she is eating).

SOME POTENTIAL PHYSICAL COMPLICATIONS OF BINGE EATING

• Joint Problems

• Sleep Disturbances

• Type II Diabetes

• Depression and Mood Swings

• Anxiety

• Elevated Cholesterol Levels

• Cardiac Instability

• Hypertension