How Dieting Leads to Eating Disorders

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When a person goes on a diet, they are usually trying to lose weight to enhance or improve their appearance. There are many different way to go about this, including restricting certain foods from a diet or increasing the amount of exercise throughout the day. But sometimes a dieter goes overboard and their attempts to lose weight become drastically unhealthy and dangerous. There have been many people who has lost their lives to having an eating disorder, including gymnast, Helga Brathen; singer, Karen Carpenter; actress, Lena Zavaroni and Christ Henrich.

In today’s society, an eating disorder is mostly associated with someone who is using unhealthy methods to achieve a skinny physique. Bulimia and anorexia are the most common types of eating dosorders that you will encounter, but there is another type that is sometimes not readily considered, which is binge-eating. Below you will find the descriptions of some of these disorders:

Bulimia Nervosa

When a person suffers from bulimia nervosa, they participate in reoccurring cycles of binge-eating. Binge-eating is described as eating an amount of food that is more than most people would normally consume. Binge-eaters experience a feeling of being out of control. After they binge-eat, they engage in some form of purging, which includes such methods as vomiting, abusing laxatives and/or abusing diuretics. This is their attempt to prevent weight gain. Depression is also associated with bulimia nervosa.

Bulimia Nervosa Warning Signs
 

Eating uncontrollably

Purging by strict dieting, fasting, vigorous exercise or vomiting

Abusing laxatives or diuretics

Using the bathroom frequently after meals

Preoccupation with body weight

Depression

Mood swings

Feeling out of control

Swollen glands in neck and face

Heartburn

Bloating

Irregular periods

Dental problems

Constipation

Indigestion

Sore throat

Vomiting blood

Weakness and exhaustion

Bloodshot eyes

Binge-Eating

When a person suffers from a binge-eating disorder, they feel no control over the amount of food that they eat. After they binge-eat, they do not vomit, abuse laxatives and diuretics. They just engage in the compulsive overeating aspect of this behavior.

Binge-Eating Warning Signs

Episodes of binge eating

Eating when not physically hungry

Frequent dieting

Feeling unable to stop eating voluntarily

Weight fluctuations

Depressed mood

Feeling shame

Antisocial behavior

Obesity

Anorexia Nervosa

Anorexia nervosa deals with the strong fear of being or becoming fat. People who practice this lifestyle try to maintain an emaciated body weight. There about 50% of anorexia nervosa patients who engage in self-induced vomiting and/or the abuse of laxatives.

Anorexia Nervosa Warning Signs

Loss of a significant amount of weight

Continuing to diet when thin

Feeling fat even after losing weight

Intense fear of weight gain

Loss of monthly menstrual periods

Preoccupation with food, calories, fat content and nutrition

Preferring to diet in isolation

Cooking for others but not eating the food

Hair loss

Cold hands and feet

Fainting spells

Exercising compulsively

Lying about food

Depression and anxiety

Weakness and exhaustion

Periods of hyperactivity

Constipation

Heart tremors

Dry, brittle skin

Shortness of breath

The major cause of eating disorders is the drastic or chronic reduction of food consumption. Many attribute a rise in this behavior to the social pressures to become a thinner individual. This leads many to begin a diet. Many other factors contribute to the presence of an eating disorder, including psychological, biological, as well as familial pressures. A person can feel burdened by one or more of these factors. Other things that can contribute to the development of an eating disorder also include low self-esteem, poor body image, depression, emotional instability, as well as perfectionism.

Other celebrities who have admitted to have struggled with an eating disorder include:

Actress, Christina Ricci (anorexia)
Singer, Fiona Apple (anorexia)
Singer, Brandy (diet pill abuse)

Actress, Courtney Thorn-Smith (undereating, overexercising)

Models, The Barbi Twins (overexercising, bulimia, anorexia)
Comedienne, Joan Rivers (bulimia)

Actress, Justine Bateman (bulimia)

Singer, Paula Abdul (bulimia)

Actress, Sally Field (bulimia)

Actress, Jamie-Lynn Sigler (eating disorder)

Actress, Tracey Gold (anorexia nervosa and bulimia)

Actress, Mary-Kate Olsen (anorexia)