"I am on a diet", how often
have you heard that from many of the people you meet everyday! In fact the word
diet comes from the Greek word diaita, which literally means, “manner of
living” and not just a reduction in calorie intake, as many may think.
Actually,
a healthy diet or “way of eating” involves following a varied and balanced meal
plan combined with adequate physical activity. However, when dieting becomes
excessive and involves obsessive behaviors regarding food and weight, it is no
longer considered a diet and becomes an eating disorder.
Eating
disorders have serious health consequences and they include several types, with
the two major ones being Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa.
What is Anorexia Nervosa?
Usually more prevalent among women and adolescents than men, Anorexia is
usually characterized by a significant weight loss because of excessive
dieting. Generally, individuals with Anorexia starve themselves to a state
beyond thinness, and will still think they are fat!
Unsurprisingly,
Anorexics are usually very thin and weigh themselves repetitively. They count
their calories and weigh their food obsessively, eating very little and often
refusing to admit that they are skipping meals.
What are the health complications of Anorexia? Being
severely underweight will disrupt hormone levels, resulting in ovulatory
dysfunction, which might cause a menstrual cycle to stop (amenorrhea). It could
also lead to severe constipation due to a lack of food, which slows down the
motility of intestines. Other health complications include anemia, low blood
pressure, dehydration and irregular heartbeats.
What is Bulimia Nervosa? And what are its health implications?
This
disorder is characterized by episodes of eating and purging. People with
Bulimia (Bulimics) usually have recurrent episodes of binge eating, in which
they will eat to the extent of discomfort to satisfy hunger. This is followed
by a felling of guilt, leading them to remove all food consumed in order to get
rid of those consumed calories and avoid gaining weight. Purging includes
self-induced vomiting, the use of laxatives or diuretics, fasting or exercising
vigorously. Unlike Anorexics, people with Bulimia aren't always underweight,
their weight would be within normal limits and they don't usually experience
the cessation of menstrual periods.
Health complications Excessive vomiting
leads usually to dental caries and damaged gums. It might also cause sores in
the throat and mouth. In addition, the excessive use of laxatives and diuretics
would lead to the body losing much of its water, thus leading to dehydration.
What’s more, irregular eating behavior might lead to depression and anxiety,
mainly because bulimics are in a continuous cycle of guilt for eating excessive
quantities of food, followed by extreme compensatory behaviors to make up for
the binges. Other complications include irregular heartbeats and periods.
In
the end, eating disorders are a serious complication with life threatening
results. This is why it is good to know about them. So if you have a friend or
family member with such symptoms, support them and advise them about the need
for psychological and nutritional counseling. Lastly, and most importantly,
remember thinner doesn't always mean healthier.
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