In order to really get the most from my performance, I felt it was important to do some research in to eating disorders, facts, figures and information to help me understand the subject better. Here is a list of my findings.
NHS choices states, “Around 1 in 250 women and 1 in 2,000 men will experience anorexia nervosa at some point. The condition usually develops around the age of 16 or 17.
Bulimia is around five times more common than anorexia nervosa and 90% of people with bulimia are female. It usually develops around the age of 18 or 19.
Binge eating usually affects males and females equally and usually appears later in life, between the ages of 30 and 40. Due to the difficulty of precisely defining binge eating, it is not clear how widespread the condition is” (2011, p.1).
NHS choices suggests, “Risk factors that can make someone more likely to have an eating disorder include:
- having a family history of eating disorders, depression or substance misuse
- being criticised for their eating habits, body shape or weight
- being overly concerned with being slim, particularly if combined with pressure to be slim from society or for a job (for example ballet dancers, models or athletes)
- certain characteristics, for example, having an obsessive personality, an anxiety disorder, low self-esteem or being a perfectionist
- particular experiences, such as sexual or emotional abuse or the death of someone special
- difficult relationships with family members or friends
- stressful situations, for example problems at work, school or university” (2011, p.1).
Here is a table from Beat’s (beating eating disorders) website.
Symptoms of Anorexia
| Physical signs | Behavioural signs | Psychological signs |
| Severe weight loss | Wanting to be left alone | Intense fear of gaining weight |
| Periods stopping (Amenorrhoea) | Wearing big baggy clothes | Depressed |
| Hormonal changes in men and boys | Excessive exercising | Feeling emotional |
| Difficulty sleeping | Lying about eating meals | Obsession with dieting |
| Dizziness | Denying there is a problem | Mood swings |
| Stomach pains | Difficulty concentrating | Distorted perception of body weight and size |
| Constipation | Wanting to have control | Thinking about food all the time |
| Poor circulation & feeling cold | Feeling guilty after eating |
Symptoms of Bulimia
| Physical signs | Behavioural signs | Psychological signs |
| Sore throat / swollen glands | Eating large quantities of food | Feeling ashamed, depressed and guilty |
| Stomach pains | Being sick after eating | Feeling out of control |
| Mouth infections | Being secretive | Mood Swings |
| Irregular periods | Abusing laxatives | Feeling guilty after eating |
| Dry or poor skin | ||
| Difficulty sleeping | ||
| Sensitive or damaged teeth |
Symptoms of Binge Eating Disorder (BED)
| Physical signs | Behavioural signs | Psychological signs |
| Weight gain | Eating large quantities of food | Feeling depressed and out of control |
| Eating inappropriate food | Mood swings | |
| Being secretive | Emotional behaviour | |
| Feeling guilty after eating |
(Beat, 2010, p.1)
According to Eating Disorders Online there are several types of eating disorders including the commonly known ‘anorexia nervosa’ and ‘bulimia nervosa’ and ‘binge eating’, but, also, ‘anorexia athletica’ which is ” commonly used in mental health literature to denote a disorder characterized by excessive, obsessive exercise. Also known as Compulsive Exercising , Sports Anorexia, and Hypergymnasia” (Eating Disorders Online, 2008, p.1), ‘Over eating’ which is “not a specific diagnosis of any sort but may rather refer to a discrete incident of eating too much such as during holidays, celebrations, or while on vacation, or it may refer to habitual excessive eating” (Eating Disorders Online, 2008, p.1), ‘NES’ (Night Eating Syndrome) “People with NES tend to not eat in the morning and consume very little during the first half of the day. The majority of their calories are then consumed in the evening hours, so much so that sleep may be disturbed so that a person can eat” (Eating Disorders Online, 2008, p.1), ‘ Orthorexia’ which “refers to a fixation on eating “pure” or “right” or “proper” food rather than on the quantity of food consumed” (Eating Disorders, Online, 2008, p.1), and finally ‘EDNOS’ (Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified) which is where a person is not diagnosed with a specific eating disorder, “When people exhibit behaviours in the spectrum of disordered eating but do not meet all the criteria for Anorexia Nervosa or Bulimia, they are given a diagnosis of an Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (EDNOS). Over one-half to two-thirds of people diagnosed with eating disorders fall into the category of EDNOS”(Eating Disorders Online, 2008, p.1).
Furthermore, some people who have issues with eating and drinking do not have an eating disorder but a phobia of food itself. This is called ‘Cibophobia.’
If anyone is particularly interested in the topic of eating disorders please follow the links in my works cited for furthermore information. Unfortunately, I was unable to gather much information on ciophobia from what I would call ‘trustworthy legitimate sources’ but feel free to research that further as well.
Works Cited
Beat: Beating Eating Disorders, (2010), Do I Have an Eating Disorder? Online: http://www.b-eat.co.uk/get-help/about-eating-disorders/do-i-have-an-eating-disorder/ (accessed: 14 March 2013).
Eating Disorders Online, (2008), Types of Eating Disorders, Online: http://www.eatingdisordersonline.com/explain/index.php (accessed: 14 March 2013).
NHS Choices, (2011) Eating Disorders, Online: http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Eating-disorders/Pages/Introduction.aspx (accessed: 14 March 2013).