The 3 Types Of Eating Disorders Displayed By Bodybuilders

It is very easy for a body builder, especially in advanced and or intermediate levels of training, to fall prey to an eating disorder. This is because of the emphasize usually put on eating as part of the body building program. This article will examine the three types of eating disorders exhibited by body builders the world over and give some characteristic symptoms of each. Try to establish whether any of them sounds familiar to you and then take remedial action.

One thing to remember is that body builders with eating disorders are very adept at hiding the symptoms and deceiving even themselves that they are okay when in reality, they are on a downward spiral. So if you are unaware or unwilling to admit this, it is time you confronted the problem head on and attempt to overcome it whatever the magnetite of the problem is, for that is the only chance you have at taking your body building progress to the next level.

People from just about any walk of life could suffer from an eating disorder or disordered eating. And, many people with eating disorders become very adept at hiding the signs and symptoms that their friends and family may be very unaware that anything is going on or they may know but be unaware of the magnitude of their loved one's struggle.

The first eating disorder is called anorexia nervosa and refers to a semi starvation and extremely rapid weight loss. The condition is potentially life-threatening and if the eating disorder goes unchecked, it can wreck havoc to a body builders training program and or health. The key symptoms of include being unable or even unwilling to maintain the body at a normal weight figure. People with anorexia nervosa have an intense fear of body fat. Even they are grossly underweight, they will still live in fear of getting fat, thereby omitting any starch or sugar from their diet. Most people, especially those in fitness related careers like modeling will always prefer maintaining their weight at about 85% below the normal and ideal weight. This people will starve themselves without mercy and survive on fruits and water for days. In effect, muscle catabolism is perpetually on, thereby endangering their life.

Women with anorexia nervosa regularly miss their periods such that three or more periods will be absence from the menstrual cycle, sometimes consecutively. These people place extreme emphasis on their body weight or physical shape and constantly deny the fact that they are underweight.

The second eating disorder is opposite of anorexia nervosa. It is called bulimia nervosa and is also potentially life-threatening. The bulimia nervosa eating disorder has the main characteristic being a perpetual cycle binge eating and resultant purging due to guilt. Body builders with bulimia nervosa, frequent consume large amounts of food and then because they feel guilty after it, they start a purging process of punishing the body through extreme exercising, diuretic abuse, self-induced vomiting and laxative measures. In most times they exhibit absolute loss of control over their eating behavior and yet they are extremely concerned with their body weight and shape, that being the reason why they respond to binges with punishing measures.

The third type of eating disorder is called binge eating, which is alike the bulimia nervosa except that in binge eating, the recurrent overeating is not followed by purging. Binge eaters have no regrets and do nor even feel bad after overeating, since they lack the care or shape and weight.