Eating Disorders - Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

Everybody eats too much sometimes. After all, what would the point of Thanksgiving be if it wasn't to stuff ourselves? At what point does an occasional indulgence turn into a real problem? Compulsive overeating is when you eat for reasons other than hunger and past the point of feeling full. People suffering with this eating disorder tend to be overweight, and are usually aware that their eating habits are abnormal.

Causes of Eating Disorders

Most people perceive people with eating disorders as having an obsession with food. However, this perception is just a myth because the real cause of eating disorders is usually a deeper psychological problem that a person has to deal with. Eating disorders can also occur in people who are suffering from physical or mental problems that cannot be dealt with appropriately. In this case, consulting a psychiatrist or a therapist can usually help a lot in preventing a person from developing eating disorders.

An eating disorder can consist of starving, purging or stuffing. Regardless of the exact causes of eating disorders, the individual should seek professional help as soon as possible.

The psychological causes can be many, it could be a trauma that created a negative self body image and then the eating disorder. Low self esteem, problems in a relationship, perfectionism, sexual trauma those are causes also. Negative remarks on the body image of a teenager can have a huge impact on her emotions and mental health

Biological factors. Studies indicate that certain people may have a genetic predisposition to develop an eating disorder and that it probably runs in the family. Several researches prove that having a biological mother or sister with an eating disorder (anorexia, bulimia, binge eating) increases an individual's likelihood of developing the same disease. A study involving twins also support this conclusion.

Symptoms of Eating Disorders

Eating disorders plague millions of men and women throughout the world. Many people don't seek help and eventually die from their disease. Eating disorders are diseases. They afflict the mind, tricking the individual into thinking he or she needs to take the most drastic measures to change his or her appearance. The individual then takes action, be it binge eating, starving themselves, or purging.

A less detected, but still dangerous eating disorder is binge eating. Still another type of eating disorder is compulsive eating. Compulsive eating is known to afflict the most number of people among all the eating disorders but the symptoms of this condition are often very mild so it is not detected until the situation is severe.

They always engage themselves in a compulsive exercise regimen.

They always feel fat despite the glaring fact that they are already below the normal weight.

Continuously exercising

Running to the bathroom following meals

Spending long period of time in bathroom with water running to hide vomiting sounds

Treatment of Eating Disorders

Why do such places exist, anyway? Who in their right mind would think it is okay to promote a disease as if it were a good thing instead of a bad thing? It doesn't matter how little sense it makes. What matters is that they do exist and they are causing harm to hundreds, if not thousands of people just by keeping them from seeking treatment.

Part of the gymnastics training program should involve lecture sessions given by nutritionists to educate the young athletes on proper nutrition and why eating healthy is necessary to fuel a body undergoing such strenuous activities. It is also crucial that gymnasts who already have eating disorders are encouraged and supported to seek help, and that counseling be available to them when they do. Gymnasts who suffer from eating disorders need the assurance that they will not be subject to criticism or disparaging treatment if they come forward and acknowledge their need for help.