EATRITE - 3d - Eating Disorders

1. WHAT ARE WE DEALING WITH WHEN EATING DISORDERS APPEAR?

ANOREXIA NERVOSA:
Nervous disorder. “Dieting gone wild”
Person turns away from food – becomes more introverted
Turns away from food to cope with life’s stresses
Severe weight loss (or failure to gain weight)
Iron determination to become thin – intensifies as weight is lost
Denial of their hunger
Most anorexics strongly deny the disorder
Denies illness often until extremely serious
Intense irrational fear of becoming fat – intensifies as weight is lost
Grim determination to become thinner and thinner
Refuses to maintain a healthy weight
Inability to control weight loss
Decrease the consumption of foods containing animal fats
Peculiar patterns of handling foods
Loses weight through: caloric restriction, fasting, exercising, diet aids,
diuretic and laxative abuse, sometimes self-induced vomiting
Social withdrawal
Avoids intimacy
Negates their feminine role
Tries to have rigid control of their behaviour
Distorted image of their body – see themselves as “fat”
Unusual sensitivity to cold
Perfectionist, accompanied by profound sense of ineffectiveness
Fine hair on the body surface – Lanugo
Loss of menstruation
Loss of memory
Poor self-image
Compulsive lying
Approximately 40% of those with anorexia nervosa suffer with bulimia as well.

BULIMIA:
Emotional disorder. Secret binge eating and then purging
Tends to develop in late adolescence and early adulthood – not always
Turns to food for comfort, security – becomes more extrovert
Seeks intimacy
Aspires to the feminine role
Less distorted self-image
Recognises illness but may not seek help
Inability to control the secret binge-purge cycle
Awareness that their eating is abnormal and out of control
More common than Anorexia Nervosa
Binge eating followed by self-induced vomiting, fasting, diet pills, diuretics, laxatives
Prolonged strenuous exercising for the purpose of weight control
Poor self-image
Self deprecating thoughts
Recurrent depressed moods and mood swings
Binge-purge cycle is an outlet for feelings of frustration, disappointment, anger, loneliness and boredom
May be accompanied by other impulsive behaviours: shoplifting, self-injury, alcohol and/or drug abuse
Frequent weight fluctuations or
Fear of weight gain so may show little or no weight change
Problems with throat, oesophagus, stomach and colon
Persistent mineral salt loss
Dental problems
Memory loss (particularly with laxative users)
Compulsive lying

COMPULSIVE OVEREATING:
Addiction disorder - Irresistibly drawn to harmful eating
Pattern tends to develop in late adolescence and early adulthood
Compulsiveness intensifies during periods of life stress and trauma
Repeated attempts to control weight followed by regaining the weight lost, and more
Feelings of frustration, disappointment, anger, loneliness, boredom
Some compulsive eaters consume excessive amounts of food in secret, others ‘graze’ throughout the day and into the evening and night
Aware that their eating patterns are abnormal
Feel powerless to stop their behaviour and control their eating
Feelings of failure, worthlessness and self-hate
Moderately to severely overweight
Guilty and remorseful after overeating
Eat when not hungry
Have tried various diets
Any weight loss is temporary
Poor self-control
Self-indulgent behaviour
Mood swings
Inability to admit and/or discuss the problem
Feelings of self-worth dependent on losing weight
Efforts to control weight fail repeatedly – result: loss of ordinary will-power
Intense fear of binging/eating getting out of their control
Reducing/eliminating of normal physical activities
Increasing social isolation
General ill-health

2. THERE IS NOTHING NEW UNDER THE SUN

Job 3:24,25

Satan uses food as well to cause us to stumble.

3. CAUSES OF EATING DISORDERS

Eating disorders can be seen as a symptom of more deep-seated problems.

Look at your family relationship problems – with father, with mother, with siblings and extended family. There is a common trait of high achievers who are never satisfied with their, or your achievement. There is often a lack of recognition and acknowledgement and/or love.

Anorexic and bulimic tendencies commonly stem from early teen years. There is a prevalence of lack of understanding by parents of daughters particularly.
This may evolve into a lack of understanding from, and of, a spouse.

Sexual abuse, persistent teasing and low self-image during childhood can also add to the “void” in which the problem will find a place to take up “residence” and thrive.

Tremendous peer-pressure fuels the anorexics and bulimics desire to lose weight. It also fuels their feelings of inadequacy and low-self-image.

4. WHAT CAN BE DONE?!

We are body mind and spirit. Anorexia, Bulimia and Compulsive eating have to be defeated in all three areas over and over. They are all SERIOUS, COMPLEX, PROGRESSIVE and DANGEROUS physical AND emotional conditions.
These serious problems have to be admitted before progress can be made. Hospitilisation is often required to stabilize the body.
Work alongside a medical and/or mental health practitioner for more success.

Body:
Advice from a dietician will be helpful.
Frequent, small meals of very small quantities will constitute a good start.
Fruit, vegetables, nuts, provita, cheese, eggs will be nourishing.

Mind:
This is where the real problem of the eating disorders exists.
Controlling weight gives the illusory ‘comfort’ that there is SOME control.

It will take time, persistence, patience and a heavy reliance on the Holy Spirit to
pin-point and deal with these problems among others: rejection, lack of love,
poor self-image, bitterness, guilt, anger, fear, forgiveness.

Spirit:
All sickness, disease and evil is of Satan.
Eating disorders are sicknesses/diseases and must also be seen in this light.
They have to be overcome by prayer and appropriate grieving for what has been lost, and learning and living in a disciplined, rational, physically healthy manner.

5. THE ENVIRONMENT

The family needs to be instructed and counseled and learn about eating disorders. All need to increase in personal mental health and become more mutually supportive.
Eating Disorders are not an individual’s problem – they are a family affair.

Homework 3d:
Think on the types of EATING DISORDERS (3d) – become more aware.
Determine how much of each type you think you might have.
Get the help you might need beyond what you can do for yourself.

- Leslie Hand