There has been an awful lot of media coverage about eating disorders recently, with campaigners adamant that the use of thin models in magazines encourages young girls to starve themselves.
Whatever the reason for an eating disorder, it is a complex matter which in many cases will need professional help to recover from. If you, or someone you know has a problem with food, please seek help, there are some links on our links page to some excellent sites offering information and support for sufferers.
At Calorie Counter we do not encourage you to become fixated with food. Dieting makes us miserable. We do encourage you to develop a healthy attitude towards food so that you can enjoy, and not worry about what you eat and your weight.
For those with Anorexia or Bulimia, being a normal weight is not acceptable, every moment of the day is consumed with thinking of ways to be thinner and dramatic weight loss is seen a as a triumph.
These are some common signs and symptoms of an eating disorder:
ANOREXIA NERVOSA:
- Fear of food and getting fat coupled with excessive weight loss and obsession with diets, food and calories
- Appearance of fine, downy hair on the body and cheeks, loss or thinning of hair from head
- Enjoyment of cooking for others, but barely eating
- Constant weighing and excessive exercising
- Depression,denial and hiding of the problem
- Physical signs like shortness of breath, stopping of periods and heart tremors
BULIMIA:
- Uncontrollable binges followed by self inflicted sickness
- Swollen glands and sore throat
- Ulcers and broken blood vessels on the face
- Obsession with food, depression and anxiety
Getting better from a condition such as these is a long road, and many sufferers have re-occuring bouts of their illness. However hard it seems, listen to and accept the support of those who care about you. When you get better and reach a normal weight, you then realise that life needn’t be so miserable. It is a wonderful feeling to relish your food again, to able to eat a bit of what you fancy and not worry about it – your whole perspective of life changes and you realise how many other things there are out there to fill your time and enjoy.