Eating disorders: what are they and how do they effect people?

Hi there, it's me again, this time talking to you about unhealthy eating behaviours and eating disorders, which are often due to psychological or emotional difficulties. If you are constantly worrying about your weight and obsessing about food then you might develop abnormal and unhealthy eating behaviours.

What is an eating disorder?

Eating disorder might mean:

• starving yourself or limiting calories,
• eating only certain things at the expenses of a healthy and balanced diet,
• eating lots of junk food in a short period of time (binging),
• taking drastic measures to reduce or maintain your body weight (binging, vomiting, taking diuretics or laxatives, excessive exercise)

You might think that your efforts to control your eating habits are a healthy way to achieve the body you want, but if they control your life things may have gotten out of control. Maybe you have started with a plan to lose a few pounds, but your behaviour has turned into an unhealthy and destructive eating pattern. Eating disorders can significantly damage normal body functioning and can be life-threatening!!!