Eating Disorders
Overview
Abnormal attitude to food
They tend to focus exclusively on their fat leading to making unhealth choices with damaging results
Types of Eating disorders
Starving and excessive Anorexia – keep weight low
Bulimia – Control body weight by binge, vomiting, purging laxatives.
Binge Eating – Compulsion to overeat
Unhealthy Beliefs
How is problem being maintained.
Unhealthy beliefs are prominent feature
Regarded as being at the heart of psychotherapy.
UHB regarding shape and Weight are indicative of eating disorders.
Self-value – based on body shape and weight is also at the core of eating disorders
Most Important Components of Eating Disorders
Strict dieting – low weight and binging
Low weight – extreme hunger and binging
Binging – trigger for UHB and UNE
Compulsory behaviour leads to dieting which causes hunger, low weight, binging and more dieting.
Interaction
4 Components trigger an interacting system of
- Behaviour
- Emotions
- Beliefs
- Personality traits
- Psychological problems
This system is responsible for most important symptoms
One can argue that eating disorders are Cognitive disorders
Causes
Social pressures often blamed but its more complex
Could be biological or influencing factors combined with experience that may provoke the disorder.
Other factors
Risk factors.
Family history – eating disorders depression
Criticism – for their eating habits, body shape and weight
Overly concern – combines with pressure to be thin/slim
Obsessive Personality – anxiety disorder, low self-esteem or being a perfectionist.
Sexual or emotional – or death of someone
Difficult relationship – with family or friends
Stressful situation – problems at wok, school etc