The Effects of Eating Disorders

The effects of eating disorders can be devastating.

Anorexia and all eating disorders cause damage to our minds and bodies that can easily go beyond the point of repair.

Some of the effects of anorexia and other eating disorders are listed here, but before reading please note that there are many men and women suffering with many of the effects of eating disorders that do not appear in any specific weight range.

Those with anorexia can be slightly overweight... while those with Compulsive Eating can be slightly underweight. Variations for all who suffer can be anywhere from extremely underweight to extremely overweight to anywhere in between.

The outward appearance of anyone with an eating disorder does NOT dictate the amount of physical danger they are in, nor does is determine the emotional conflict they feel inside. They need not display even close to all of the below symptoms to be in danger.

So, please be aware that the following effects of eating disorders are extreme, and somebody does not have to display any of these in order to be suffering.

Some effects of anorexia and bulimia

Malnutrition - caused by under eating. The word malnutrition indicates deficiency for energy, protein and micro nutrients (e.g. vitamin A, iodine and iron) either singularly or in combination. It can cause severe health risks including (but not limited to) respiratory infections, kidney failure, blindness, heart attack and death.

Dehydration - caused by the depletion or lack of intake of fluids in the body, or by restriction of carbohydrates and fat. Restriction/Starvation, vomiting and laxative abuse are the primary causes in sufferers of Eating Disorders. Symptoms include dizziness, weakness, or darkening of urine. It can lead to kidney failure, heart failure, seizures, brain damage and death.

Electrolyte Imbalances - electrolyte are essential to the production of the body's "natural electricity" that ensures healthy teeth, joints and bones, nerve and muscle impulses, kidneys and heart, blood sugar levels and the delivery of oxygen to the cells.

Muscle Atrophy - wasting away of muscle and decrease in muscle mass due to the body feeding off of itself.

Paralysis - transient (or temporary) paralysis -- extreme weakness of muscles or not being able to move at all -- Caused by low levels of potassium, and/or the degeneration of nerve cells, in the spinal cord or in the brain, which have been deprived of essential nutrients. Left untreated, periods of paralysis may happen more frequently and more severely, lead to permanent muscle weakness, and even result in death.

Tearing of Esophagus - caused by self-induced vomitingMallory-Weiss tear - associate with vomiting, a tear of the gastro esophageal junction.Gastric Rupture - spontaneous stomach erosion, perforation or rupture.Gastrointestinal Bleeding - bleeding into the digestive tract.

Some effects of binge disorder

These are some of the possible effects of binge disorder.

* type 2 diabetes * high blood pressure * high cholesterol * gallbladder disease * heart disease * certain types of cancer * osteoarthritis * joint and muscle pain * gastrointestinal problems

These symptoms are extreme. No less serious, however, are the feelings which are at the root of any eating disorder.

There is always deep unhappiness underlying any eating disorder.

Anybody suffering from one needs professional help, lots of love and lots of support in order to be able to treat the root cause of their problem.

It's important to know that you don't have to be suffering from any of the more dramatic effects of eating disorders in order to be ill.

Simply being affected by the media pressure to be thin enough to embark on a diet is often an expression of low self esteem. So many people, especially females, are on an almost constant diet of one sort or another, and don't give it a second thought, as dieting is such a 'normal' part of our society now.

Why should we feel we have to change ourselves in order to be accepted?

Any form of expression of dissatisfaction with yourself or your body is bad for you. The effects of eating disorders are simply the extreme end of a very long continuum of unhealthy and unhappy forms of behavior.

Maybe it's time we all started to take control, trust in our own intelligence and intuition and start the journey towards healing ourselves, and our society by no longer allowing ourselves to be conned into thinking we're not good enough.