List of eating disorders and their effects

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

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

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 this list of eating disorders and their effects are extreme, and somebody does not have to display any of these in order to be suffering.

Some effects of anorexia and bulimia

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

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

This list of eating disorders and their 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 and lots of love and support in order to be able to treat the root cause of their problem.

If you are suffering and have read this list of eating disorder and their symptoms, it is important to know that you don't have to be suffering from any of the more dramatic effects of eating disorders in order to need and deserve help.

Eating disorders are a symptom 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 above list of eating disorders and their effects of are simply the extreme end of a very long continuum of unhealthy and unhappy forms of behavior.In order to really work towards finding ways to beat eating disorders, we must look deeper at the underlying depression and low self esteem issues involved.