Eating disorders are characterized by an excessive focus on weight leading to severe eating and other behavioral disturbances.
The main clinical features
Abnormal eating attitudes and behaviors, excessive attention to weight and body size. This often results in impaired physical health and internal suffering. Eating disorders mainly include anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, as well as other related eating disorders. In Hong Kong, one tenth of young people have anorexia and bulimia tendencies, and the number of patients seeking treatment has increased fifty-fold in ten years. 50% of anorexia patients have died of suicide or extreme nutritional disorders. In mainland China, the incidence of eating disorders is also increasing significantly year by year, and the situation is becoming more and more of a social concern.
Anorexia nervosa: Patients resort to weight control by refusing to eat, inducing vomiting, inducing diarrhea, and excessive exercise, and develop problems such as low weight, female amenorrhea, and mood disorders. Severe cases are life threatening.
The common signs and symptoms of anorexia nervosa are.
1. Weight loss, which can be achieved by self-induced vomiting, or abuse of laxatives and diuretics, or excessive exercise.
2. Refusal to maintain a normal weight, sometimes at 15% or less than normal weight.
3.Strong fear of weight gain.
4.Negative self-image of the body.
5.Menstrual changes or amenorrhea in women.
6.Change in eating habits and anxiety about eating.
7.Weakness.
8.Depression.
9.Irregular heart rhythm.
10.Dizziness and dizziness.
11.Mild anemia.
12.Brittle nails and hair.
Bulimia nervosa: Repeatedly eating large amounts of food in a short period of time (may be 3 to 5 times the normal amount of food or even more) and subsequently eliminating the food in various ways, such as vomiting, inducing diarrhea, etc., in an attempt to keep the weight from being affected by the large amount of food eaten. The weight of a person with bulimia may be normal.
Common signs and symptoms of bulimia include.
1. Recurrent episodes of binge eating.
2. Feeling unable to control eating behavior.
3. Eating far more food than a normal meal during each binge eating episode.
4.Binge eating is followed by compensatory behaviors to prevent weight gain, such as inducing vomiting, inducing diarrhea, or excessive exercise.
5.Unhealthy excessive focus on body shape and weight.
6.Dehydration.
7.Lack of energy and fatigue.
8.Depression.
9, Irritable and easily irritated.
10.Dry, sometimes yellowing skin.
11.Damage to teeth and gums (due to the chemical action of vomited stomach acid and stomach contents).
12. Swelling of the cheeks due to heavy chewing and vomiting.
13.Irregular heart rhythm.
Eating disorders are complex, chronic diseases with a tendency to recur, and may cause great loss and suffering in the lives of patients and their families. However, eating disorders can be treated and cured with medication, psychotherapy, detoxification and other treatments. There are many cases of successful treatment around the world.