How Much Do You Know About Eating Disorders?
Many of us turn to dieting to shed a few extra pounds, but for some people, dieting becomes an obsession that turns into an eating disorder. Researchers aren't sure why this happens, but they do know that the topic of appetite control is quite complex. This quiz, based on information from the National Institute of Mental Health, provides helpful information on eating disorders.
1. A person with an eating disorder isn't trying hard enough to eat right.
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A person with an eating disorder does not have it because of some lack of will or behavior. An eating disorder is a real medical illness.
2. The three main types of eating disorders are anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder.
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These disorders are marked by extremes in eating—an extreme cutback in the amount of food eaten or extreme overeating.
3. Gender appears to have no bearing on whether a person develops an eating disorder.
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Females are much more likely than males to develop an eating disorder. Three out of four preadolescent anorexia patients is a girl, but binge-eating disorder cases are split about equally between males and females.
4. Older adults are particularly susceptible to eating disorders.
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Teens and young adults are more likely to develop eating disorders than children or older adults.
5. People with anorexia nervosa see themselves as overweight even though they are dangerously thin.
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People with anorexia are obsessed with being thin. They often develop peculiar eating habits, including picking out just a few foods to eat, eating foods in small quantities, and carefully weighing foods. They may use diet pills and laxatives to lose weight. They repeatedly check their weight, and often exercise compulsively and excessively to control their weight.
6. Like those with anorexia, people with bulimia become very thin.
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People with bulimia usually are of normal weight. Like those with anorexia, people with bulimia fear gaining weight and are intensely dissatisfied with their body. They may use diet pills and laxatives to lose weight. They don't lose a great deal of weight, however, because they overeat (binge) and then purge.
7. People with binge-eating disorder feel out of control during a binge episode.
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Binge-eating is characterized by consuming an excessive amount of food within a certain period of time. Many binge-eaters eat alone because they are embarrassed at how much food they are consuming. They eat even when they are not hungry, and often eat until uncomfortably full. Binge-eaters do not purge after overeating, as bulimics do, so they tend to be overweight.
8. People with eating disorders often don't realize they are ill or they hide their condition.
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Because of this, they may not enter treatment. Family members or close friends who recognize the problem can encourage the person to get help and offer support during treatment. For those with anorexia, treatment includes restoring the weight lost from severe dieting and addressing the psychological distress that's often behind the weight loss—low self-esteem, poor body image, and problems interacting with others. For those with bulimia or who binge-eat, the goals are to eliminate the binge-eating behavior through regular meals and nutrition advice and to treat any underlying mood or anxiety disorders. Medication is sometimes prescribed for people with binge-eating disorder or bulimia.
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