Eating Disorders

Eating disorders are recognised by having an abnormal attitude towards food affecting their eating habits and behaviours.

Types of eating disorders:

  • anorexia nervosa – a person that tries to keep their weight as low as possible, whether this means by starving themselves or exercising excessively
  • bulimia – a person that goes through periods of binge eating but then feels guilty in themselves, so deliberately makes themselves sick or uses laxatives to control their weight
  • binge eating disorder – a person who feels obliged to overeat large amounts of food in a short space of time

Causes of an eating disorder:

  • having a family history of them
  • feeling pressured to be skinny, may be through society or a job
  • being criticised for your weight, body shape or eating habits
  • certain underlying characteristics – anxiety, low self-esteem, being a perfectionist
  • personal experiences – sexual or emotional abuse, bereavement, relationship problems
  • stressful situations

In 2015, a report by Beat estimated that more than 725,000 people in the UK are affected by an eating disorder. Around 1 in 250 women and 1 in 2000 men will experience anorexia at some point, and this condition usually  develops around the age of 16 or 17. Bulimia is two or three times more common than anorexia, where 90% of people who suffer are female, developing around the age of 18 or 19. Binge eating affects males and females equally, starting later in life between the ages of 30 and 40. It is estimated that this affects 5% of the adult population.

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