If you are severely affected by eating problems, you may be able to speak of an eating disorder. In case of an eating disorder you suffer from the following three characteristics:
- Your eating behavior is not normal. For example, you eat very or very very little. Or you only choose food that is low in calories.
- You have a very negative image of your own body. For example, you feel too fat or you do not like your body.
- Your body or weight determines to a large extent how you think about yourself.
Also, eating an eating disorder may mean taking unhealthy measures to lose what you ate as quickly as possible. Such measures include, for example, extreme movement, vomiting or abuse of laxatives.
The most common eating disorders
Anorexia
The characteristics of anorexia are:
- You refuse to have a normal body weight.
- You are very afraid of getting fat.
- You think you are too fat or you deny the severity of your underweight.
- Your judgment about yourself is largely determined by how you think about your body and weight.
- You will not be (more) disturbed.
Some young people who have anorexia try to lose weight by eating too little, others sometimes eat binge eating a lot of food and then compensating for it by vomiting, laxing or moving a lot.
Boulimia
The characteristics of bulimia are:
- You have eating.
- In an unhealthy way, you try to keep your weight under control, for example by vomiting, laxing or extremely moving.
- Your judgment about yourself is largely determined by how you think about your body and weight.
- You are usually afraid of getting fat.
- You think about eating food, getting fat and your weight.
Eating disorder NAO
In an eating disorder not otherwise defined (NAO), you have some symptoms of anorexia or boulima, but not all symptoms associated with these specific eating disorders. For example, you may have all the symptoms of anorexia, but have a normal weight. An eating disorder NAO is as serious as the other eating disorders. In an eating disorder, you have a lot of trouble about eating, your weight or body shape, as with the specific eating disorders. Usually you suffer from a disturbed eating pattern, a strong desire to lose weight and a big fear of getting fat. You can have binge eating, or in an unhealthy way keep your weight under control, for example by wasting, laxing or extreme movement. Most young people with an eating disorder fall into this category.
Eating Disorder or Binge Eating Disorder (BED)
Officially, the eating disorder falls below the eating disorder, but because of its frequent occurrence, it is often described as a separate eating disorder. An eating disorder has the following characteristics:
- You have eating.
- You do not compensate for the appetite and you almost always overweight.
- You are worried about your appearance and weight.
- Your judgment about yourself is largely determined by how you think about your body and weight.
Where can you go?
To know what you can do for your eating problem and what help they offer? These include support centers, self-help organizations and online treatments specifically for eating disorders.
