Identifying the Symptoms of Eating Disorders
Eating disorders such as bulimia and anorexia will not only completely transform a person’s appearance but will also affect one’s behavior and personality. A simple explanation of the difference between the two disorders is that bulimics eat large amounts of food and then throw up (binge-eating and purging), while anorexics simply starve themselves. The first step to prevention is to recognize the symptoms. Here is an overview of anorexia and bulimia, as well as the most common symptoms of eating disorders.
Anorexia Nervosa
Anorexia occurs when a person refuses to eat in order to maintain a particular body weight. Anorexics will experience extreme weight loss, as much as 15% below their normal body weight. Even when they become very skinny, they still believe that they are overweight. Weight loss is achieved through excessive exercise, laxatives and fasting. Their acquired dieting habits are based on their intense fear of becoming fat. Anorexia is thought to be most common among adolescent girls and people involved in activities wherein thinness is preferred, such as dancing, modeling, and distance running. It is helpful to know the symptoms of anorexia.
Signs of anorexia
– Feeling overweight even when thin
– Experiencing dramatic weight loss
– Basing self-worth on body weight and/or body image
– Skipping meals frequently
– Insisting on eating only certain foods (usually those low in fat and calories)
– Preparing meals for others but not eating
– Weighing yourself frequently
– Looking in the mirror for flaws frequently
– In females, missing three consecutive menstrual periods
– In males, a decrease in sexual desire
Physical effects of anorexia
The most serious health risk to someone with anorexia is death caused either by the effects of severe weight loss or by suicide. Estimates claim that as many as 1 in 10 people with anorexia will die from complications of the disorder.
Bulimia Nervosa
Bulimia is characterized by episodes of binge-eating followed by purging. A binge is an episode whereby an individual eats a much larger amount of food than would most people in a similar situation. Binge-eating is usually a response to depression, stress, or self-esteem issues. During a binge episode, an individual experiences a loss of control. Some methods of weight control for bulimics include vomiting, fasting, enemas, excessive use of laxatives and diuretics, and a compulsive need to exercise. People with bulimia can appear perfectly normal; many of them are of normal weight and some are even overweight. Moreover, binge-eating and purging is often performed in secret, making it difficult to determine whether or not a person is suffering from bulimia. Although there is currently no known definite cause of bulimia, there are warning signs to be considered.
Signs of bulimia
– Uncontrollable eating
– Inappropriate weight control methods – strict dieting, fasting, vomiting, vigorous exercise, or abuse of laxatives or diuretics
– Frequent trips to the bathroom after meals
– Preoccupation with body weight and/or body image
– Consummation of foods mostly high in calories
– Depression or mood swings, feeling out of control
– Heartburn, bloating, indigestion, constipation
Weakness, exhaustion
– In women, irregular menstrual periods
If you have a friend or family member who suffers from an eating disorder, your emotional support is important. Recommend that they see a doctor and/or a counselor who can help them in their battle against the illness. As in the case of many other diseases, be prepared to meet denial, resistance, and anger from the sufferer. Learn to recognize the symptoms of eating disorders in order to prevent their escalation. It may save someone’s life.
Holly Cates
http://www.articlesbase.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles/identifying-the-symptoms-of-eating-disorders-101377.html
Loosen Up With An Herbal Remedy
There are many reasons why constipation can occur in adults, they area from simply not eating a healthy diet that includes fiber to other more steady underlying medical problems. Wherefore it is important that if you suffer from severe constipation for any length of time or it is a recurring event you should talk with your doctor. Of course if it proves to your diet that is causing your problems and not a serious underlying problem then changing your ways is the most effective remedy for your constipation.
If constipation occurs every now and again which is the most probably case then you could turn to an herbal remedy for relief. Along with an herbal remedy you should again increase the amount of fiber you are eating in your diet as this is essential for a healthy digestive system.
Fruit, vegetables and whole grains are all excellent sources of fiber. For occasional bouts of constipation bulk agents are recommended, they are the gentlest form of laxative and recommended especially if you have irritated or sensitive bowels. They can be used safely throughout pregnancy and while nursing and are even safe for those who have inflamed bowels.
The most popular form of bulk herbal laxative is psyllium; this gentle remedy can be purchased from most drugstores and a study conducted in 1978 showed that constipation due to irritated bowel syndrome was improved in 80 % of people.
Laxatives in the form of syrup and pills and which include senna and cascara and are still popular forms of laxatives that are found in drugstores. Both of these herbs work by irritating the tummy and so get ‘things’ moving along. However you should only use any laxatives herbal or otherwise over the short – term period.
The immature – expression period is classed as no longer than a week, any longer and you run the risk of your body becoming totally lazy and becoming dependent on medication. Cascara is thought to be the most gentlest of the two due to it working through the nervous system and only partially irritating the intestines. It also helps to improve the tone and function of the intestine; as such many druggists support it as a tonic to the intestinal tract.
Licorice can be used effectively ensuing a laxative that allows you to reduce the amount of laxative taken while still receiving the same benefits. Licorice works by making the intestine more susceptible to the cathartic; irritant laxatives can also be used alongside herbs that relax the intestines and also help to prevent stomach cramps.
Peppermint, fennel and ginger all are excellent choices. One way to make taking a laxative easier and more pleasant is to steep a fig or date that are in fact natural laxatives in licorice tea. Be aware that any choice of laxative will have a time delay before they start to work, bulk laxatives can take as long as 24 hours before they begin to work while irritants between 6 and 12 hours.
Garland Choate
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/loosen-up-with-an-herbal-remedy-172462.html
Laxatives and Weight Loss
You may assume that taking laxatives cause you to lose weight but think about it, all it is doing it helping you digest the food faster, and usually in a painful manner. Laxatives are designed to act as a sponge and soak up all the fluids in the body, creating moisture content for the stool.
Laxatives are perfect when used for their main function, but those who abuse them for weight loss purpose often become dependant on them to be able to create a normal stool. Downing laxatives on a daily basis will either to lose weight or to relieve constipation will only cause the condition to worsen.
Instead you should start by drinking enough water, around six-eight ounce glasses, consuming sufficient amounts of fiber, as well as small amounts of daily activity. You can try fiber cereals and start off with a double serving to get your system going.
There are many medications that will lose effectiveness when mixed with laxatives. Laxatives also cause gastric upset and a total dependency to be able to produce bowel. Using laxatives to lose weight are basically harmful with no real effects. You may lose a few pounds of waste and water weight but no significant amounts of fat will be lost due to consuming laxatives.
Believe it or not but laxative abuse has become a quite common form of supposed weight control. The majority of these abusers are suffering from severe eating disorders as well and donât really care about the health of their bodies, simply want to lose weight in any way they can.
If you see how a laxative works on your body you will realize that taking them to lose body fat is simply pointless. The actual purpose of taking a laxative is to stimulate the bowel to empty, which happens only after the calories have been fully absorbed by the small intestines.
So your body has already stored the carbohydrates and is simply getting rid of the excess that it couldnât use, and the laxative is helping you get rid of these excess toxins as easily as possible. A person who has taken a laxative to lose weight may accomplish that, but it will be only water weight and they will look the same.
Commonly periods of time when the body is depleted of its water will be followed by periods of water retention and bloating. This usually causes the user to take even more laxatives trying to get rid of the excess weight and the vicious cycle begins.
Taking laxatives for weight control is pointless and is incredibly harmful to your health, as well as causes the exact opposite effect you are going for.
Sven Ullmann
http://www.articlesbase.com/nutrition-articles/laxatives-and-weight-loss-133805.html