Introduction
This section of the website describes what an eating disorder is, some of the reasons why a person may develop an eating disorder, different types of eating disorders and some of the more common signs and symtpoms of these. It should also help to explain some of the key terms associated with eating disorders.
What is an Eating Disorder?
Eating habits and attitudes towards food vary greatly from person to person. We all differ on what we like to eat, when we like to eat, and how much we need to eat depending on our lifestyle.
An eating disorder is when a preoccupation with food and eating, or avoidance of eating, and distress about body shape and weight, come to dominate a person’s life. This will be to the extent that a person’s ability to live their day to day life; to work, socialise, and maintain relationships with others, and their physical and mental health, is adversely affected.
Why does an Eating Disorder develop?
Eating disorders affect both men and women, of all ages, and from all backgrounds and ethnicities.
There is no single cause of an eating disorder and the triggers will be individual to each person. Your chances of developing an eating disorder are increased if someone in your family has had an eating disorder or has a history of mental health illness, however it is still largely unknown why some people develop an eating disorder and others do not.
Although eating disorders appear on the surface to be about food and eating, the underlying cause is usually far more complicated. Eating disorders can often be a reaction to feelings of distress and can develop as a coping mechanism to deal with this distress. They can, for example, develop in response to negative life events, bullying, stress or change that is difficult to cope with, family dynamics or problems, low self-esteem or feelings of ‘not being good enough’, interpersonal struggles such as identity concerns, or pressure to be slim from society or in a particular job role.
In the beginning, the eating disorder may help a person to cope with the very negative emotions they are feeling. It may provide the person with a sense of control over the way they feel or it may help them to ‘numb’ or avoid any painful or difficult emotions. In the long term however, eating disorders can be very damaging both to a person’s physical and mental health.
