What is Anorexia? And What is Bulimia?

Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are psychological disorders which causes eating in a complex, compulsive way that disturbs the physical, mental, and psychological health of the individual.

A person suffering from anorexia harbors an obsessive, irrational fear of gaining weight, and will utilize extreme measures such as starvation or vomiting to maintain thinness. A bulimic individual consumes excessive quantities of food, feels guilty afterwards, then relieves the guilt by taking extreme measures to purge themselves of the food consumed.

Both disorders are typically observed among prepubescent and teenage girls. Men also suffer from eating disorders, but not at the same frequency as do women.

What are the causes?

A combination of social, psychological and biological factors.

Modern Western culture portrays the thin body structure as the ideal female form. A prevailing condescending attitude towards overweight individuals, and positive attention awarded to thin individuals make staying thin a priority to many young people. Sometimes the desire to be thin can lead to the development of an eating disorder.

A person suffering from either anorexia or bulimia usually holds a distorted image of his or her body. Certain traits such as obsessive behavior, perfectionism, and pessimism may also contribute to the development of eating disorders, as can traumatic experiences such as sexual abuse, bullying, or the death of a loved one.

Genetics may also play a small role in determining an individual's susceptibility to anorexia and bulimia.

What are the symptoms?

The symptoms are generally both physical and behavioral.

Physical symptoms include:

• Unusual and dramatic weight loss.

• Stunted growth

• Irregular or inconsistent menstrual periods in women

• Sunken eyes or dark circles around the eyes

• Pale complexion

• Excessively dry or chapped lips and skin

• Creaking joints and bones

• Anemia

• Headaches

• Fainting spells

• Constipation and diarrhea

• Oral hygiene problems such as discolored teeth, sensitive, swollen and bleeding cheeks and gums.

Behavioral symptoms include:

• Extreme exercising

• Social withdrawal

• Self-destructive behavior including substance abuse

• Refusal to eat in public

• Secretive behavior, especially when it comes to eating habits

• Moodiness

How is it treated?

Both anorexia and bulimia are most successfully treated with a combination of psychological and behavioral therapies and consistent emotional support from friends and family. But some natural remedies can also be helpful as well.

HERBAL TEAS created with calming herbs such as chamomile, comfrey, valerian root or mint (and sweetened with honey if so desired) have been proven effective in balancing emotions and reducing stress that may lead to eating disorders.

ZINC improves appetite. The consumption of 50 milligrams of zinc each day (thru diet and supplements) along with one to three milligrams of copper can increase the desire to consume food.

The Healthy Eating Obsession

Steven Bratman, MD, is credited with coining the term orthorexia nervosa (ON) from the Greek word ortho, meaning straight and correct. It refers to a pathological fixation on eating healthy and beneficial ("pure") food as a means of losing weight, overcoming chronic illness, or improving general health. At one time or another, most of us decide to change our diet to reach one of these three goals. When we reach our goal, we usually return to the old diets, but in moderation or combined with exercise.

ON individuals, however, do not. They adopt a diet that is radically different from the foods they have eaten in the past. The two most common diets are raw food (uncooked raw vegetables, fruits, and legumes) and fruitarian (only fruits, tomatoes and cucumbers). They rigidly police their diet until the pure foods are all they eat. Once that happens, they are constantly on guard against resuming old dietary habits. For most people, this is not an easy thing to do. Those that succeed become food snobs and look down on the misinformed wretches who eat French fries, cookies, pizza and ice cream. Moreover, ON sufferers feel compelled to lecture family and friends on the virtues of adopting a pure diet.

The term "kitchen spirituality" was coined to describe the effect that food has on ON individuals. Tiffany Reiss, Ph.D., an assistant professor in nutrition and exercise science at Bastyr University, says that orthorexia can lead to isolation, rigidity, and alienation. It can lead to a feeling of virtuousness. ON individuals feel that everyone should be eating as they do. They become like hermits.

Their diets are so rigid that they cannot eat meals anywhere but in their own homes. Eating pure food becomes an almost religious experience. These food acolytes often feel that the act of eating sprouts, umeboshi plums, and amaranth biscuits is as holy as working with the poor and homeless. Conversely, when an ON person slips up and eats regular food, it is perceived as a fall from grace and must be atoned for by the penitence of ever-stricter diets and fasts. The need to eat meals free of meat, fat, and artificial chemicals becomes the holy grail.

Because the desire for eating the proper foods assumes a central role in an acolyte's life, Dr. Bratman believes that ON is similar to anorexia and bulimia. Bulimic and anorexic individuals focus on the quantity of food, while the orthorexic fixates on its quality. All three give food an excessive place in their lives. Dr. Bratman feels that ON can be overcome by convincing sufferers that their diet has important elements, but they have alternative choices. Sharlene Hesse-Biber, PhD, a sociology professor at Boston College, describes orthorexia as an obsession "that our bodies need to look a certain way....It's not a healthy way to live." Julie B. Clark-Sly, PhD, a psychologist at the Foundation for Change, agrees. "They say what they're doing is healthy, but they fool themselves. It becomes an emotional disorder."

Dr. Bratman has his detractors. ON is not listed in the clinical Diagnostic Statistic Manual (DSM-IV). There is no clinical guideline for this disorder. Dr. Diane Mickley, a spokeswoman for the Seattle-based National Eating Disorders Association, describes orthorexia as a psychiatric disorder. Kelly Brownell, PhD, co-director of the Yale Center for Eating and Weight Disorders, states that without research to back his theory, Bratman is simply another guy trying to make a buck off the health-conscious public. "They invent some new term, a new diet, a solution to a problem that doesn't even exist. The burden should fall to the authors to prove that what they're saying is correct before they start unleashing advice on the public." Dean Ornish, MD, founder and president of the non-profit Preventive Medicine Research Institute in Sausalito, California said "I've never seen [orthorexia] in my clinic. Most people have the opposite problem; they don't care enough about what they eat."

I know you are thinking right now "Why do I have bulimia? How can I overcome it? And why isn't anything I tried before stopping it and has failed to help?"

You understand that bulimia is slowly killing you and ruining your life but you can't stop. It seems like something inside you is stronger that your own will.

Do you want to know what this "something else" is?

Well! It is another part of your brain called the subconscious mind that not only is responsible for your feelings, emotions and non-conscious actions that keep you alive, but it can also work against your own free will.

It is the part of the mind that is responsible for our actions when we do something but we don't know why we did it. Like when we get angry and explode, then we don't know why we did it (when there is no conscious explanation for it).

The subconscious mind operates on feelings and senses. And very often people can't even describe it logically. They just do what the subconscious mind wants.

So, the reason you have bulimia lies in your subconscious mind and to overcome bulimia you need to get rid off your subconscious blockages that always keep you being a bulimic against you will.

This is a major reason why conventional therapy doesn't work in most cases, because they try to affect the conscious mind of the person only. They don't change a person's subconscious. That's why when bulimics come back home from the clinic or doctor's room they continue their distractive eating behavior unabated again and again.

One of the common subconscious blockages bulimics have is the "broken eye syndrome". This is when bulimics see themselves fatter then they are and see their entire environment and other people in a different (wrong) way.

So, in order to overcome bulimia you should really find a way to change your subconscious mind and overcome these subconscious blockages that cause your bulimia.

Without working on your subconscious you will always come back to the same spot when you first started your bulimia and recovery becomes impossible, it is a never ending circle.

To conclude, if you have been unable to stop you bulimia it more that likely is a result of a subconscious emotional blockage. For example, the most common blockage is the "broken eye syndrome".

If you have a subconscious emotional blockage preventing you from stopping the bulimia, you are unlikely to realize it. An example of this is a bulimic who doesn't realize that they have "broken eye syndrome" - they see in a mirror a different picture from everyone else: basically their own mind is lying to them.

You are almost certainly not consciously aware of what the blockage is. For example again the "broken eye syndrome" - people are not aware of it, they truly believe that what they see in a mirror is the truth.

Subconscious self-beliefs cannot be identified and changed at the rational thinking level. For example, the "broken eye syndrome" gets worse and worse the longer you have bulimia, because the bulimic brain is constantly working on false information.

A coaching conversation at work offers opportunities to delve into cause as well as effect. Coaching sets great store by asking questions, but of course that means we can never legislate for the answer. In my view managers who coach should develop an awareness of the signs of abnormal psychology so that they can spot problems early and bring in appropriate support. Consider for example, eating disorders.

The term eating disorder can apply to a variety of conditions but here we'll consider two of the better known: Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa.

Anorexia Nervosa:

This condition is associated with a 'wrong' perception of body weight or shape. The sufferer will often perceive themselves as overweight and be fearful of putting on weight. Usually however, they would be deemed seriously underweight. Anorexia Nervosa is a very serious condition which can prove fatal.

Bulimia Nervosa:

Unlike anorexia the bulimia sufferer is normally within a normal body range but again will tend to have a distorted perception of body or size. The condition is characterized by episodes of binge eating followed by 'remedies' such as self-induced vomiting or taking laxatives.

A number of possible explanations for these disorders have been advanced:

Sociocultural Factors:

It is perhaps no surprise that these conditions are most prevalent in developed western societies that have an abundance of food and yet attach huge value to the notion of being slim. One study (Davies & Furnham, 1986) found that a research sample included significantly more people who wanted to lose weight than actually saw themselves as overweight. This suggests cultural pressure to achieve a certain body.

Psychological Factors:

Eating disorders tend to occur in young women. This may coincide with a loss of self-esteem which is often experienced at the same time of life. There are, of course, different perspectives within the psychology field:

Behaviourist - suggesting that slimming becomes a habit
Psychoanalytical - suggesting that anorexia may be an attempt to suppress sexual impulses
Humanistic - suggesting the conditions are connected to family relationships

Family Factors:

Eating disorders could be connected to family factors such as a history of obesity or an obsession with eating and weight.

Biological Factors:

Recent research focusing on the hypothalamus has suggested a biochemical explanation for these eating disorders. However it is difficult to differentiate between cause and effect.

Irrespective of the cause signs of either Anorexia Nervosa or Bulimia Nervosa must be taken very seriously as the effect on the sufferer and their family can be devastating. Consider for example, the famous case of the Carter family who ended up launching an historic legal battle to compel their anorexic daughter Vicki to eat.

What then of the coaching manager who uncovers these signs when coaching around day to day issues such as workload management or time keeping? My recommendation would be to focus on the main principles of coaching. Ask questions designed to raise awareness, generate responsibility and build trust then listen carefully and attentively to the responses. This is highly unlikely to make things worse and may actually do quite a lot of good.

After that, it's a question of referring the coachee to the relevant professional. With this in mind, my recommendation is that coaching managers familiarise themselves with their organization's welfare procedure.

Anorexia Nervosa is a serious condition where we can literally starve ourselves to death, thinking we're fat. The disorder can stem from physical, psychological and, sadly, intentional causes. In this article, we'll consider the different causes of anorexia, and discuss symptoms and treatment needs.

Physical Causes Of Anorexia: Studies are underway to determine if there is a genetic predisposition for anorexia, but short of that, any of a number of illnesses can actually cause a person to be anorexic. These include arthritis, colitis, kidney failure and cirrhosis of the liver. Also, advanced alcoholism and drug addiction can result in anorexia. If our diet is deficient in certain nutrients, like vitamins A, B3, or B8 we could develop anorexia as a deficiency symptom. Anorexia can be a medical drug side effect, too, so see your doctor. The cool thing about anorexia that had a physical cause is, once the physical condition is cleared up, the anorexia usually goes away, too.

Psychological Causes Of Anorexia: More difficult to treat are the psychological causes stress, depression and anxiety. In fact, anorexia nervosa is a severe anxiety over body weight. We actually see ourselves as being fat, even as we look in a mirror and see a body that's wasting away from hunger, with bones sticking out. It's this body image that's at the root of anorexia. Even when medical treatment restores a normal body weight, until the body image is corrected, the person will just lose it all again.

Intentional Causes Of Anorexia: This is probably the saddest part of the anorexia story. Some people actually cause themselves to become anorexic, accidentally, through fad diets or worse, intentionally, through a sick idea that the "anorexic look" is sexy. There are websites and companies making money by promoting self-starvation as a weight management tool. This creates the mindset of the negative body image which is at the heart of the disorder. I'm all for web freedom, but I think websites promoting anorexia are as bad as those promoting kiddy porn, and for the same reason...they're destroying lives.

Anorexia Symptoms And Treatment: Because the heart of anorexia is an irrational belief you're fat, most people are unlikely to look in the mirror and say, "I'd better get to the doctor." Since denial is a big part of the illness, the best way to see if you or a loved one needs to see a doctor is to take a self-test like this signs of anorexia nervosa quiz. Anorexia is never a self-treatment issue. You must see a doctor, get a proper diagnosis and get professional treatment. Anorexics, left to their own devices, often die. Often, treatment includes medical tests to determine the cause, food supplements to restore body weight, antidepressants or anxiety medicine and psychological therapy to get at the body image issue. How you see yourself is usually the key to the whole thing.

The cause of anorexia can be as simple as a vitamin deficiency or as complex as the human self-image. Often, those causes are physical, psychological and even intentional in nature. Whatever started it, anorexia is a serious condition that can be deadly if not treated. With proper treatment, though, recovery is very likely. If you suspect you or a loved one suffers from anorexia, get it checked by a doctor as soon as possible, so recovery can begin.

What type of person is more prone to having an eating disorder, in a sense you could say everyone. We have those who stuff their face with cream donuts and Chinese takeaways, and those who at the sheer sight of these yummies would throw a wobbler. Because we as individuals differ in personality shape and form so does our taste in food also. Some people like to eat it and others don't. Let us focus on those who abstain. Anorexia is an eating disorder where a starvation course is purposely sanctioned by a sufferer. Anorexia usually starts in young people around puberty, primarily in teenage girls and men too.

Fear of putting on weight has anorexics live under threat from them self of ever living a healthy life or ever having a life to live. Extreme weight loss is the main display of an anorexic person. Weight loss is normally 15% under the person`s average body weight. This is an uncontrollable self inflicted condition. Anorexia has at times had people believe they are fat, so fat they died. Anorexics tend to take on excessive exercise, consume laxatives in great numbers and are inclined to avoid meals; they have an intense fear of being overweight.

Odd eating habits of the anorexic, like refusing to eat, not eating in front of people are the tell tale signs. An anorexic will avoid eating food but can handle it. It is known for them to cook meals for others. Help and support is urgently needed for the patient. Parents of a teen anorexic may struggle to get their child to see sense. The child may revolt and deny what they do or become angry. You must be patient and persuade them to talk to the doctor. Never push unless you want a major crisis on your hands with devastating consequences.

Anorexia has many symptoms, however not all may be experienced by one individual. Body weight that is inconsistent with age is one symptom; others are their build and height, absence of three following menstrual flows can be a sign, refusing to eat while others are present, weakness, fatigue , delicate skin , out of breath , compulsive calorie checking and consumption.

Health risks involved with this eating disorder are shrinking of the bones, mineral loss, low body temperature and irregular heartbeat. Anorexia is often confused with bulima, there is a great difference between the two so therefore the importance for your GP to check you over and determine which one is present to prescribe the appropriate medication/therapy.

Bulimia has a person eat large amounts of food and throw up. Anorexics do not eat big portions but vomit afterwards to empty the content of their stomach. Seek medical help sooner than later. Most common treatment for anorexia is counselling and consultations on dietary needs. Treatments will vary due to severity and the in-depth of the condition.

People who were once a shell of them self are now leading a normal life thanks to medical experts. We say normal because it is not normal not to eat. Counsellors are compassionate in understanding and help anorexics see this. Treatment procedures for this eating disorder can take time; it is not a condition which results in an overnight cure. Psychological counselling is a powerful approach to helping those who suffer; it helps decipher between both eating disorder symptoms and the fundamental psychological and cultural forces that may well have given cause to its beginning,

Young girls have been known to follow suit of models that host skeletal frames, not recommended and must be avoided at all costs. Fashion houses are now housing the larger model to walk the catwalk due to the fact that "Skinny is Unhealthy". Just ask those who recovered and are now one of those people who love licking the cream of the doughnut..

Can you identify with any of these scenarios?

You are working on a big project for your job and it is coming together nicely. You are pleased with your progress and confident that your boss will be too. All of a sudden, you want to eat...perhaps something sweet, salty and crunchy.

The bakery down the street is only a couple of minutes away. You ate lunch less than an hour ago so you aren't really hungry. You can't stop thinking of eating your favorite baked items. Why?

You are on your way to school to meet with your child's teacher for a routine mid-year conference. Your child is excelling in school so you anticipate it will be a positive conference about your child's progress. No reason to be anxious, right? On your way to the school, you drive by your favorite fast food restaurant. You aren't hungry yet you are have this overwhelming urge to drive through for something they serve. You drive through for a "quick bite" and are a few minutes late for the conference. What happened?

You received good news and you want to eat; you feel anxious or worried and you want to eat; you are feeling down for no particular reason that you can identify and you want to eat. What is this voice that is similar to a recording playing over and over in your head? Sometimes this voice is screaming and so overwhelming for the urge to give in. This is head hunger or emotional eating.

What exactly does it mean to eat emotionally? Emotional eating is when we eat in response to situations and feelings other than true physical hunger. It is a way to alleviate or calm emotions such as worry, boredom, sadness, or stress. It is also the urge to change the way you're currently feeling to another more comfortable feeling. For example, you feel anxious and you don't know what to do with this emotion of anxiety. You turn to food to calm you and bring your anxiety down. Sometimes even positive emotions can cause the urge to emotional eating. It is important in not answering the voice to eat over your emotions is in your awareness of it. Be aware that emotional eating is triggered when you eat to feed a feeling, whether consciously or unconsciously, rather than feed a physical hunger. Imagine a signal light of Stop-Look-Listen!

STOP means that you need to take a pause. Even if you're on your way into the kitchen or drive-thru you need to Stop. Think it through. Fast forward to how you'll feel after you eat. You'll feel regret, shame, and self-depreciation. Awareness is in asking yourself if it is really worth it? Taking the pause to Stop is very important to silencing the voice of emotional overeating.

LOOK means that after you've completed Stop, Look inside yourself. What are you feeling? What do you need? Food isn't the answer. Look to use your drive to eat over your emotions as a barometer into what's going on with you.

LISTEN means that you've identified what you're feeling or the bothersome situation. Once you've identified the trigger to the drive to eat over your emotions, you can Listen and emotionally process the feeling or situation.

There are distinct differences between emotional eating and physical hunger are:

* If you are craving a specific food choice, and only that food will suffice (such as chips, cookies, pizza, or another unhealthy food choice), that is emotional eating. If you eat because you are experiencing physical hunger, you are open to food choices to satisfy that hunger.

* To eat because of uncomfortable emotions hunger strikes suddenly while physical hunger occurs gradually. Emotional hunger happens instantaneously and wants to be satisfied NOW. Physical hunger does not demand to be satisfied immediately and can be delayed.

* Emotional eating is usually a process that is ongoing and prolonged. You can't seem to be satisfied and continue eating. The urge is driven by feeling a sense of fullness inside you and is not driven by physical fullness. One of the behaviors associated with eating over emotions is searching. You eat something and then search for more or something else to feel full and satisfied. With physical hunger, you can stop eating when you feel a sense of satiety.

* To eat from your emotions causes you to feel guilt and shame afterwards. Negative self-talk usually results after emotional eating. Eating in response to physical hunger does not result in negative emotions or self talk. Eating to satisfy physical hunger is an act of self-care and nurturing, resulting in positive feelings from taking care of yourself.

Food can be a welcome distraction. If you are worried, i.e., about your presentation or a parent-teacher conference, food can take you away from your worry and distract you from your feelings. The distraction is only temporary and the situation or feelings return. In addition to the situation or feelings that you initially emotionally ate to cope, you now have added the negative feelings from the emotional eating episode.

When we have a headache or a physical discomfort, we take medication. Eating out of your emotions is the same in that when we feel discomfort emotionally, we want to eat to stuff or bury the feeling or diminish the intensity. Food is for nourishment not for medicating! Emotional eating also serves to numb you and allow an emotional escape.

Here are some tips and what to do when you want to satisfy your head hungry by eating through your emotions:

*Identify the urge causing you to want to eat. Does it come on so rapidly that you haven't recognized it previously? Instill a moment of pause (use the Stop-Look-Listen strategy) when the desire occurs. This will allow you the opportunity to deal with the situation and feelings causing the drive to emotionally eat.

*What is triggering the desire? Check in with yourself. What situation or feeling is most prominent at the time? Are you feeling worried, sad, overwhelmed, or angry?

*Distract yourself in a healthy, positive way rather than with food. Make a list of things you can do when you feel that urge to eat over your emotions. Call a friend, read a book, take a walk, watch a movie, listen to your favorite music, dance, go outside and change your environment from the house (and kitchen), indulge in a bubble bath, or take a nap.

*Feel the feelings. Feelings are temporary. They can be used as a gauge as to what is going on inside you that needs your attention. Feelings will pass when they are experienced and allowed to come and go.

Be proactive and develop strategies for conquering emotional eating. Write a checklist of activities you can engage rather than eat over your emotions. Many times the strongest compulsion for food occurs when you are feeling emotionally vulnerable. Many of us turn to food for comfort when faced with a situation, uncomfortable feelings, or looking to carve out time just for ourselves. Nurture yourself in other ways than food. Food is a temporary quick fix while self-comforting acts are long lasting. If you have given in to emotional eating, learn from it and start again. Make a plan by incorporating a new strategy for the future. Play it again - review the situation and feelings that you emotionally ate over and substitute another way of coping. Focus on the positive, healthy changes you've made in your life.

Empower yourself to silence the voice of emotional eating. Make your goal to be stronger than the pull of to eat over your emotions. Remember the answer to handling situations and feelings lies inside of you and not in a bag of cookies.

The body of a dancer is often something of magnificence. Perfect lines, size, shape, they are truly a subject for art work. This of course is not something easily achieved. Perfecting this move, improving that technique, taking into account the appearance of every body part during ever movement and working to perfect it. A dancer needs to be long, lean, and tone. It is no wonder than that so many dancers experience major body image issues often leading to full blow eating disorders. The body required by dance is not easy to achieve and can cause many to fall back on extreme dieting practices in order meet the demands.

The world of dancer is filled with concerns about body image. In many cases, like ballet, hours are spent in front of mirrors scrutinizing every move. While young girls and boys, as eating disorders are gender blind, perfect their plies, and improve their relieves they are constantly focused on their body. As a dancer, it's important to be long, lean, and graceful. Hours of practice in front of the mirror helps students monitor their progress. The can assess their bodies during each movement. Are my legs extended correctly? Is my posture okay? This constructive self criticism can become to much for some and lead to an unhealthy obsession with their weight and body image.

Why Are Dancers at Risk

Because dancing puts an already at risk age demographic even more at risk for eating disorders, it's important to monitor your son, daughter, or students to make sure they are living healthy lives and their concern with body image does not hurtle them into to the clutches of anorexia or bulimia. One way to put a stop to this health issue before it becomes a life threatening problem is to be able to recognize the signs and symptoms. The following list is composed of various signs that the individual may in fact be suffering from a eating disorder.

* Extreme Weight Loss: One of the most obvious signs of an eating disorder is a dramatic loss of weight over a short amount of time. Unfortunately, many dancers are already very thin in stature and this may not be as obvious as it would be in a child who is of average weight or more.
* Obsessing Over Weight: While it's typical for some adolescents or teens to be concerned with their weight or appearance, constant concern or obsessiveness over their weight is a sign that there may be a deep rooted issue.
* Obsessive Dieting: Individuals who are obsessed with their weight will often take the very same stance on the food that enters their body. An overwhelming amount of attention may be paid to the calorie or fat content or portion sizes. If the individual in question refuses to splurge one in awhile on their favorite food, or is seldom seen eating this is definitely a situation you should monitor.
* Low Self Esteem: Since body image is a driving force behind eating disorders, these problems are often paired with extremely low self esteem, self worth, and self hatred. They will constantly put themselves down and be ashamed in front of family, friends, and acquaintances.
* Physical Illness: Whether bulimia or anorexia is the issue, there is a general decrease in the health of an individual suffering from these illnesses. Frequent headaches, soar throats, low blood pressure, loss of a menstrual cycle, bloodshot eyes or eyes that appearance bruised, and bleeding, scraped up, or callused knuckles can all point to eating disorders.
* Frequent Visits To the Lavatory: Individuals who turn to bulimia as a means of body control are frequently seen heading towards the bathroom, particularly during or right after meals. During this time they will purge their meals. Another fairly indicative sign is the water running for long periods of time. This helps cover any telltale signs that you may otherwise hear.
* Strange Eating Patterns or Rituals: Those who suffer from bulimia or anorexia often have peculiar eating practices or rituals. They may hide food in various places, tactfully play with food to make it appear they have ate more; or spitting chewed food out and discarding it in napkins to be thrown away.

Eating disorders are serious mental and physical diseases that can create short and long term health issues or in severe cases even death. If you suspect your son, daughter, fellow dancer, or dance student is at risk it's important to take action. This is a prevalent problem in the youth population and there are a variety of doctors, clinics, and psychologist who are well trained and willing to help lead them back onto the path of wellness.

The History of bulimia is old. Even in ancient Rome people used to vomit up food they ate in the period of feasting. They even had special places for it called "vomitorium". There is a lot of recollection about these events in ancient Rome books. Roman emperors Claudius and Vitellius were bulimic.

Some other cultures like ancient Egyptian purged themselves every month for three days in succession, using emetics and clysters to preserve health. They thought that human diseases come from food.

In Europe in Middle Ages purgation was used like a remedy for many diseases and was advocated by middle age physicians.

In ancient Greece and Arabia there were also descriptions in texts of binging and purging.

But all these ancient practices of binging and purging are similar but not the same as what we call "bulimia" now. There was no evidence of a drive for thinness that is the obvious trait in all modern bulimics; in fact skinny women were not the normal shape for women.

From the evidence that have been reported it is obvious that bulimia nervosa as it is presented now was an unknown disease until the late 20th century.

In the 1970s there were cases described in medical literature of three patients in whom overeating alternated with under eating and was classed as anorexia nervosa. One patient vomited and the other two took a lot of laxatives to get rid of food.

The first description of the modern bulimia nervosa was published in 1979 by Dr Russell. He stated in the result of his research that overeating and self-induced vomiting may have been common practices among otherwise normal female students attending North Americans universities. He mentioned that the condition was always most relevant to females.

There is no doubt that bulimia incidents significantly increased in the 1980s and came to exceed the incidences of anorexia nervosa.

Still there are many questions remaining about bulimia nervosa.

Questions like, is a bulimia nervosa a new disease or it is it the same disease that has been known for centuries, but manifesting as a different version? And what made bulimia increase so significantly in the last a few decades? Was it modern pressure to be thin or more like inherited personality traits or both?

To conclude, bulimia like simple overeating has been known since ancient time. But the term "bulimia nervosa" can not be applied to the cases recorded in histories that were published before 1979. Simply because the motives in the past for overeating and then purging were different from today and the psychological aspects were also different.

The modern term "bulimia nervosa" means not just the simple practice of binging and purging, there are now certain personality traits behind the term. These traits include addictive tendencies, problem with impulse control, obsession with weight and general looks and certain personality disorders can be associated with the term of bulimia nervosa.

So my own opinion is that bulimia nervosa is a new disease of our time that has emerged due to the intensive pressure to look slim. Also the fact that they are used by many sufferers as a coping mechanism for the extra stress we have in our lives nowadays.

Modern medicine as put all its reliance on cognitive behavior therapy for dealing with Bulimia. Although there was some early success it has now become apparent that it is failing for the majority of sufferers as the disease continues to evolve.

The new way forward in treating the disease is to remove the subconscious blockages that have been shown to hinder and hold back a person from recovery. As more and more is know about how the mind works medicine has to move with the flow of discoveries and not rely on an outdated methodology.

But unfortunately throughout history medicine has never moved at a quick pace, so many sufferers who do not find out about the newer methods will have to suffer needlessly until medicine catches up.

Eating Disorders can only be described as a living hell. They consume every minute of your waking hours where the sufferer is so caught up in counting calories, reading the back of packets, measuring and weighing food, thinking when and where they are going to binge and how to sneak away to throw it all back up.

They eat a piece of cake and then they feel compelled to go for a 10k run to burn off the calories they think they have just consumed. Or they swallow laxatives and spend the next 3 hours on the toilet. Or they simply put their fingers down their throat and throw up.

Now do you see why these disorders are a living hell?

Not only that but they are slowly killing themselves and reducing their lifespan by 10 to 20 years. And the really sad part is they know they are doing it but can't stop.

Most people's reaction to this is for the anorexic to just start eating again with comments like 'eat you idiot just eat'. Or for the bulimic to stop binging and purging what's so hard about that, do this and all will be well. But I wish it was that simple, but it is not.

You see an ED is a deep psychological problem that lives in the subconscious mind of the sufferer and it really has nothing to do with food. Food is only a symptom of the disorder, a way that the sufferer feels they have some kind of control in their lives. Sure in the beginning to the sufferer this may have been the case, but in the end the ED controls them 100%. It dictates everything they do or say and controls them with an iron fist.

To you the casual reader you may not understand how such a thing can happen to someone and it is hard for you to think of a reason why. But it can be caused by many things even something as simple as being called fat at school. Or just wanting to shed a few kilos to look better or it can be a violent episode in their life like sexual assault or verbal abuse. It could even be as simple as not getting enough love and attention from their parents. No matter what the cause is, to the sufferer these are very real.

I have been told by many sufferers that their ED is like getting on an escalator, you know you are on it but you can't find a way off. This is because you are so totally consumed by the ED you have become a slave to it.

I will make it perfectly clear, if you know someone with and ED then realize they can not simply stop by themselves. It would be like you trying to stop breathing air, it can't be done.

So what to do? Well the good way that actually works is to find a self help program that will address all the things that stop the ED sufferer from getting better. One that deals with the problem in a sympathetic way and is non-confrontational where the sufferer knows they are in a safe environment.

Emotional consequences can be eased by finding a good self help program if a person is willing to understand and accept that she/he has a problem. If the person denies the problem she/he probably needs to find extra help from a reliable source.

There is a small, but growing group of extreme dieters who believe that significantly reducing the amount of food they eat, will not only delay the aging of the body, but also prevent developing heart problems, diabetes and other chronic diseases.

This movement, called calorie restriction or some call it CR, is getting massive attention from Baby Boomers. Longevity-obsessed people in this category are continuously looking for ways to keep young and fit as long as possible.

Calorie restriction is not just about weight loss like typical diets. It is about reducing long-term calorie intake and consuming adequate amount of nutrients and elements at the same time with a purpose of achieving a more energetic old age.

And there is a scientific proof for it. Many studies on rodents and primates have shown that eating less helped them to live longer and be more energetic. Many people who follow calorie restriction claim that cutting amount of food and calories will prolong their life and keep them healthy longer.

The followers of CR generally eat 20-30% less than the normal recommended meal, avoid sugar and saturated fats. Most of their calories come from fresh vegetables, fruits and grains.

So, for some people CR is a good way to stay younger and healthier longer. But on the other side there are people who will put their health at risk by following CR. These are people who have anorexic tendencies and people with low body fat. Also, restricting diet for at least 12 months even for a normal weight person can result in lower muscle mass and reduced capacity to perform physical exercise. Moreover, long time diet restriction can be associated with low bone density and early developed osteopenia.

Calorie restriction by itself does not mean a person will develop anorexia in the future.
Recent study found that over half of the people who develop anorexia are genetically predisposed to it.

So, people who develop anorexia easily have an obsessive gene in their genotype (or gene which is responsible for developing addictions).

People without this tendency rarely develop anorexia if ever. Sometimes it is possible to predict if a person can develop anorexia by observing their behaviors closely. They normally have underlying issues such as self-esteem, control problem, anxiety and depression. They also crave for weight loss and self-control.

To conclude, calorie restriction by itself has two sides. When CR is balanced it helps some people to stay young and healthy longer. But on the other hand many people get obsessed with counting calories and reducing the food amounts that end up damaging their health and longevity.

Some people can develop anorexia as a consequence of CR (normally who are predisposed to it). To avoid negative side effects of CR it is important to know about how to balance what you eat, what your ideal weight and level of fitness are.

Disturbing the balance will bring on one or another negative consequence of dieting.
This can affect the subconscious mind and form mental blockages that can have a catastrophic impact on the person by becoming anorexic.

This then has the reverse effect of what CR people are trying to achieve and actually shorten their life span by 10 to 15 years. Plus these subconscious blockages can take many agonizing years to get rid of.