“Eating disorder” this is a term that we all know of, everyone from teenagers to fully grown men and women in their middle ages are affected by it. Most people tend to dispel it as a phase in life, only a few know the seriousness of the situation. These disorders affect a person’s health, weakening him for life. All the disorders have some things like obsession about the food to eat and weight loss in common. A layman may not be able to distinguish between a moody phase and a serious disorder. In case you know of someone who behaves unusually when eating and has had a recent change of personality, coupled with a drop in weight, then that person surely has an eating disorder.

Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, and Binge eating disorder are the major eating disorders. Anorexia is self starvation. Patients suffering from this disorder eat less than 1000 calories of food per day and exercise in excess of what their body can handle. Their weight is usually 15 percent lower than what their weight should be. The greatest consequence of Anorexia is that a person’ body maybe permanently damaged. The malnutrition and over exertion causes harm to the vital organs of the body. Loss of bone density, infertility and amenorrhea are the major penalties of Anorexia in women. If Anorexia is unchecked then a person can die of starvation.

Bulimia on the other hand is characterized by excessive purging after binging on every meal. The meal is usually high in calorie. After eating the patient might vomit or use laxatives to purge the body off the food. Frequent purging after meals can harm the body. The electrolyte balance and dehydration are the usual outcomes; they can make your heart weak. Prolonged purging can cause heart failure and it may cause the stomach to rupture.

Binge eating disorder is a relatively lesser known disorder. Since it has less to do with weight loss it may be overlooked in some cases. The patients tend to eat a lot and they continue eating until they are uncomfortable full. Those who suffer from Binge eating disorder, feel guilty and depressed after eating. The problem with Binge eating disorder is that is hard to differentiate between it and obesity. A person under Binge eating disorder sometimes tries desperate things to loose weight. High blood pressure and cholesterol with high sugar are the common consequences. Heart diseases and diabetes are just lurking around the corner.

There are other eating disorders called Pica and Rumination that are found in people who are mentally unsound. Patients of Pica get a chronic craving for foods that are not edible like chalk, coffee grounds, dirt, paint chips etc. Rumination makes a person regurgitate partially digested food and chew them again. Those suffering must be under constant surveillance and special care should be taken with them.

Some people have eating disorders that have no known pattern. These people suffer from E.D.N.O.S. or Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified. Such people have few of the symptoms of a disorder but not enough to be classified by one.