Eating disorders are commonly identified as a result of a mental disorder wherein the patient is forced to go on a diet or the other way around. There are officially three different types of eating disorders:

Anorexia Nervosa – This is a type of eating behavior that results in excessive weight loss and the body distortion. The person who suffers from this condition inhibits himself/herself from eating anything at all. The result could be clearly seen in their body. The cause of this is usually mental dissatisfaction with the way they look. The excessive obsession to be thin and be accepted by the society is a common cause of this behavior.

Bulimia Nervosa – A patient that suffers from bulimia nervosa eats regularly like normal persons. However after eating the food they intake, they force themselves to purge the food they just take. This is usually done through forced vomiting. The results are also the same: malnutrition, slight physical deformities, weakness and other things related to excessive weight loss. There’s also a mental cause of this eating disorder and it’s the same with anorexia nervosa. The patient just covers her fear of food by eating them and purging them later.

Binge Eating – This type of behavior is not really the opposite of the two eating disorders above but it can be said that way. Those that suffer from binge eating disorder eat uncontrollably until they do not feel well. These patients usually want to eat alone so that no one will notice their eating problem. After eating too much, instead of being satisfied the patients will feel really bad because they can’t control themselves in what they do.

Compulsive Overeating – The difference between compulsive overeating and binge eating is really small but they can still be differentiated. The main difference of compulsive overeating is the behavior of compulsive overeater. Similar to binge eating, a patient who suffers from this eating abnormality eats even when full and is already uncomfortable. On the other hand, there is usually an addiction to a specific food that’s affiliated with this type of patients. If you take away the food they really like, they will show withdrawal symptoms such as shaking, extreme mood swings and especially depression.

All these sound gloomy but this type of conditions can easily be treated. Medical treatment is always an option. However, it’s always recommended to undergo psychological therapy to re-orient the person of the things they do to their body. It’s also recommended to join support groups. Remember that a patient is not alone in his/her struggle. There are millions around the country that are also suffering from the same condition. Coming together to help each other is a good therapy not only for one person but for others as well. Aside from these treatments, the family of the patients should always be supportive and help the patient as much as possible.

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