Approximately 1 million Australians currently suffer from eating disorder; it is a serious form of mental illness and can affect all aspects of a person’s life which include behavioural competence, medical complications, inadequate social skills and increased risk of disability and death.
Over the last few decades there has been a considerable increase in various forms of eating disorders; Anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge-eating disorder is often intertwined with body image issues and maintains strong links to other mental illnesses such as obsessive compulsive disorder, depression and anxiety.
Anorexia Nervosa – restricting food intake and maintaining an excessive exercise regime. People with this eating disorder are unable to maintain a healthy weight and are often overly underweight. They inhibit a fear of gaining weight and have an obsession with body image; they may see themselves as constantly being overweight when they are in fact the opposite.
Bulimia Nervosa – excessive consumption of large amounts of food in a short space of time, followed by a sense of guilt resulting in behavioural measures to compensate such as the use of laxatives, starving, excessive exercising or self-induced vomiting.
Binge-eating – similar to Bulimia Nervosa, however a person with binge-eating disorder will not show signs of self-induced vomiting or over exercising to compensate. During binge-eating episodes, a person may not be able to stop themselves from eating and are often overweight or obese.
Do you have the Symptoms?
Where to find support?
Eating Disorders Victoria Helpline – 1300 550 236
Lifeline – 13 11 14
Suicide Line – 1300 651 251
Kids Helpline – 1800 551 800