Eating Disorders – signs and symptoms

Eating Disorders are about attempting to control your life and emotions through food/lack of food. It is important to remember that most Eating Disorders, though their signs and symptoms may be different, share a great number of common causes and emotional aspects.

Warning Signs of Eating Disorders

Eating disorder is a medical problem and should be treated immediately. It is normal that some people especially teenagers tend to go for dieting. Do not misjudge this as an eating disorder. There are prominent symptoms to identify eating disorders.

The symptoms of anorexia include:

* Body weight loss of 15% below the normal weight.

* Constant dieting irrespective of being thin.

* Feeling fat even after gaining the required size.

* Fear of weight gain.

* Loosing menstrual periods.

* Eating in isolation.

* Compulsive exercising.

* Insomnia, brittle hair or nails.

* Mental depression and social withdrawal.

The warning signs of bulimia include:

* Constant eating and purging.

* Frequent use of the toilets after meals.

* Swollen cheeks or glands, reddened finger due to induced vomiting.

* Over conscious on body weight

* Mental depression.

* Irregular menstrual periods

* Dental problems, such as tooth decay.

When You Suspect an Eating Disorder

A person suffering from eating disorders should be subjected to medical examination as soon as possible. They may show resistance and violence when confronted for the first time. They cannot accept the logic behind treatment for a disease they don’t feel to have, according to them they are only dieting to reduce weight. A calm and affectionate approach is required to convince them. If the person resists further, contact a pediatrician or psychologist for other solutions.

Treating Eating Disorders

Treating eating disorder involves medical supervision, nutritional counseling and therapy. This helps the person to regain normal eating habits. Severely starved people may have to be hospitalized. The treatment makes the person aware of healthy food and exercises that can help to maintain his body scientifically.

Preventing Eating Disorders

The approach to food and nutrition is an important factor in the development of healthy eating habits. Always give importance to health, rather than controlling weight.

Parents are responsible for feeding children to make them reach a state of fatness. After that they will either become anxious or the child becomes self conscious and turns to unhealthily eating habits leading to eating disorders.

Stay healthy with fast food

The habit of depending on fast food is rapidly increasing. People are finding it difficult to avoid fast foods due to lack of time or the variety and taste offered. But the damage it is doing to your arteries and kidneys are terrible. People are forced to fast foods when they are away from home or lack of time. Choosing the right fat is necessary when eating at fast food. There should be a way to go around this to keep the safety of your health and life.

You can have a better nutritious diet from fast food if you can follow some simple rules.

• Avoiding non vegetarian fast food dishes can be a better solution.

• It is irresistible to have cheese with pizza or burger but you can choose less fatty cheese or single cheese burger rather than double cheese burger with more calories.

• Chicken or fish products are better to health than beef or pork.

• Satisfy yourself with plain salads instead of fries or onion rings for your side dishes.

• Avoid deserts altogether or keep a strict limit if tempted.

• Completely replace carbonated drinks such as cola with low fat milk, iced tea, or fruit juice. Actually some pure water is the best choice.

• Replacing coffee with green tea will be better.

• Blot all fried dishes on paper towels.

• Prefer fresh fruits over packages fruit juices as they contain lots of preservatives. Use fresh-frozen fruit without added sugar if fresh fruit is not available.

• Choose baked and grilled sandwiches instead of fried ones.

• Ordering foods early helps you to avoid choosing less nutritious and higher calorie fast foods.

• Eat food in a relaxed manner enjoying every bite. This digests food rapidly and gives more satisfaction.

• Buffets promote overeating, so avoid it otherwise you will be tempted.

• Fast food restaurants now offer a wider range of healthy choices and most will provide nutritional information, so choose you menu wisely. If nutrition information is available pay attention to the sodium, fat, saturated fat, and calorie content in food items.

Fatty acids are essential for the building of cell membranes and functioning of brain, eyes and lungs. Fats from raw foods like nuts, seeds avocados and olives are ideal for your health. Avoid using processed oil and always use pure oil for cooking. Partially hydrogenated oils and deep fried fast foods are harmful. Avoid using animal fat. Always try to include Omega 3 fats in your diet.

You can take care of unnecessary fat not only at the time of eating but also when cooking. Reducing the quantity of oil when you cook is the best method to keep fat away. Cooking sprays instead of oil will reduce fat to a large extent. Using broth instead of oil for cooking also reduces fat. Try to boil, broil or bake foods rather than frying. Removal of skin from meat eliminates fat. Marinades like red wine vinegar, soy sauce, crushed garlic, lime and ginger can be used to tenderize lean meat as it contains less fat.