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Eating problems

Eating Problems

Food plays a big part in our lives: not only is it essential for our health and development, but sharing food and eating with one another can have an important role in how we socialise and spend time together.

Sometimes problems can develop when we use food as a way to cope with the painful feelings we have in our lives instead of finding positive ways to cope when we feel bad. The reason why someone may develop an eating problem can be complicated. Some common reasons include:

• Low self-esteem
• Disliking the way you look (this is also about low self-esteem)
• Coping with stress
• Dealing with a difficult issue or trauma in the past or present

Certain ways of controlling the food we eat can become very serious and interfere with our ability to enjoy life.

Anyone can develop an eating disorder whatever their age, sex, or background.

Below is a brief description of some of the different types of eating problems people experience:

Anorexia

This is when people radically limit the amount of food that they eat. They may do this in addition to doing lots of exercise, which means that they always keep their weight very low. People with anorexia often believe that they still need to lose weight even when their body weight has dropped to a limit that is dangerous to their health.

Bulimia

People who have bulimia will eat food and then try to get rid of all the food they have eaten by making themselves sick or using laxatives which cause diarrhoea. It’s not uncommon for people to go to great lengths to hide their behaviour from their friends and family. Some people feel guilty and shameful about keeping the habit a secret.

Binge Eating

When someone is said to binge this means that they overeat, consuming lots of food uncontrollably in one sitting. They may feel very guilty about the amount of food they have eaten and only binge in secret.

The Consequences

Eating problems come in lots of different forms and are not limited to the types in the descriptions above. However, what they all have in common is that they are very upsetting for the person experiencing them and, if they are left to continue, they can lead to serious physical health problems. Eating too little or too much, for whatever reason, can have serious effects on your physical health. In extreme cases the stress placed on the body and the damage caused can be permanent and in some cases even fatal.

What can I do if I am worried about my eating habits?

Please remember that many of us at some stage will try out different eating habits as we go along in life. We might decide to eat more or less of certain foods because we feel they have a positive effect on our health or decide to go vegetarian or vegan because of our own values and beliefs.

When our eating habits are causing us to worry or we feel that we need to keep them a secret then it might be good idea to talk to someone we trust.

The eating problem could be covering up lots of upsetting feelings that we have and sometimes people find that making sense of what is behind the eating problem can help them to start eating again in a more healthy way.

Call us: 0808 808 9120

Text us: 0789 688 0811

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Video: Watch Natalie's Story

Anorexia: Natalie's Story from Off the Record (Bristol) on Vimeo.