Can eating healthy food become a problem? Part 1

Health | Fitness

Many people are watching their figure and diet nowadays, but did you know that this can lead to problems such as eating disorders or obsessive compulsive disorders (OCD)? Any of the below can develop into an eating disorder, which are difficult to treat and have the highest death rate of all the psychological disorders.

We have a problem with eating when we

• are too restrictive of certain foods.
• only eat fat free or no carbohydrates.
• eat while standing and don’t realise that we are eating.
• cut out meals.
• eat on the run.
• over-eat consistently.
• start to resent any food because it makes us fat.

A study conducted by Gowers and Bryant-Waugh showed that eating disorders were disorders of first-world countries (Gowers & Bryant-Waugh, 2004). However, a study by Thomson (1992) revealed that if rural African people moved into urban settings, their children would become Westernised and may also develop eating disorders. As countries become more Westernised, the rate of eating disorders increases.

The mentioned studies suggest that eating disorders have moved beyond the stereotype. They used to be considered primarily a health issue for affluent white, teenage girls, but now the problem has crossed socio-economic, ethnic and gender boundaries (Neuman & Halvorsen, 1999).

An abundance of food and fewer infectious illnesses have led to an increasing average body size in the middle-upper socio-economic class in the Western world. However, the Western ideal was to be thin, and this is reflected in the media. The number of diet-related articles has risen in the past couple of decades and the cover pages of magazines frequently feature thin models. The self-esteem of young females is correlated with thinness and physical attractiveness. Thinness is equated with being successful, intelligent, attractive and in control. It is therefore common in the West to be preoccupied with one’s body and being thin.

There are different types of eating disorders, with the most common ones being Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa. To diagnose a psychological disorder we use the DSM-VI-TR, the handbook for psychological disorders.

1. Anorexia Nervosa

The person suffering from Anorexia Nervosa has an extreme fear of becoming fat or gaining weight. They will starve themselves because they want to lose weight and will generally lose more than 15 percent of their body weight. They cannot judge their body size accurately and have a disturbed body image (Barlow & Durand, 2005).

People suffering from Anorexia Nervosa are preoccupied with food and will often collect it or prepare big meals without eating the food.

They might suffer from severe physical damage: cardiac arrhythmias, hypotension, amenorrhoea (the DSM IV-TR requires the absence of the menstrual cycle for three consecutive cycles), dry skin, brittle hair, sensitivity to cold temperatures and hair growth on the side of the face. The onset of the disease is from 8 to 13 years of age.

There are two types of anorexics: 1) the bingeing and purging type, and 2) the restricting type (American Psychiatric Association, DSM-IV-TR, (2005), pp. 583-89). Once Anorexia Nervosa develops, it tends to reinforce itself.

Positive feedback on weight loss from peers or family members in the initial stages of the disorder may reinforce the desire to continue losing weight. The eating disorder may give the anorexic a feeling of power, self-control or virtue.

2. Bulimia Nervosa

The main sign of this disorder is binge eating together with purging techniques, such as vomiting, using laxatives or diuretics, or non-purging techniques, such as dieting, exercising and fasting. This leads to a sense of self-disgust and loss of control. People who suffer from Bulimia Nervosa are over concerned with their weight and shape, and often overestimate their body size (Barlow & Durand, 2005). However, most of them are within 10 percent of their normal body weight range.

There are two types of Bulimia Nervosa: 1) the purging type (regular purging) and 2) the non-purging type (fasting and exercise) (American Psychiatric Association, DSM-IV-TR, (2005), pp. 589-94).