The National Eating Disorder Awareness Week was designed to enlighten the public on eating disorders and continue the spread of hope on such principles. Most individuals can misinterpret an eating disorder as a chronic illness and not a psychological case. Yet, eating disorders are psychological and can range from several abnormal or disturbed ingestion habits. NEDA is a non-profit organization that works to prevent these cases, provide resources for individuals who may need them and bring more awareness to all sorts of eating disorders.
Anorexia Nervosa
Characterized by weight loss, people with this disorder usually have a hard time maintaining suitable body weight for age, height and stature. The disorder leads to distorted body image and restrictive calorie count diets.
Rumination Disorder
This includes periodical regurgitation of food, which may involve rechewing and re-swallowing.
Binge Eating Disorder (BED)
This is defined as recurrent cases where individuals consume large quantities of food, usually too quickly, which can lead to a feeling of discontentment afterward and the condition can be life-threatening.
Unspecified Feeding or Eating Disorder (UFED)
Usually symptoms that involve a feeding or eating disorder cause distress and affect life negatively. Symptoms do not meet the full criteria of other eating disorders.
Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID)
Individuals with this disorder limit their intake of food, but it does not involve fear of gaining weight or much discomfort towards body shape or size.
Other Specified Feeding and Eating Disorders (OSFED)
Disorders that are not specified in the diagnostic and statistical manual and are usually not covered by insurance. Individuals who are classified as such did not meet the criteria of anorexia nervosa. Symptoms are still very common to BED and Anorexia.
It does not matter if you are an emotional eater or a critical eater. It is encouraged to control yourself as you eat to feed both your hunger and your body. Growing healthy eating habits can lead to long life improvements. Your body is majestic; it is well-formed, and who will embrace it if you won’t do so yourself? Over here, you are not a number on a scale, you are not the size of your jeans. You belong and your body belongs just as you are.
Find your calling and learn to look beyond body-image. Throughout this week, treat yourself to your favorite dessert, get some dinner with your girls. Your body belongs here. There are several resources available for students who may be facing such situations. Keep yourself aware of these disorders, and help out others who may need guidance because all of us are involved in the battle for the mind.
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