Food and eating feature largely on this site and we have already produced a few lists about bizarre food and bizarre mental disorders. This list joins the two together by discussing relatively bizarre mental disorders that relate to food or weight. If you can think of others, or have an experience with one or more on this list, let us know in the comments.
Characterized by the obsession with eating healthy foods, this disease can be confused with and/or diagnosed as anorexia; the main difference being the reasoning behind the eating habits. Anorexics are obsessed with losing weight, while orthorexics feel a need for healthy or “pure” foods. Orthorexia is not recognized by the DSM IV and in general will not be diagnosed, but it is seeing a greater stronghold across the US. You can read the tragic story of a young woman who ultimately succumbed to orthorexia here.
PWS is caused by a chromosomal defect. It is non hereditary and it affects both sexes and all races. PWS can bring with it a number of symptoms including motor skill deficiency, incomplete growth, and mental retardation. In addition, PWS causes an unquenchable appetite. Left unchecked, sufferers can literally eat themselves to death. Treatment includes growth hormone and a low-cal diet that absolutely must be maintained. A fictionalized account of Prader-Willi was seen on the show CSI in 2005.
Pica is perhaps the most interesting disease on this list. It is both an eating disorder and a psychiatric problem. People with pica feel a compulsion to eat non-nutritional and non-food items. These can include anything from cigarette butts to paint. It is quite easy to get sick or even die from pica as the sufferer can eat dangerous chemicals or sharp objects that can puncture their vital organs.
Often called the opposite of anorexia, bigorexia is the only disorder on this list with more male sufferers than women. Bigorexics compulsively work out, take supplements, and severely restrict their diets. No matter how muscular and sculpted their bodies are, those with the disease are shy or even humiliated to show off their bodies because in their minds they just aren’t good enough. Statistics vary widely, as in addition to the embarrassment from the illness, eating disorders have long been seen as a women’s or girl’s disease and many men will not come forward.
Binge eating is a separate condition than bulimia. It is thought to be the most common eating disorder, yet is specified in the DSM IV as a part of EDNOS, or Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified. This is a broad category of ED and you can read about the criteria for EDNOS here. BED sufferers do not have the love of food most compulsive orders do. Like anorexics and bulimics, binge eaters are ashamed of their bodies and generally are embarrassed about their eating habits.
While not technically an eating related illness in and of itself, it is almost never diagnosed without the presence of another eating disorder. As the name suggests, a person with anorexia athletica goes beyond the normal feeling most of us have after a nice long run or a good session in the gym. The feeling is not optional for those with the disease, and they will often push themselves to over exertion or even serious injury to achieve the perfect body.
NES is a new disorder, yet like orthorexia is gaining in diagnosis. Night eating sufferers- usually obese or morbidly obese, eat almost nothing in the morning and during the day and eat over half of their daily calories at night. They often experience insomnia or wake up to indulge as well. Like others with and ED, people with NES are often secretive about their habits and are loathe to admit there is a problem.
While BDD can be diagnosed without the presence of an ED, is is nearly almost diagnosed along with the “big two” and often lingers long after other symptoms have lessened. People with BDD are convinced they have any number of defects, including but not limited to being fat and ugly,and having bad hair, bad teeth, and a bad odor. This goes beyond the normal teenage insecurities about how someone looks. When a BDD sufferer looks in the mirror, they see something completely different than those around them do.
Bulimia is characterized by binge/purge cycles. When most people think of bulimics, they think of self induced vomiting to purge. While this is one of the most common ways to purge, bulimics will also use diuretics and enemas. Additionally, bulimics will use ipecac syrup or over exercise to induce vomiting. Bulimics are very aware that their behavior is both abnormal and frowned upon and will go to great lengths to hide it. Interestingly, bulimics with a balanced binge purge cycle are generally a normal weight. It is only those who purge more than they binge who exhibit the outside signs of an eating disorder.
Newest studies estimate that 1 out of 100 teenage girls suffer from anorexia. Girls as young as 8 have been hospitalized with the condition. Brain mapping of those with anorexia shows their addiction to not eating is just as great as those with heavy drug or alcohol addiction. Anorexics are at great risk for relapse because anorexia and other eating disorders, like most addictions, never go away. Those that have been through treatment and no longer show symptoms or signs of their condition are considered in remission and must keep their impulses and urges in check. Even years down the line, one event can re-trigger the illness. However, those who do manage to keep the disease in line can recover fully and live and eat normally.
Contributor: Callie
Callie – I think you did an excellent job on this list. There’s nothing wrong with your grammar. (I think there was just one typo.) Thanks for sharing something so personal with us, I know that it’s not easy to put yourself in the spotlight like that, especially with some of these trollz around.
In college, we had a girl fall unconcious, and I was one of the people who did CPR. I was a bit panicky, and the first breathe I let her exhalation go back into my lungs. It sounds weird, but right then, I knew she was already dead. It felt cold and lifeless. After the paramedics came and took her off, we stayed and talked about what happened, since it was very disturbing. A few days later, several members of her family came and talked to us, in gratitude for what we had done, and to let us know what happened. She was anorexic to the point that her body had started to consume its own organs. She had a hole in her heart, and that’s why she died. She was pronounced DOA at the hospital. She was a very smart, interesting girl that I enjoyed having as a classmate. I can never look at eating disorders the same way again. It is just too sad how much she suffered without ever reaching out for help. She still has a place in my heart.
oops, make that breath
there should be an edit comment..or I should learn to type my numbers
I was 5’4 and 73 at my lowest. Now I’m 5’4 and 125. I don’t like making typos lol.
Callie, that’s really scary – 73. I’m so glad you are getting better. We definitely don’t want to lose you.
Ringtail: You’re a mountain biker! How can you be anything But healthy? Just because you can go longer without food than him doesn’t mean that he should always remind you of a problem that you don’t have. If he thinks it was a bad decision, why would he be with you?
Your profiles are great and you are definitely “Invitable.”
You have one of the best self images I’ve seen In a while. Keep the way you are. Not everyone likes a bean pole. Fluffy Rocks!
I always frown upon my friends who make fun of other people (ESPECIALLY for their body image/weight)
No person is perfect on the outside, nor on the inside – but to me I still like to think of them as a person.
Yo JFrater now that you have the death metal list put it up
Hi Callie
I had an idea you had been somewhere there; glad you made it…
Crimanon~
aw, you da best! yes, i mountain bike ride, but i’m not all hard core and certainly can’t keep up with boys…but i hold my own and finish the trails and then enjoy a Monster so all is well.
what i think i was trying to say is that i have no problems with my weight-sure, i’d like to be 150 again. but i am still the same person, regardless of what my scale says. I am no less active or *****y or driven than when i weighed any less.
i blame much of these conditions as a social ill, an incorrect vision of physical perfection, propagated by magazines and television, movies and reality t.v., and by the bizarre fact that many beautiful people seem to have more problems than do more average looking people.
i wish every woman would love herself first before trying to find love outside of herself…it’s all about what you think, not what anybody else thinks. and i think that we are all beautiful…because we are all capable of recognizing the internal beauty of others…
ringtailroxy
segue-
oh, dear friend, i’d gathered from comments that you have a few major health issues plaguing you. being a LV noob i didn’t know which ones.
but i am so very sorry that anorexia is one.
people commenting that it could be something a sufferer could just “get over” obviously don’t understand that is a genuine disorder way, WAY beyond something one could simply “get over,” and their ignorant comments sound hateful, when compared to the real disease, but i guess they don’t know any better from their own lives…
i’ve never met you in real (offline) life, but i think you are a wondrous woman, with vast intellectual and empathetic capacity!
from what i know, anorexia is a disorder related to wanting control when faced with a daily world of perceived pain and chaos. NOT a disorder about wanting to be “skinny and therefore hot.” -it’s way, WAY more complex then that! this is going to sound bizarre, but i believe my father suffers from a form of it. he’s an MD, a cardiologist, and was always slim but never “skinny” -until now. he also was always a perfectionist (as am i) with high standards in all facets of life that are almost unachievable.
when i was in high school, a decade ago, i went through a time where i ate less then 700 calories a day (which i know from a health class computer exercise were we tracked what we ate), now I’m over-weight for my height. and my dad -the doctor- brags about how he’ll prep for thanksgiving by eating 800 calories a day (or less) for weeks, not really healthy for a mid-fifties man of 5’11″ who cardio and weight-trains daily and just started running marathons! and he berates my mom (who has early-onset Parkinson’s) my sister, and me if we can’t live up to his nearly-fat-free, uber-low-cal-yet-high-protein lifestyle, sigh. it’s good that my sister and i now live out of our parental home, but i worry about how his weird food relationship might effect my mom, who frankly has enough health issues already (and is a healthy weight).
i just think that people who’ve never had “eating disorder” issues in their own lives, or the lives of their loved ones, don’t get that it’s a way bigger issue than “feeling a little fat.” i wish they got the complexities of it all. i think it’s similar to people equating genuine clinical depressive disorder to “feeling a little sad” or real manic phase bipolar people being misinterpreted as “a little hyper;” sometimes, people just don’t get it.
i send you all my hope for you staying healthy. if love from a “stranger” helps at all, you’re getting some from me!
I just wanted to point something out. There are quite a few comments referring to Pica, saying that people suffering from Pica crave a certain thing due to a lack of minerals or vitamins in their diet. There was also a couple of comments made by Segue saying that they craved ice and shish-kabobs during pregnancy.
I have worked with the mentally handicapped for many years and I am completely certified to do so, therefore I would like to clarify something for those who seem to be confused. Pica is NOT craving something because you are lacking it in your diet, nor is it craving ice or shish-kabobs. It is, as the list states, feeling compelled to eat something that is NON-NUTRITIONAL or NON-FOOD ITEMS. Ice and shish-kabobs are both nutritional and food items, and craving something because you are lacking a vitamin or mineral in your diet is directly related to nutrition.
I’ve worked closely with a young man who is severely mentally disabled and suffers from Pica, examples of his behavior were: attempting to eat dryer lint or powder laundry detergent, drink liquid laundry detergent, bleach and other cleaning fluids if allowed in the laundry room; attempting to eat pebbles, leaves and cigarette butts if not supervised carefully when out for walks; eating strings and buttons off of clothing and furniture. Anything that was small enough to fit in his mouth had a good chance of ending up there.
Pica is not craving a food item, people. It is a serious disease with potentially disastrous consequences.
I’m quite surprise that FAMINE is not on the list.it was an eating disorder wherein the person would like to eat but does not have a food.:-)
I suffer from binge eating wich has culminated into binging/purging. I have always been overweight with no sense of control over my eating habits. I recently, after just having enough, lost 50kgs (aprox. 100lbs) and felt amazing ans so in control. Now I find myself binge eating more and more frequently and I feel like I am losing that control I so recently gained. Now I’m back to the toilet bowl after my binging (a habit I thought I had left behind in high school) but I can’t help it, I can’t stop myself. It’s a disgusting thing to do but it feels like the only way to keep some form of control over my weight. Clearly my self-image sucks and I don’t know what else to do about it. I hate it!
About Pica- When my mother-in-law was pregnant she insisted on eating baby powder. After her daughter was born, the urge went away.
I knew a girl in college that would binge but not purge. (Or at least I’m fairly certain she did not purge.) The girl and her friend would clean out the candy shelves after a holiday when they were on clearence and spend hours in their room eating. At first I thought it was innocent indulgence until I saw they amount of candy they were hoarding in their dorm room closets. It was almost as though they wanted to keep it a secret from people. Once, before a study session, I dropped by their room unexpectedly to say hello, and they were quite embaraased about the amount of wrapped that were strewned about their room. It struck me as very odd.
wrappers*
I lived with a friend of mine for a while who’s sister had Prader-Willi. She was on medication for it but it was either not strong enough, or her body had become used to it.
It was definitely and interesting experience at the same time it was extremely sad. I didn’t know at first what was going on. Sometimes we would finish dinner and then she would be rummaging through the fridge for something else to eat. I finally confronted my friend and asked as nicely as I could why she always seemed hungry. He explained.
She had to have a specific calorie allotment the she couldn’t pass and she was on medication for it. The doc’s told her not to eat all her calories at her main meals in case she had “urges” so that she could snack on a carrot or something with out going over her calories(restricting herself would just make the feelings of hunger stronger and she could end up binging).
I was up late one night and caught her sitting in front of the fridge, eating anything she could get her hands on. Not just snacking on something and then going to something else, but, completely finishing something off and going to the next.
She immediately burst into tears and admitted that she’s been getting up for the past week or so, after everyone had gone to sleep, because she felt so hungry. She was afraid to tell her brother because she didn’t want to disappoint him and she wanted to prove she could finally be on her own with someone merely checking up on her instead of having to constantly watch over her. We talked for a bit and I convinced her to tell her brother that she needed to go back to the doctors.
That was about 2 years ago. She did go back to the docs and got more effective meds. I go and visit her once in a while and shes lost quite a bit of weight. She lives in her own apartment and a nurse checks up on her every other day. She says she still has to fight feeling hungry but it no longer feels like shes starving constantly. Now its more like he just constantly needs a snack.
Perhaps purging begins as something comforting – like the person is actually doing something to change their lives, but ends up becoming a psychological habitual dependance that one can’t just ‘break’. I actually used to like feeling miserable while I had the symptoms of depression. It was only when I tried to move through it did I realise just how unhappy I was. Thankfully, I knew I wasn’t born that way, and after quite a few years of slowly moving with it I actually managed to tip the balance in my favour. I actually felt ‘attractive’ for the first time in my adult life – and happy to just be me.
Perhaps these things are like computer programming. The code is still there within me for all kinds of pcychological dependencies, I just learned to ‘patch’ my way around it, until the new code was strong enough to defeat the old. I haven’t looked back.
I have some idea how it can work with binging. Sometimes, when a person first realizes they’ve had a major binge (say they’re on a diet, and then they “slipped” and ate half the contents of the fridge…binging is sort of scary, actually), they’ll make themselves throw up as a “one time thing” to try and undo what they’ve done (at this point, the binge is far more problematic, and the purge is almost reasonable). But this will happen again, and then it’ll sort of semi-consciously occur to them that they can eat more if they purge after, and then it gets complicated.
Not true of all cases, and I can’t even say it’s true of most, but I know it can be like that.
On the pica subject again, ice eating is considered a pica and is called pagophagia. Ice is not a nutritive food and ice pica does not result from thirst.
I suffered from it for a few years. I would order drinks in restaurants with extra ice. I bought soft drinks at drive thrus, poured off the liquid and ate the ice. My children tried to keep me from drinking iced drinks except through a straw, because I was cracking and breaking my teeth.
In the midst of this new found compulsion, I was diagnosed with severe anemia which was fixed by some female surgery. Over the course of the next few months, my blood iron levels came up to normal and the pagophagia disappeared entirely. Later I discovered my ice eating and anemia were probably tied together, with the ice pica a symptom of the anemia.
I’ve heard that before. I’m not sure why eating ice is a symptom of anemia, but it’s apparently a pretty common one.
in the late 70′s i was well on my way to anorexia. thank god, my mom and best friend got hold of me in time. the anorexic woman broke my heart. it’s a shame that society teaches women to think that if they don’t fit some “ideal” they aren’t worth anything.
I’ve had #6, #5, #3, #2, and #1 – back and forth…and back again.
Sometimes I’ve had multiple disorders at one time. It’s a living hell. Since I’ve been 11 years old (I’m 27 now) I’ve never gone a day (an hour) without thinking about my weight. (too much, too little…an eating disorder is like a shadow – you see it and it follows you everywhere)
70. lo: Please get in touch with me offlist. Either jrater or Cyn can give you my email addy.
I’ve also read some stories on here and can’t believe how many people have misconceptions of eating disorders.
In short, I started losing weight when I was 11 years old. I was always called chubby when I was a kid, so being restrictive on my diet was helpful. I realized eating less and less meant losing more and more. Criticisms quickly turned to praise. Weight loss became something I was truly good at. I liked the attention I received.
Inevitably, I gained weight back, but when I turned 15 – I suffered another bout. This time, it wasn’t about looking better (although it was part of it) – it was about having a power that most others couldn’t have. When most people couldn’t go an entire day without eating chips or McDonalds…I could go 24 hours without, not just junk food, but any food.
…CONTINUED FROM #84 (posted too soon) Negative comments only fueled my desire to keep losing weight. I was a perfectionist. I viewed the people telling me to gain weight as my adversaries who were just trying to ruin me. I thought they were jealous of my ability. (I know now that it was the “disease talking” so to speak)
This continued for years (with bouts of bulimia and binge eating) but I always find my way back to restrictive eating. It’s my control source.
Like I’ve said though – food is always on my mind. It’s not something I like or want…but I can’t get away from it. It really is like my alcohol or drug. (something I’ve also struggled with)
I also believe Eating D/O are apart of one’s desire to hide themselves. Sometimes it’s away of gaining control over your body, when you feel life/others are putting too much pressure on you and expect too much of you. It’s one thing other people cannot control. No one can force you to eat or gain weight. (of course, I realize this doesn’t apply to minors or those who get medical holds placed on them) It can feel very empowering.
**I feel that most everyone has vices or something that they are not proud of – it’s wrong to point fingers at the people, whose vices/problems are more apparent to the naked eye.
Has anyone noticed Comment 81? Spam?…
As the mother of a child with Prader-Willi Syndrome, I’m disappointed to see PWS on this list. Unlike the rest of these disorders PWS is caused by a non-inherited genetic mutation of the 15th chromosome. Typically either a small piece (approx. 7 genes) is lost at or around conception or the person has two copies of the mother’s #15 chromosome and is lacking a copy of the father’s #15 chromosome. Therefore people with PWS are born with this disorder and the challanges begin at birth with hypotonia (extremely low muscle tone), an inabilty to suck, extreme sleepiness, and often times, difficulty breathing.
The hyperphagia (constant hunger and inabilty to feel full) doesn’t generally begin until age 2-6. There are currently NO medications or treatments that control of cure the hyperphagia. In PWS, hyperphagia is caused by the missing genes, not by a psychological or emotional problem. There is no way a person with PWS can just “get over it”. As a parent you can not use behavior modification techniques to control the food-seeking behaviors as they are hard-wired into the brain of a person with PWS. Just as you and I HAVE to breath, the person with PWS HAS to have food. I could offer you a million dollars to not breath for the next 10 minutes. No matter how desperately you wanted to you couldn’t do it. Your body would take over and make you breath. It’s the same for a person with PWS. Their brain is telling them that they are starving and NEED to get food. It’s not under their control. PWS is a syndrome and while most do demonstrate some form of cognitive delays, there are also those who have average to above average IQs. I know a woman who is working on her Master’s degree and she has to have assistance with controlling her food, because her brain is hard-wired incorrectly when it comes to food.
As for you, Mad Monkey, no, you have NEVER experienced Prader-Willi Syndrome. And if you truly have experienced every other disorder on this list, I feel sorry for you. However, throwing up a couple of times after binging or not eating for a few days does not get you a diagnosis of bulemia or anorexia. Nor does eating a piece of paper mean you have pica.
For anyone who does want to learn more about PWS please go to PWSAUSA.org
86. Crimanon: Has anyone noticed Comment 81? Spam?…
****
Spam. Reported.
22. lucy – Yes, I sometimes feel the same way. I would never SAY it to the person, but it can be very frustrating.
24. firefly73 – Before you attack me, I want to point out that my sister has suffered from anorexia and so did a girl I skated with, so I’m not inexperienced with it. It is an extremely difficult disorder for the family/friends to deal with, not because we think that the person should just “get over it,” but because like any addict, anorexics can be a pain in the butt to deal with.
The best thing I found to do was just to a) treat my sister/skater friend like normal and be there if they wanted to vent about something, and b) not take any controlling bullcrap from them. Once they realized they couldn’t pull it on me, they didn’t. Since they had control issues, I think it made them relieved that I was just accepting of them as they were, and they didn’t HAVE to pull any crap with me. I wrote to the skater friend when she was in the hospital and sent her comic strips, etc. to make her laugh. She appreciated it, and I was glad to do it.
So Lucy, just treat the person like you always do. Firefly, understand that it’s hard on us too: *HUG* And I’m glad that you are doing well.
87. Kimberly
How is it disappointing to see PWS on this list? So it´s a genetic disorder instead of a psychological one… So what? Are you implying (like others in these comments unfortunately) that anorexia or bulimia are things you can “just get over if you really wanted to” ? If you are, then you should REALLY look some of these disorders up so you can post an informed opinion. If you´re not (and I sincerely hope not), then you should realize that most people with these disorders do not CHOOSE to have them. It´s not like, “Hey, I think I´ll be anorexic or bulimic from now on.”
In fact, I would think that being on a list like this would be a good thing. It´s an informative list and I think it serves to open some eyes about different disorders. How, pray tell, was it offensive in any way?
“Anorexics are obsessed with losing weight”
No.
I’m diagnosed anorexic (by 2 psychiatrists, not an online quiz, mind) and I can say that it’s not just about losing weight. For some, losing weight doesn’t even tally into it.
Generally, if the mindset is not about losing weight, body image, or "cleansing", anorexia is a symptom of an underlying condition…
I didn`t know most of this,enlightenment welcome. You big girls out there,don`t worry. More of you to love. Better than looking like a skeleton.
Just so you know, there are a lot of girls who are NATURALLY thin, too, and it gets really tiring to hear over and over again how much better bigger girls are and how icky thin girls are.
*admin. note* comments re: a previous one possibly being spam, don’t make sense now. cuz it was spam thus removed.
have a nice day.
The picture in item no. 1 is freaking me out.
Speaking of which, can a male be diagnosed with anorexia?
Yes, it is not gender-specific at all. The statistics are never completely accurate because most guys see it as a "girly" disease and won't seek treatment/be MUCH more strict at hiding it. Plus, people don't tend to look for the signs in males because of this stigma.
kimberly- (86) I certainly didn’t want to offend. I do make the distinction that PWS is caused by a chromosomal defect and is not a psychological disorder. Howevever, it is still a disorder, it is eating related, and it is terrible, so I thought it fit in with the list.
bubina- (90) surely your anorexia at least started with the obsession to lose weight? I’ve been diagnosed twice and I can’t think of a day when I was sick that I didn’t think about losing weight.
denzell- (94) absolutely. About one million men, or 7-10% of those diagnosed with anorexia are men or boys.
where is Mike Tyson?
89. GTT
I would never imply that any psychological disorder, eating or otherwise, is something that someone chose to have, and no, I do not believe that they can “just get over it.”
However, what sets PWS apart from everything else on this list is that, with the right treatment, everything else on this list, generally, can be cured. Granted, I understand that some people will never be fully cured, but the possiblity is out there. There is no cure or even any treatment for the eating symptoms of PWS. The only way to manage it is to lock the cupboards and refrigerators and keep the person under 24/7 supervision for life.
95. Callie
I’m not offended. It’s just that many people look at PWS as an “eating disorder” and it’s not (and yes, I noticed that you used the term “eating related”). The hyperphagia is just one componant of a much larger syndrome. In addition to the hyperphagia my daughter, who is 5, also has low muscle tone (for which she receives Adapted PE and OT), dyspraxia (a very severe speech and language disorder similar to what an adult exhibits after a stroke…she gets speech), scoliosis, strabismus, difficulty regulating her body temperature, incomplete *****ual development (for her age), growth issues (for which she receives daily injections of growth hormone), asthma, behavioral issues and possible learning disabilities and/or cognitive delay. As you can see the hyperphagia, while a major componant, is just one piece of a much larger puzzle.
I do appreciate you introducing the Prader-Willi Syndrome, as a whole, as very few people have heard about it and education is important. I just don’t want people to get the idea that it is “just” an eating disorder. Not to minimize the destructiveness of eating disorders, but to clarify that the eating issues are just one aspect of PWS.
Other than that, it was a well written and informative article.
Again, if anyone wants more information about PWS the national website is PWSAUSA.org.
GTT – Just to clarify, I also don’t think any psycholgical issue is something one can “just get over”, or that one can be “cured” as such; perhaps the programming will always be there, but it IS possible to move throught it – with a lot of hard work and determination. Several folks on this list are shining examples of that.
When I was young I used to eat egg shells. And my brother once found me in the sand box shovelling sand in my mouth. Also, did anyone else like the taste of Playdoh?
Totally normal for young kids… I used to eat dried worms off the driveway. So *****ing nasty.
They generally won’t even consider a diagnosis of pica in younger children because eating random objects is pretty normal. It’s only if it continues (or is extremely excessive) that it becomes a concern.
Callie: No, it didn’t. It started as a sort of coping method when my fiance was seriously ill for months on end. Weight loss did happen, but I wasn’t starving myself because it would make me lose weight, but because it made me feel I could deal with things better.
99. hayleydee:…did anyone else like the taste of Playdoh?
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I preferred school paste, the stuff in the little tubs with the brush built into the lid. I’d brush it onto the paper, let it get to the “tacky” stage, then roll it up into little balls and pop them into my mouth.
I had to be sneaky, if the nuns caught me I’d get my knuckles caned, but I had a sneaky mind, so I was only caught once, and that in Kindergarten.
**I’m quite surprise that FAMINE is not on the list.it was an eating disorder wherein the person would like to eat but does not have a food.:-)**
#72 comment – LOL
pic no.1 = ….
i have BDD
i used to be anorexic – recovered now
but i also ate a lot of paper – maybe as a replacement for food? it was definitely because i had vitamin deficiency, because i no longer feel a craving to eat paper.
36 MadMonkey – are you SURE you’ve had every disorder on the list? why did you have them? “oh i like throwing up, i’ll just say i have bulimia!” is that what you mean by BS excuse? what is it an excuse FOR exactly?
i hope everyone realizes that a lot of these disorders don’t actually have too much to do with losing weight. if i wanted to lose weight, i would go to a gym. that is NOT the point, it is just the form it takes. it’s easy to say someone can just “get over it” – hell, i’ve even done that before. but it’s not always possible and it’s not always easy, so get over YOURSELVES and your high horses.
Just thought I would throw in my 2 cents.
Most any eating related disorder can be characterized as a behavioral disorder (eating or refraining from eating is a behavior and most successful treatments involve changing behavior).
The genetic defect of PWS effects the endocrine system, specifically the hypothalamus which regulated satiation. Individuals with PWS are also usually diagnosed with some degree of mental retardation (you can’t rationalize with these individuals and convince them not to overeat). While it is currently impossible to correct the genetic component, many behavioral treatment have been developed which provide frequent non-food rewards (reinforcement) for refraining from eating.
Also, while most of these disorders are classified as pychological, many people fail to recognize that over time physiological components come into play as well. For example, numerous studies have shown that the opiod and cannabinoid systems of the brain respond differently to food in bulimics compared to normal eaters. Also, different environmental situations can trigger bulimics by causing an increase in salivation and hunger (think of Pavlov’s dogs and the bell).
One of the reasons why many eating disorder interventions fail is because treatment does not occur in the environment where the behavior takes place (e.g., not letting a bulimic binge/purge where that behavior usually takes place, not letting the athletic anorexia exercise for longer than 30 minutes when she goes to the gym, making the anorexic eat a normal meal in her home (not the hospital) etc.)
Your last paragraph is an interesting point that I hadn’t considered. That does seem like a flaw in the concept behind inpatient therapy (without a proper transition phase, anyway). I’m curious if there’s any actual data on that.
i think most of us have eaten something unusual just to see what it tastes like. paper is very common in fact i read somewhere that ballet dancers eat toilet paper to fill themselves up without having to eat or gain weight. and also most women love a binge now and then and sometimes i think people use these labels as a excuse for what they do. more reserch needs to be done in thse peoples mentel health oh yes and prader willi can surely not be deemed a eating disorder? its a medical condition not a mental health one.
Binge/purge =/= bulimia.
And, mental health condition = medical condition.
Most people don’t binge in the psychologically significant sense. A binge, as pertaining to eating disorders, doesn’t just mean eating a lot. It’s sort of an out-of-reality compulsion to eat as much as possible, and it’s sort of scary to see. A person who is currently binging can eat thousands of calories in maybe 15 minutes, basically just shoving food in their mouth with no regard for normal standards of eating (chewing, not making a mess, etc).
That’s not normal. If someone is doing that, that’s a problem. Most women may “binge” as in eat a lot, but nothing like that.
excuse poor spelling of above comment – DUH!
It is true that many of these sort of travel together, but I really want to thank bubina for bringing up what I was going to. Anorexia was my primary problem and is still something I work with and around. It is much much more than an obsession with losing weight.
I can remember the diminishing weight feeling good, but it was not the same kind of good feeling you might have if you had lost some of your baby weight or something. It was hateful, and it was personal. At some point weight doesn’t even matter. Also, some people feel good that way. I felt happier and more energetic although I had gotten down to 90lbs at a 5’10″ height. So much was going on, and I exhibited quite a few other problems which occur on this list such as obsessive working out, compulsion to eat only certain type of healthy food if anything (at this point I knew I was covering in order to avoid hospitalization). I also ate paper regularly. I figured it had no nutritional value and couldn’t really be digested. I took to eating a lot of non-foods such as bits of soap or holly leaves because I knew they would make me ill if I ate too much. Consider, those who are talking about it being wasteful, the waste of a suicide.
Anyway, my point madmonkey, is that these are huge compulsions. They never go away. You deal with it forever. I am now still a bit of an exercise freak, and trying to convince myself that my weight is ok because of my muscle mass. I am also now nearly 30 years old. This struggle will always be a part of my life. That is not BS. It’s something you should be thankful you don’t have to deal with.
i think that this is outragouse how girls think that they are fat WHEN THERE NOT!!!!!!! they are skin and bone fat is when people say you are fat or your over weiight not when you can see someones bones popping out! they need to change there life styles and people need to help them. stick a bloody chicken in there mouth or something!
Never going to happen, look at Hollywood icons and what the media shows as beautiful. Jessica Simpson raved about her 1200 Calorie diet and it was promoted in the media as a positive weight loss technique. That is borderline anorexia for anyone except a completely inactive 5-foot-tall woman.
the worst of them all…
reading countless lists of anything online
BDD is one of the most horrifying mental condition to live with on a day to day basis. at my worst i had dropped out of school quit my job and i hadent left my house in 9 month’s and had attempted suicide 2 times. all i ever did was sit and look at myself in any sort of reflective surface, when i wasent looking at myself i was thinking about how *****ty i thought i looked how deformed and masculine i felt.
How did you break out of it?
holy cow, that woman at the bottom of the list looks like a flattened ball. no offense to her but she really does
actually she looks like gollum
Jeeze, Zoombafoo, I’d looked at that photo several times before, always knowing it reminded me of something but never quite putting my finger on it. Then you said Gollum! It’s perfect. It’s exactly what I was trying to remember.
Thanks.
your welcome!!!! lol
Reading all the comments here cleared my mind about eating disorders, which was an issue i hadn’t quite setttled.
They are indications of OTHER disorders classified under different names for reasons I can’t quite make out. As I have understood from the comments anorexia is about control over your life. Then it has to do something with your lifestyle, understanding of life and the sources of the feeling of achievement. All of a sudden (actually while typing these words) i realized it has something in common with video game addicts. Most of them play games because they feel the control and power the games grants them. So this feeling of powerlessness must have an effect on both groups.
I don’t know if there is a statistical study about this issue but my personal observations and knowledge (absolutely not enough to make a judgement) tells me that these disorders are more frequent in developed countries. Being a graduate student in economics I am now curious if the frequency of these diseases are correlated to a nation’s wealth. Can anyone point out any resources?
NOTE: This comment did not end up as i planned it to be but i wanted to keep it this way to reveal how this idea came to me
Reading all the comments here cleared my mind about eating disorders, which was an issue i hadn’t quite setttled.
They are indications of OTHER disorders classified under different names for reasons I can’t quite make out. As I have understood from the comments anorexia is about control over your life. Then it has to do something with your lifestyle, understanding of life and the sources of the feeling of achievement. All of a sudden (actually while typing these words) i realized it has something in common with video game addicts. Most of them play games because they feel the control and power the games grants them. So this feeling of powerlessness must have an effect on both groups.
I don’t know if there is a statistical study about this issue but my personal observations and knowledge (absolutely not enough to make a judgement) tells me that these disorders are more frequent in developed countries. Being a graduate student in economics I am now curious if the frequency of these diseases are correlated to a nation’s wealth. Can anyone point out any resources?
NOTE: This comment did not end up as i planned it to be but i wanted to keep it this way to reveal how this idea came to me
I think the bottom line is we need to be more confident with ourselves, we think that people will like us but the truth is we cannot please everybody. I learned from cheapsoma.ca articles that most people who are experiencing eating disorder are somewhat related to depression and the lack of self confidence.