Eating Problems – An Outline

There's a lot of talk about 'eating problems' (or 'eating disorders') these days, but often the information is confusing. Newspapers write sensational stories about anorexia and bulimia in particular, but you need to know the facts without any of the drama. Eating disorders can be very difficult both for the person and for people who care about them. But they happen because of real problems – it's not just a case of snapping out of it or pulling yourself together. Pals, rellies and medical professionals all need to be understanding, sensitive and well-informed when trying to help. So, whether you're having difficulties yourself, are worried about someone else or are just interested, this factsheet gives you some basic facts about eating problems. Check the FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions); plus the list of Contacts [please link this word to 'Contacts' list below] for places that can give more detailed info on this subject and offer confidential support.

FAQs About Eating Problems

What's The Difference Between An Eating Problem & An Eating Disorder?
Nothing – they are just different names given to the same thing. Some people think 'disorder' sounds like a deep-seated characteristic that can't be changed and 'problem' sounds like something you can solve, so they prefer to use 'problem'. Some people think 'disorder' acknowledges it's serious and isn't just someone being weak or silly so they prefer that title. But basically, whichever name you hear or use, they are ways of talking about difficulties with food and with eating that can seriously affect people's lives.

What Eating Problems Are There?
There are three main types of eating disorder – you've probably heard of some or all of them:
Anorexia Nervosa (often just referred to as Anorexia)
Bulimia Nervosa (or Bulimia)
Compulsive overeating (binge eating)

What Are The Symptoms?
If you have Anorexia, you constantly think about food and not eating. You are scared of putting on weight and try to eat as little as possible. You avoid certain types of food, like fat and stodge, and start to get very thin. You may hate the thought of having a developed, adult kind of body shape. You actually want to be less than even the slimmest end of a healthy weight. Even when you get thin, you still think you're fatter than you really are. If you ever eat more than you planned, you feel you've failed. You may do loads of exercise to lose even more weight. This is hard on the whole body system as you're not getting enough nourishment but you're still using lots of energy. You may want to cook for friends or rellies but not eat the food yourself. You probably don't admit you've got a problem, even though somewhere inside you probably realise. Gradually, as you become thinner and weaker, you develop various problems.

For example:
*sleep problems
*exhaustion
*stomach pains
*dizziness
*chilliness
*for girls, periods stopping
*depression
*not wanting to join in with anything
*increasing obsession with food and calories
*sometimes, somebody with Anorexia becomes so weak they die

Your body will always try to find ways to get nourishment and energy. If you're not eating enough, it can't get it from food. At first, it takes it from your body fat (everyone has some fat over their flesh, unless they're starving). If you continue not eating, eventually all your fat is used up, so the body is forced to start looking elsewhere. In the end it begins to use your flesh and even organs (liver, kidney etc.) for nourishment. This is when starving yourself becomes truly life-threatening. With Bulimia, you become obsessed with food and dieting. You eat large amounts of food even when you're not hungry and then make yourself sick. You regularly have sudden, strong urges to go to the fridge/cupboard/shop and eat loads in one go (bingeing), but you don't really enjoy it – you do it as a response to painful emotional feelings. Afterwards, you feel guilty about bingeing. You may feel sick too. You vomit up the food to make sure your body doesn't digest the calories and to rid yourself of what you've done (like turning back the clock) or as a kind of punishment. You may also take laxatives (medicine that makes you poo). (These don't actually rid your body of many calories as mostly it's water that comes out.) You generally don't tell people what's happening – you're ashamed and want to hide it. It can become hard to get out of the vicious circle of cramming food and making yourself sick. You probably feel guilty and depressed and out of control or like you're failing. The regular vomiting affects your health and can do real damage. If you make yourself throw most things up, you're not getting nourishment. Taking lots of laxatives can seriously affect your bowels and intestines.

Here are some of the possible long-term effects of bingeing-vomiting:
*mouth infections
*tooth decay
*poor skin and hair
*stomach & bowel problems
*tiredness
*mood swings
*emotional strain from feeling isolated and secretive
*constantly low self-esteem

With binge-eating or compulsive overeating, as with Bulimia (above), you become obsessed with food and dieting. You eat large amounts of food even when you're not hungry. Again, you regularly have sudden, strong urges to go to the fridge/cupboard/shop and eat masses of food in one go (bingeing), but you don't really enjoy it or feel satisfied. As with Bulimia and Anorexia, it often starts because of personal and emotional difficulties. It's less life-threatening than they are because you don't starve yourself or get rid of the food by throwing up, or damage your insides with laxatives. However, eating such large amounts isn't good for your health or body systems. You probably crave and eat too much of certain foods – cakes, sugars, fats etc. – and not enough of others (fruit and veg etc.). You may put on excessive amounts of weight, which can lead to various conditions or upset your body's blood sugar balance.

How Many Young People Have Eating Problems?
It's estimated that in the UK about one in every ten teenage girls has some kind of food 'disorder' (not so many boys), but as these vary between very mild to much more serious, it's difficult to put an actual figure on it. It's sometimes thought that boys are never affected by eating disorders but this isn't the case. Although the majority of sufferers are girls, some boys get eating disorders too. It's normal to think about food and your body, especially as a young person when your body shape is changing. There's also a lot of publicity about health and nourishment and loads of types of food around. As you get towards adulthood you generally have more say in what you do or don't eat so you're bound to think about it. Quite a number of young people actually worry about food and eating, though. Often this is linked to body image – thinking you're too fat or thin, thinking you ought to lose weight, disliking your shape so thinking if you get skinny you will start to like your bum, thighs or whatever. It's one way of not being happy with how you are. For a lot of people the problem doesn't get extreme, and even though they may still have some insecurities, they continue eating reasonably normally and don't get ill. However, for some people the situation gets more serious and complicated and is tied up with deep-rooted emotional issues that may be nothing to do with food itself. This is when support in dealing with the problems is essential.

Why Do Some People Get Eating Problems While Others Don't?
The scientists can't totally agree and there's a lot of research being done. Basically, though, it's believed that the causes are to do with feelings of unhappiness and not being able to cope. An eating disorder may be a way of reacting to painful feelings. It may be the mind trying to escape them or trying to control them.

There may be one or several things that start you off. A few examples are:
*problems at home or school
*someone important dying or leaving
*being bullied or abused, physically, sexually or emotionally
*not being self-confident
*not having close friendships
*being hard on yourself for mistakes
*not being valued or praised
*being scared of growing up

If I've Got An Eating Problem, How Can I Stop It?
There are various organisations that can help by providing information or support, including a confidential phone helpline (see Contacts below). Even if you don't want to tell anyone you know yet, you can speak to someone in private. You don't have to give your name. Or you could go to your doctor. She/he might be very helpful. However, they may not be as well-informed as specialists eating disorders groups, and individual GPs vary in their attitudes. If you don't feel comfortable with their response, you can ring the helplines afterwards for suggestions.

Treatment:
Various ways of tackling your eating problem might be suggested. This might include talking to a counsellor or psychologist and/or seeing a dietician (someone who advises on food, eating habits and nutrition). If you were very weak and underweight, you might need to be treated in hospital. Sometimes a person is fed to increase their weight to a less dangerous level. It's important that the real problems are looked at, though, not just weight – otherwise, the problems can start again Different things work for different people, and sometimes there's pressure from doctors/parents/carers to accept a therapy method that doesn't really suit you. The Eating Disorders Association (see below) can tell you more about these things and about what choices there are. They can also tell you the rules on doctors being confidential about what you tell them. Just starting to admit to yourself that there's a problem is an important step. Also, trying to admit it to someone else. Admitting you're hurting and allowing people to help you can be hard, but eating disorders are the kinds of problems you need support with, and accepting this fact can help you find long-term solutions. You don't deserve to carry on going through the pain of an eating disorder or the emotional problems that started it. You deserve to feel better.

I Think My Friend/Sister/Brother Has An Eating Disorder…
It can be difficult to spot in the first place because the person will usually hide it. Possible signs might include:
*always talking about food and calories
*criticising own body weight/shape all the time
*talking about other people's weight/shape a lot
*skipping meals
*wanting other people to eat but perhaps not themselves
*going into the toilet loads of times – it could be they're being sick or taking laxatives
*being withdrawn, perhaps secretive
*being moody

These things don't have to mean an eating disorder, but they could do. It can be difficult to help because often the person can't admit there's a problem. They may feel ashamed; they may be scared of admitting it, too, in case people try to interfere. Also, it's important to know that you can't actually be responsible for your friend's/rellie's problem, even if you'd like to be, and they will need to make their own decisions. However, you can still be supportive:

*don't give up on them, even if they're acting moody etc.
*listen if they have other problems
*accept that everyone's different so you can't know exactly how they're feeling but you can still offer a lot
*tell them you're worried but accept the fact that they might not be ready to hear it or admit to the problem
*find out about eating disorders and where to go for help so you can give them info if they want it
*carry on eating as normal – you shouldn't change your own habits and they need to see people eating normally
*don't try and force them to eat – the problem is deeper than that
*try not to tell anyone else (a parent, teacher etc. or another friend) without telling the person you're going to do this. At least then it gives them a chance to do so first

You may still feel really worried and not know what to do – if so, you can ring Childline or the Eating Disorders Association (see Contacts below) yourself to ask for advice.

Who Do I Contact?
CONTACTS
Numbers beginning 0800 are always free. Some other nos. may be cheap rate – for example, nos. starting 0345 are usually charged at local rate instead of national rates, wherever you're calling from in the UK. Other calls are charged at normal rates. You can ask a helpline to ring you back if it's too expensive.

Remember, if phone calls are not free, they will be listed on the phone bill, so if you don't want anyone to know, try to ring from a pay-phone. Most freephone (0800) calls are not free if you're calling from a mobile.

Most helplines will never ring you back or contact other organisations with your details unless you want them to. If you're at all worried that they might, you can ask them about this when you first speak to them. You do not have to give your name etc. to a helpline.

Eating Disorders Association
general helpline:
01603 621 414 (Mon – Fri 9am – 6.30pm) they also have a Youth Helpline for anyone under 18 with an eating problem:
01603 765 050 (Mon – Fri 4pm – 6pm)

Childline (any type of problem)
www.childline.org.uk
or phone the helpline:
0800 1111 (24-hour, free)
or write (no stamp needed):
Freepost 1111
London N1 0BR
Careline
info/advice on any type of problem
Tel. 020 8514 1177

Also, if you're feeling very down and need to talk immediately and anonymously:
The Samaritans
0345 909090 (24-hour)
or check their web site
www.samaritans.org.uk
or write to them:
PO Box 90 90
Slough SL1 1UU

Don't Suffer In Silence…
Eating disorders can be complex and you may feel no-one can understand. The pressures can seem massive. But there are a lot of people around who have had eating problems and got through them. With support, understanding and info you're more able to start looking at the problems and deciding how to tackle them. Even if you don't want to talk to someone you know, why not ring one of the helplines. You deserve to feel better.