Eating disorders are serious conditions. They cause unhealthy changes in a person’s eating habits, obsessions with food and distorted body image. These behaviors are part of an illness, not a choice. Various eating disorders are recognized today. Three of the most common ones are anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder.

What is Anorexia?

People who suffer from anorexia have severely restricted eating habits, leading to an unhealthy body weight. Those with anorexia need to seek help right away to avoid dying from the disorder. The process of visiting one of any eating disorder facilities located around the country is a step in the right direction.

Here are five common signs of anorexia:

• Significant weight loss or extremely underweight
• Eating a dangerously restrictive, low-calorie diet
• Obsession with weight, dieting and being thin
• Unusual anxiety around food, or avoiding food-related situations such as dinners out with friends or family meals
• An intense feeling that their body weight is related to their value as a person

People with anorexia may also experience physical symptoms such as digestive problems, weakness and fainting. They may have a hard time concentrating. They may feel cold and will develop a thin coating of hair across the body to maintain warmth.

What is Bulimia?

People who are affected by bulimia eat an abnormally large amount of food at once then force vomiting, use laxatives or exercise excessively to get rid of the food. Despite their disordered eating pattern, people who struggle with bulimia generally have a normal body weight. People with anorexia and bulimia share many of the same warning signs. Here are five warning signs that are more common in people with bulimia:

• Leaves the table immediately after eating, perhaps several times during the same meal
• Hides food
• Has discolored teeth from frequent vomiting
• Adjusts activities to allow time for binging in private
• Uses a lot of gum, mints or mouthwash to hide the smell of vomiting

Many of the physical symptoms of bulimia are the same as those for anorexia. Symptoms that are unique to bulimia include calluses on the hands from forcing vomiting, bloating, acid reflux, sore throat and dental problems.

What is Binge Eating Disorder?

Binge eating disorder attracts less attention than anorexia and bulimia, although it is common in the United States. Unlike anorexia and bulimia, those who struggle with binge eating disorder eat large amounts without compensating with vomiting, laxatives or excessive exercise. Those who have binge eating disorder are typically overweight. Here are five signs commonly seen in people who have binge eating disorder:

• Eating until feeling ill
• Eating in secret
• Feeling anxious about eating habits
• Eating very large amounts
• Eating fast

The physical symptoms of binge eating disorder are more subtle than the physical symptoms of anorexia or bulimia. It is common for a person with binge eating disorder to alternate between drastic weight loss and gain, although they often remain overweight.

Hope for Eating Disorders

It is difficult for those who suffer from eating disorders to seek help. It is important for them to understand that they are not alone. Treatment is available to manage eating disorders. A combination of counseling and medication can be tailored to the individual by a medical professional for the best possible outcome. Please visit the National Institute of Mental Health and National Eating Disorders Association websites to learn more.