Our society’s preoccupation with body image is reflected in the fact that, at any given time, 70 per cent of women and 35 per cent of men are dieting. The media publicity of so called ideal sizes, along with the thoughts that dieting is a normal activity, can increase individual’s eating habits.

Eating disorders are a way of coping with deeper problems that a person finds or difficult to deal with directly. They are complex conditions that signal difficulties with identity, self concepts and self-esteem. Eating disorders cross cultural, racial and socio-economic boundaries effect men and women.

WHAT CAUSES EATING DISORDER?
When someone has eating disorder, their thoughts are around weight all the time interfering with the everyday intake and also the activities they choice to do in a normal day.

Many times individuals are always counting on calories of their intake and always centered on, exercise and weight loss or gain techniques.

When someone has eating disorder, their thoughts are around weight all the time interfering with the everyday intake and also the activities they choose to do in a normal day.

Many times individuals are always counting on calories of intake and centered on, exercise and weight loss or gain techniques.
There are various reasons for eating disorders. An eating disorder generally results from combination of factors. Biological factors include genetic factors, hormonal changes and body aliments and diseases. Psychological factors include low self-esteem, feeling of inadequacy or lack of control, depression, anger or loneliness.

Inter-personal factors include troubled family and personal relationships, difficulty expressing emotions and feelings, history of physical or sexual abuse. Social or environmental factors such as parental influence, peer pressure, social isolation and cultural effect. Therefore sometimes it can be difficult for a person with an eating disorder to admit they have a problem.

WARNING SIGNS

Eating disorder can be difficult to detect. Some warning signs are:
• Starving self from food/ involving too much in food
• Expressing feels of being fat when weight is normal or low/ not caring of being fat
• Spending unusually more time in  exercising/No exercise at all
• Mood swings and lack of tolerance with individuals
• Pre-occupation with thoughts of food,weight, counting calories
• Inability to concentrate
• Low self-esteem
• Poor sleeping habits
• Irregular eating times
• Isolation
There are different types of eating disorders and some of the popular ones are as follows:
Anorexia Nervosa
It is characterised by severe weight loss due to extreme food reduction. Symptoms are
refusal to keep body weight at or above the normal weight for one’s body type, dizziness or fainting Brittle nails, dieting to extremes usually coupled with excessive exercise, feeling overweight despite dramatic weight loss extreme preoccupation with body weight and shape and denial of hunger.

BULIMIA NERVOSA
It is characterised by frequent fluctuations in weight, due to periods of uncontrollable binge eating, followed by purging. As well as preoccupation with body image. Symptoms are repeated episodes of bingeing and purging, Abnormal bowel functioning, usually by selfinduced vomiting, abuse of laxatives, sores in the throat and mouth, diet pills and methods which are both ineffective and harmful and eating beyond the point of fullness hiding food and self-induced vomiting.

BINGE-EATING DISORDER
It is characterised by compulsive eating, is often triggered by chronic dieting and involves periods of overeating, often in secret and often carried out as a mean of deriving comfort. Symptoms are periods of uncontrolled,
impulsive or continuous eating and sporadic fast or repetitive diets, always shopping for food and gulp food irrespective of choice or type of food.

MYTHS ABOUT EATING DISORDERS
Myth: Females have eating disorders
Reality: Five –ten per cent of male population suffers from eating disorders
Myth: Eating disorders not dangerous or life threatening
Reality: Eating disorders are life-threatening health problems, and can cause danger diseases such as heart disease, infertility and kidney problems. Twenty per cent of people die of eating disorders
Myth: You have to be underweight to have an eating disorder
Reality: Eating disorder can occur in individuals with underweight, normal or overweight
Myth: Eating disorder has no treatment
Reality: Sixty per cent of individuals suffering from eating disorders are completely cured and lead normal healthy life.Eating disorder is 100 per cent curable
Myth: Being overweight is more dangerous than being underweight
Reality: Underweight is equally dangerous as being overweight. Both can be life threatening.
Myth: External appearance can indicate if an individual is suffering from eating disorder.
Reality: Eating disorders have nothing to do with external appearance. There may be few bodily symptoms but not necessary the actual indicators
Myth: With control of mind (psychological) eating disorders can be treated
Reality: Eating disorders originate because of biological conditions therefore having self-control is not always the answer for eating disorders
Myth: Eating disorders are more among rich people
Reality: Eating disorders is equally prevalent among all communities

HELP WITH EATING DISORDER
Eating disorder once diagnosed needs professional for treatment. You need to consult a doctor to get the treatment done. There are few tips that help you if unsure or just in initial stages
• Maintain an eating schedule: Maintain a time-table for you eating schedule and  make sure you eat the right quantity at regular intervals
• Seek help from others: Let others around you (family members / friends/colleagues) know about you feelings and let them help you when you have strong urges
• Love yourself: Every one of us should accept ourselves and love the way we look. We should always be idealizing something too extreme that can put us in trouble
• Insight: Try to identify the situations or circumstances that can bring up urges for eating or avoiding food. That can help you understand the triggers so that you are aware of yourself
• Positive involvement: When you have these urges try to divert yourself by positively involving in activities that are physical or psychological. Divert your attention by listening to music, taking a walk, reading a book, playing Sudoku etc.