Natasha is a successful scriptwriter. For the past six months, she has not been eating well. While no one took it seriously in the beginning, her friends are now beginning to get concerned, especially since she has lost around 10 kgs of weight in the last three months.
Natasha, like many others in India and around the world, could be suffering from an eating disorder. With the obsession that women have about losing weight, many of these go undetected.
Here's what you should know:
Anorexia nervosa
This is one of the most common eating disorders and is characterised by an abnormal fear of being fat. Neeti Desai, a dietician, says patients of anorexia are terrified of looking at themselves in the mirror.
"They are overly conscious of their self image, which results in them cutting down drastically on food," she explains. Acute weight loss and loss of appetite are the first signs of anorexia.
According to Desai, patients try to avoid food at any cost. More often than not, anorexia is the result of low self-esteem, especially with regard to appearance.
"The media plays a major role by reinforcing images of what is pretty and what's not," says Desai. She cites the case of a 28-year-old mother, who came to visit her and asked why she couldn't be a size-zero like certain Bollywood actresses.
Bulimia
"The conditions of bulimia do not differ significantly from anorexia," says Desai. The main difference lies in the fact that anorexics don't eat and bulimics eat well and then throw up later.
Guilt is the driving force behind this disorder. "Bulimics suffer from an extreme sense of guilt after they have eaten anything," says Desai.
She explains that even doctors find it hard to diagnose whether their patients suffers from bulimia or anorexia, unless they admit to throwing up their food.
Comfort eating
This is the absolute reverse of anorexia and is characterised by overeating. Emotional stress can lead to this disorder. "People tend to indulge in comfort foods when they are upset. This eventually becomes a habit," says Desai.
She says emotional or comfort eating can also be a result of boredom. "This disorder is commonly seen among housewives. People suffering from emotional eating tend to binge on sweets," she adds.
What to watch out for
"Loss of appetite or nausea after eating are the first signs. Eating disorders usually occur when a person is going through a rough emotional patch.
Be careful about what and how much you eat during such times," says Desai. While counselling is an option, eating disorders are better prevented than cured.
Look at yourself in the mirror every day and find at least three things you love about your appearance. That should do the trick!
- restaurant -Restaurant with private rooms Houston- Tradicao is a traditional Brazilian steakhouse cum restaurant offers high quality of foods in Houston and Clear Lake. You can book your business meeting rooms, banquet rooms to celebrate your special occasions.
No comments:
Post a Comment