These cases are already considered as grave problems
but it helps to know that there are now treatment
options available to patients. Read and you will find
out more info about addiction and recovery as well as
eating disorders information.

What has eating disorders got to do with addiction and
recovery? Oftentimes, eating disorders are associated
with the obsession to food and body image. According
to some experts, eating disorders are of various
kinds.

For instance, bulimia and anorexia are illnesses
whereby patients manage their weight by using
starvation techniques and two processes called purging
and binging. Food addiction is another cause of eating
disorder. In this case, the individual compulsively
overeats.

The disorders or illnesses revolve around food and
weight matters. If the eating disorder continues, the
health of the individual may be at stake.

Only a licensed and experienced doctor can diagnose
eating disorders. However, you can also pay attention
for warning signs such as eating very small portions
of food, skipping meals, eliminates fat in the diet,
don’t want to eat with other people, and picks up
unusual eating rituals.

If some individuals tend to eat very little food,
other individuals tend to overeat. The latter often
eats alone so that other people can’t see them
vomiting or binging.

You also need to pay attention to the obsessive and
obvious fear of gaining weight. Some food addicts are
very much conscious about their body image and even
though they are healthy, they tend to think that
they’re overweight.

You can also tell if a person has an eating disorder
if he or she is into compulsive exercising, wears
baggy clothing, exhibits frequent mood swings, and
shows evident personality changes. If you suspect that
you or any loved one displays these warning signs, it
is highly advised that you visit a doctor or medical
professional right away.

Treatment options vary which includes group therapy,
addiction recovery, rehab centers and medical
treatments. Only after proper diagnosis can the doctor
prescribe the appropriate treatment. The treatment
usually depends on the severity of the disorder or the
addiction.

Oftentimes, it could take months or even years. You
must be able to contact a support group or a local
rehab center. Again, the doctor is the best person who
can suggest the appropriate treatment for the patient.
If you’re faced with several treatment alternatives,
make sure that you choose the one which can work well
for the patient.

Eating disorders and food addictions are best
addressed at an early state to avoid further damage.
As mentioned earlier, this is a life threatening
situation and so one must act right away. Take note of
the warning signs so that you can easily tell whether
you or your loved one is suffering from food addiction
and eating disorders.

Don’t hesitate to seek immediate help if ever you see
some of the warning signs. The treatment options may
be a bit expensive but if it’s the only way to get
over addiction and recovery, money is not a
consideration. The most important thing is saving the
life of someone you love or even your own life. Use
the info you’ve learned in this article to your
advantage.

The fastest way to losing those few extra pounds is the most basic of all weight loss tips: cut down your consumption of food.  I know.  I know.  That is easier to say than to do.

However, many experts recommend various ways to eat less food without causing too much change in lifestyle.  Those weight loss tips about food consumption focus on slightly changing your eating habits.  If you are used to making two slices of toast every morning with your breakfast, cut down to one.  Then if you need more food, you have to go through all the work of making more.  You might find the extra effort is not worth the trouble and you have saved some calories.

Another of these weight loss tips is to cut out one of the regular snack times that you might regularly have.  If you normally take that ten o’clock coffee break with doughnut, just work through a little longer.  If you need the snack break, do it.  However, by then, it is closer to lunch and you might find that you are not as hungry at lunch and eat less than you normally would.

Another category of weight loss tips involves changing the food that we eat.  We all probably need to reduce our consumption of sugars and fats, the weight builders.  Let’s be honest though, a carrot will never satisfactorily substitute for a candy bar even though that is want we should be eating.  However, there are alternatives, lower calorie alternatives, to that chocolate bar.  Try some popcorn instead of buying that candy bar to eat at the movies.  The popcorn has fewer calories and is more filling, satisfying your urge to eat.  That is one of my favorite weight loss tips.

Other substitutes might include baked potato instead of fried potatoes.  And of course, the best of the weight loss tips is stay away from the typical fast foods that you probably are chowing down too frequently.

The other class of weight loss tips is exercise.  Too many people dislike the routine and regime of normal exercise programs.  This is a difficult place to give advice.  We all no how important regular exercise is for our health and good looks.  Nevertheless, there are ways to increase the amount of exercise we get without an extra trip to the gym.  Studies have shown that people whop walk faster tend to maintain their weight better than people who walk more slowly.  Pick up the pace when you are roaming around the mall.

If excess weight is a serious concern for you, the best of the weight loss tips is to consult with a qualified weight loss management expert.

These cases are already considered as grave problems
but it helps to know that there are now treatment
options available to patients. Read and you will find
out more info about addiction and recovery as well as
eating disorders information.

What has eating disorders got to do with addiction and
recovery? Oftentimes, eating disorders are associated
with the obsession to food and body image. According
to some experts, eating disorders are of various
kinds.

For instance, bulimia and anorexia are illnesses
whereby patients manage their weight by using
starvation techniques and two processes called purging
and binging. Food addiction is another cause of eating
disorder. In this case, the individual compulsively
overeats.

The disorders or illnesses revolve around food and
weight matters. If the eating disorder continues, the
health of the individual may be at stake.

Only a licensed and experienced doctor can diagnose
eating disorders. However, you can also pay attention
for warning signs such as eating very small portions
of food, skipping meals, eliminates fat in the diet,
don’t want to eat with other people, and picks up
unusual eating rituals.

If some individuals tend to eat very little food,
other individuals tend to overeat. The latter often
eats alone so that other people can’t see them
vomiting or binging.

You also need to pay attention to the obsessive and
obvious fear of gaining weight. Some food addicts are
very much conscious about their body image and even
though they are healthy, they tend to think that
they’re overweight.

You can also tell if a person has an eating disorder
if he or she is into compulsive exercising, wears
baggy clothing, exhibits frequent mood swings, and
shows evident personality changes. If you suspect that
you or any loved one displays these warning signs, it
is highly advised that you visit a doctor or medical
professional right away.

Treatment options vary which includes group therapy,
addiction recovery, rehab centers and medical
treatments. Only after proper diagnosis can the doctor
prescribe the appropriate treatment. The treatment
usually depends on the severity of the disorder or the
addiction.

Oftentimes, it could take months or even years. You
must be able to contact a support group or a local
rehab center. Again, the doctor is the best person who
can suggest the appropriate treatment for the patient.
If you’re faced with several treatment alternatives,
make sure that you choose the one which can work well
for the patient.

Eating disorders and food addictions are best
addressed at an early state to avoid further damage.
As mentioned earlier, this is a life threatening
situation and so one must act right away. Take note of
the warning signs so that you can easily tell whether
you or your loved one is suffering from food addiction
and eating disorders.

Don’t hesitate to seek immediate help if ever you see
some of the warning signs. The treatment options may
be a bit expensive but if it’s the only way to get
over addiction and recovery, money is not a
consideration. The most important thing is saving the
life of someone you love or even your own life. Use
the info you’ve learned in this article to your
advantage.

Image by ninahale via Flickr

Being overweight really puts you at a disadvantage in life.

Social stigmas aside, obesity vastly increases your risks of developing all manner of diseases and conditions, many of which are serious and life threatening.

Strokes, heart attacks, diabetes, and some cancers are just a sample of the conditions you can likely look forward to if you are suffering from severe obesity, and even mild obesity boosts your chances of these diseases occurring.

Loosing weight is therefore one of the best things you can do for yourself if you are obese.  It seems like a daunting task, but if you work at it anything is possible.  Here are some basic weight loss tips.

The first and perhaps most important weight loss tip is to stay positive, and keep focused.  Weight loss is more of a mental battle than it is a physical one.  Losing hope or getting discouraged is the reason why people fail in losing weight, not because the weight loss tips don’t work.

Take small, reasonable steps.  It’s not going to happen overnight, and pushing yourself too much may just cause you to loose hope when you don’t get immediate results.  Also, seek support from friends and family.  Join some support groups and make connections with others struggling to loose weight.

Not only are support networks great in keeping you positive, but they’re a great medium for the exchange of ideas.  You can learn some great weight loss tips from others like you!

This last point is especially important, because often times you’ll find some weight loss tips won’t work for you even though they work for others.  Therefore, its good to try a lot of different things.  Some of the most basic weight loss tips that generally work for everyone to at least some degree involve ways of boosting your metabolism.

The two most important thigns to keep in mind to keep your metabolism up is your level of activity and how often you eat.  Never starve yourself!  Starving is a guaranteed way of slowing your metabolism to a crawl.  Eat often, but eat healthy.  And of course, stay active!  Even just 30 minutes of walking a day can do wonders in boosting your metabolism.

As far as exercise weight loss tips go, slow but steady progress is important.  Do something active everyday, and gradually do more and more.  Finding something you like doing, like sports or hiking, is great, but you need to make sure you’re able to do it often.  Also, mix your activities up; the more muscle groups you work out regularly, the better the overall boost to you metabolism.  Don’t give up!

People with binge eating disorder who are obese may find it harder to stay in a weight-loss program. They also may lose less weight than other people, and may regain weight more quickly due to a slowing of the metabolism. (This can be worse when they also have problems like depression, trouble controlling their behavior, and problems dealing with other people.)

These people may need treatment for binge eating disorder before they try to lose weight. Dieting is usually not successful for those with BED, as they will usually gain back all of the weight lost, and sometimes more. Those with BED have more difficulty adhering to traditional weight-loss treatment.

Eating Disorder Awareness About Treatment

People with binge eating disorder, whether or not they want to lose weight, should get help from a health professional including physicians, nutritionists, psychiatrist, psychologists, or clinical social workers for their eating behavior. Even those who are not overweight are usually upset by their binge eating, and treatment can help them. There are several different ways to treat binge eating disorder.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy teaches people how to keep track of their eating and change their unhealthy eating habits. It also teaches them how to change the way they act in tough situations. Interpersonal psychotherapy helps people look at their relationships with friends and family and make changes in problem areas. Drug therapy, such as antidepressants, may be helpful for some people.

Researchers are still trying to find the treatment that is the most helpful in controlling binge eating disorder. The methods mentioned here seem to be equally helpful. For people who are overweight, a weight-loss program that also offers treatment for eating disorders might be the best choice.

Eating Disorder Awareness About Experimental Treatments

A small (40 people) 10 week double-blind clinical trial was reported in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry on the effectiveness of Atomoxetine (a prescription ADHD medicine) for treating Binge-Eating Disorder. The results of the trial was that Atomoxetine was “associated with a significantly greater rate of reduction in binge-eating episode frequency, weight, [and] body mass index.” The average daily dose given was 106 mg/day. The authors conclude that Atomoxetine is effective for short term treatment of Binge-Eating Disorder.

About 2 percent of all adults in the United States (as many as 4 million Americans) have binge eating disorder. About 10 to 15 percent of people who are mildly obese and who try to lose weight on their own or through commercial weight-loss programs have binge eating disorder. The disorder is even more common in people who are severely obese.

Binge eating disorder is a little more common in women than in men; four women for every two men have it. The disorder is found in all ethno-cultural and racial populations.

People who are obese and have binge eating disorder often became overweight at a younger age than those without the disorder. They might also lose and gain back weight more often.

Eating Disorder Awareness About Causes

No one knows for sure what causes binge eating disorder. As many as half of all people with binge eating disorder have been depressed in the past. Whether depression causes binge eating disorder or whether binge eating disorder causes depression is not known for sure.

Emotion can be a trigger point such as happiness, anger, sadness and boredom. Impulsive behavior and certain other emotional problems can be more common in people with binge eating disorder. However, many people also claim that binging occurs regardless of their mood.

It is also unclear if dieting and binge eating are related. Some studies show that about half of all people with binge eating disorder had binge episodes before they started to diet.

Researchers also are looking into how brain chemicals and metabolism affect binge eating disorder, although this study is in its early stages.

Eating Disorder Awareness About Complications

People with binge eating disorder may become ill due to a lack of proper nutrition. Binging episodes usually include foods that are high in sugar and/or salt, but low in healthier nutrients.

People with binge eating disorder are usually very upset by their binge eating and may become very depressed.

People who are obese and also have binge eating disorder are at risk for type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol levels, gallbladder disease, heart disease, and certain types of cancer.

Most people with binge eating disorder have tried to control it on their own, but have not been able to control it for very long. Some people miss work, school, or social activities to binge eat. Persons who are obese with binge eating disorder often feel bad about themselves and may avoid social gatherings.

Most people who binge eat, whether they are obese or not, feel ashamed and try to hide their problem. Often they become so good at hiding it that even close friends and family members don’t know they binge eat.

Addiction Awareness About Trauma

Eating disorders should also be understood in the context of experienced trauma, with many eating problems beginning as survival strategies rather than vanity or obsession with appearance. According to sociologist Becky Thompson, eating disorders stemming from women of varying socio-economic status, sexual orientation and race, and finds that eating disorders and a disconnected relationship with one’s body is commonly a response to environmental stresses, including sexual, physical, and emotional abuse, racism, and poverty. This reality is further detrimental for women of color and other minority women, since they are forced to live in a culture that embraces a narrowly defined conception of beauty: “people furthest from the dominant ideal of beauty, specifically women of color, may suffer the psychological effects of low self-esteem, poor body image, and eating disorders.”

Addiction Awareness About Gender Differences

“Frequent dieting and trying to look like persons in the media were independent predictors of binge eating in females of all ages. In males, negative comments about weight by fathers was predictive of starting to binge at least weekly.”

Exercise addiction is common in men and women, especially in those who suffer from eating disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder. It is the result of a fear of becoming fat, a rude dislike of the piknoid body type and allowing their need to stay fit to overtake their lives. Exercise addicts are risking their health in order to get a “runner’s high.”  They are in search of the ideal body type and place the importance of exercise above the needs of their children, parents, friends and health.

Binge eating disorder (BED), is a psychiatric disorder in which a subject shows the following symptoms:

* Periodically does not exercise control over consumption of food
* Eats an unusually large amount of food at one time — more than a normal person would eat in the same amount of time.
* Eats much more quickly during binge episodes than during normal eating episodes
* Eats until physically uncomfortable
* Eats large amounts of food even when they are not really hungry
* Usually eats alone during binge eating episodes, in order to avoid discovery of the disorder
* Often eats alone during periods of normal eating, owing to feelings of embarrassment about food
* Feels disgusted, depressed, or guilty after binge eating

Addiction Awareness About Relationship to other eating disorders

Binge eating symptoms are also present in bulimia nervosa. The formal diagnosis criteria are similar in that subjects must binge at least twice per week for a minimum period of three months. Unlike in bulimia, those with BED do not purge, fast or engage in strenuous exercise after binge eating. Additionally, bulimics are typically of normal weight, are underweight but have been overweight before, or slightly overweight, whereas those with binge eating disorder are typically overweight or obese.

Binge eating disorder is similar to, but it is distinct from, compulsive overeating. Those with BED do not have a compulsion to overeat and do not spend a great deal of time fantasizing about food. On the contrary, some people with binge eating disorder have very negative feelings about food. As with other eating disorders, binge eating is an “expressive disorder” — a disorder that is an expression of deeper psychological problems. Some researchers believe BED is a milder form, or subset of bulimia nervosa, while others argue that it is its own distinct disorder. Currently, the DSM-IV categorizes it under Eating disorder not otherwise specified (EDNOS), an indication that more research is needed.

Food addiction has an easy recovery. But first, you
have to know what causes the stress in the person to
eliminate his or her addiction.

Usually, the craving for food, even if the person is
not hungry, is caused by emotional problems engaged in
the person’s life. Once a dysfunctional habit is
maintained with food, there is a risk to always be
starving or over-eating.

When food is used as a getaway tool for problems, it
becomes unhealthy and can lead to life threatening
outcomes.

Don’t mistaken food addiction with over-eating in food
gatherings or occasions because that is totally
expected. Over-eating in parties or holidays is normal
and can bring back the person into his or her daily
eating habit after.

Food addiction is far beyond than that. It involves a
certain kind of craving that becomes terminal and
leads the person into eating because of emotional
disturbance.

This is quite evident with people who are obese. A lot
of obese people who were once thin have undergone
emotional problems and made food as their only best
friend. You can think of food addiction as an
emotional hunger and not digestive hunger.

No matter how healthy something is, when it excesses,
the result can be pretty nasty and unforgiving to the
addicted body. Unlike smoking and drinking addiction
that can both be altered in ways like instead of
drinking, the person exerts his attention on exercise
or sports.

But in food addiction, it’s quite different because
people need to eat. A person who is addicted to food
can’t be extracted from eating, that’ll be brutal.
Eating is not at all bad but the way food is being
used up in the body is what makes food addiction a
no-no.

How can you spot a food addict?

1. Secretive eating. When someone in your family
isolates himself from everyone just to gobble up
everything in the fridge, this can be a good sign.
Although, this person will never mention how many
times he eats because he wanted to keep his eating
disorder to himself.

2. Eating bad foods. Bad here describes food that are
raw, stale, undercooked, overcooked or even half
frozen.

Food addiction is not just meant for those who are fat
but also to those who seems normal and underweight.
This kind of addiction is associated with other food
eating disorders like bulimia wherein someone indulges
in food and then results to induced vomiting or
laxative use to eliminate excess food that were taken.

The moment you have spotted someone who is into food
addiction, especially in your family or even a friend,
take a moment to sit down and know the cause of the
problem.

Food addicts are in dire need of psychological and
medical help in order to overcome the disorder. If
someone in your family has exhibited food addiction,
you have to make him or her see a psychologist or
consult a council.

It is also important to let the person visit a
physician in order to diagnose any disease that is
already occurring inside the body. For food addiction
to see recovery, there is a need to identify the
present problems that are causing the addiction and
cope with it.

Researchers have also found low cholecystokinin levels in bulimics. Cholecystokinin is a hormone that causes one to feel full and decreases eating. Low levels of this hormone are likely to cause a lack of satiative feedback when eating, which can lead to overeating.

Another explanation researchers found for overeating is abnormalities in the neuromodulator peptides, neuropeptide Y and peptide YY. Both of these peptides increase eating and work with another peptide called leptin.

Leptin is released by fat cells and is known to decrease eating. Research found the majority of people who overate produced normal amounts of leptin but they might have complications with the blood-brain barrier preventing an optimal amount to reach the brain.

Cortisol is a hormone released by the adrenal cortex which promotes blood sugar and increases metabolism. High levels of cortisol were found in people with eating disorders.

This imbalance may be caused by a problem in or around the hypothalamus. A study in London at Maudsley Hospital found
that anorexics were found to have a large variation of serotonin receptors and a high level of serotonin.

Many of these chemicals and hormones are associated with the hypothalamus in the brain. Damage to the hypothalamus can result in abnormalities in temperature regulation, eating, drinking, sexual behavior, fighting, and activity level. Uher & Treasure (2005) performed a study researching brain lesions effects on eating disorders.

They evaluated 54 formally published cases of eating disorders and brain damage. They found many correlations between eating disorders and damage to the hypothalamus.

People with brain lesions in the hypothalamus had abnormal eating behaviors; unprovoked and self induced vomiting, over concern with becoming fat, cheating with eating, frequent sleepiness, depression, obsessive compulsive
behavior and diabetes insipidus.

While scientists have determined that there are possible biochemical or biological causes leading to eating disorders because certain chemicals which control hunger, appetite or digestions are out of balance, experts such as Dr. Edward J. Cumella, executive director of the Remuda Treatment Programs, states that there are three components to eating disorders:

1. The genetic component; 2. The unique environmental factors, such as personal experiences; and 3) The shared environmental factors, such as culture. According to Dr. Cumella, “Some people are born with a predisposition to having an eating disorder and there are genetic markers that can push a person in the direction of anorexia or bulimia…

But it does not guarantee that a person will automatically suffer from an eating disorder. The environment – a person’s life experience – still has to pull the trigger.”

* An abnormally low body weight (the suggested guideline ≤ 85% of normal for age and height, or BMI ≤ 17.5).
* For postmenarcheal females, amenorrhea (the absence of three consecutive menstrual cycles).
* An intense fear gaining weight or becoming fat and a preoccupation with body weight and shape.

Most anorexics become so as adolescents, with 76% reporting onset of the disorder between the ages of 11 and 20. The mortality rate for those diagnosed with anorexia nervosa is approximately 6%—the highest of any mental illness—with roughly half of those due to suicide.

Anorexics are commonly perfectionists, driven to succeed; yet they set unattainable standards of performance for themselves. When they fail to meet these standards, they look for a part of their lives they can control; food and weight become that “control” for them.

Low self-esteem and constant self-criticism cause anorexics to constantly fear losing control, and even consuming a small amount of food could be considered a loss of control.

Addiction Awarness About Bulimia Nervosa

Bulimia nervosa is a cyclical and recurring pattern of binge eating (uncontrolled bursts of overeating) followed by guilt, self-recrimination and overcompensatory behaviour such as crash dieting, overexercising and purging to compensate for the excessive caloric intake.

Bulimics often have “binge food,” which is the food they typically consume during binges. Some describe their binge episodes as a physical high they feel, numbing out, going into auto-pilot, losing all control, immediate comfort, etc. The reasoning or triggers behind a binge may serve different purposes for different people.

This binge episode leads the individual to feel guilt, shame, embarrassment, and complete failure. Bulimics try to regain control of themselves and the situation by purging the food–making up for their mistake. This leads to feeling famished and empty again, and therefore, another uncontrollable binge, followed by feeling powerless, and the vicious binge/purge cycle continues.

Bulimics have extreme eating and exercising habits, instead of demonstrating moderation. This compulsive behavior is often echoed in similar destructive behavior such as sexual promiscuity, pathological lying, and shoplifting. Some bulimics not only struggle with the eating disorder, but these other harmful behaviors as well.

Addiction Awarness About Binge Eating

Binge eating is one of the most common eating disorders. It involves the consumption of very large amounts of food in a short period of time. About 3% of all adults in the United States struggle with Binge eating. People at any age can develop this particular order, but it is seen in most adults ranging from age 46 to around age 55.

Addiction Awarness About Environmental

The media may be a significant influence on eating disorders through its impact on values, norms, and image standards accepted by modern society. Both society’s exposure to media and eating disorders have grown immensely over the past decade.

Researchers and clinicians are concerned about the relationship between these two phenomena and finding ways to reduce the negative influence thin-ideal media has on women’s body perception and susceptibility to eating disorders.

The dieting industry makes billions of dollars each year by consumers continually buying products in an effort to be the ideal weight. Hollywood displays an unrealistic standard of beauty that makes the public feel incredibly inadequate and dissatisfied and forces people to strive for an unattainable appearance.

This takes an enormous toll on one’s self-esteem and can easily lead to dieting behaviors, disordered eating, body shame, and ultimately an eating disorder.