Starving for Success
The Dangerous World of
Eating Disorders
Reproduced with permission (1)
Amy Peterson MS RD
Extension Educator
Polk County Cooperative Extension
Reproduced with permission (2)
“Both bulimics and anorexics are obsessed with
their weight, but bulimics believe they can’t
stop eating and anorexics won’t start.”’
-- Bulimia/Anorexia – The Binge/Purge Cycle and Self-Starvation
What Are Your Feelings
About Food?
Family traditions
Preferences
Stress
Dieting
Fasting
Reproduced with permission (1)
The Pursuit of Thinness
Anorexia Nervosa
Relentless pursuit of thinness
Bulimia Nervosa
Diet-binge-purge disorder
Binge Eating Disorder
Compulsive eating
Reproduced with permission (2)
The Histories and Mysteries
of Eating Disorders
Reproduced with permission (1)
Who Gets Eating Disorders?
Women account for 95% of those
diagnosed:
1 out of 100 women between the ages of 10 and 20
have anorexia
4 out of 100 women have bulimia
50% of those with anorexia
become bulimic
Anorexia Nervosa….
Reproduced with permission (2)
Legs to Die For
A Song No Longer Sung
Karen Carpenter
Reproduced with permission (2)
Someone with Anorexia …
May refuse to maintain
weight for age/height
Weighs 85% or less of
ideal body weight
Denies weight loss at
dangerous levels
Is terrified of being fat
or gaining weight
Feels “fat”
Becomes depressed,
irritable, and withdrawn
Exhibits peculiar behaviors
and performs compulsive
rituals
Has strange eating habits
and food diversions
What Does the Mirror Show?
Reproduced with permission (2)
The Three Phases
of Anorexia
Before, During, and After
Reproduced with permission (2)
Bulimia Nervosa.…
Reproduced with permission (2)
Eating Without Tasting
Someone with Bulimia…
Binge eats
Feels of out of control
when eating
Uses vomiting,
laxatives, or exercise to
try to prevent food
absorption
May shoplift
May have promiscuous
behavior
May abuse alcohol/drugs,
and/or credit cards
Weight may be normal or near
normal
Cheerful, but often depressed,
lonely, ashamed
Carefree to Crisis
What happened to being a child?
Reproduced with permission (2)
Dangers of Dieting
LAXATIVES
DIURETICS
DIET PILLS
DRUGS
SYRUP OF IPECAC
Reproduced with permission (2)
Inside Myself, I Am ..
Hiding my body and
my mind…
Reproduced with permission (2)
Through the Looking Glass
Eating Disorders from the Inside Out
Icy hands and feet
Swollen glands and
puffy face
Excess hair
Dry, blotchy skin
Anemia and
malnutrition
Fainting spells, sleep
disruption
Chronic constipation
Muscle weakness
Irregular heartbeat
Loss of bone mass,
fractures
Kidney damage
Liver damage
Teeth and mouth problems
Menstrual and fertility
problems
Weaken immune system
Esophagus ruptures
Binge Eating …
Reproduced with permission (1)
Dining with Depression
Binge Eating vs. Overeating
A binge episode usually includes at least three
of the following behaviors:
Eating much more rapidly than normal
Eating until uncomfortably full
Eating large amounts of food when not hungry
Eating alone because of embarrassment about how
much is eaten
Feeling disgusted with oneself, depressed or feeling
guilty about eating
Bad Effects of
Binge Eating
Tears in the stomach lining
Stomach pain and bleeding
Rupturing of the stomach
Diabetes
High blood pressure
Heart attack and/or strokes
Obesity
Reproduced with permission (1)
Trapped Forever?
Reproduced with permission (2)
Where Do You Find Help?
Hospital emergency rooms
Family physicians
Trusted family members,
friends, school counselors,
or teachers
Reproduced with permission (2)
Successful Treatment
Strategies
Hospitalization
Medication
Dental work
Individual counseling
Group counseling
Family counseling
Nutrition counseling
Support groups
The Rewards of Recovery
Awareness of cultural
demands
Good friendships
Better problem-solving
skills
Involvement in outside
activities
Maintaining normal
weight
Regular menstrual
cycles
Diet of “normal” foods
No food fears
Improved relationships
One Step at a Time…
Reproduced with permission (2)
Food for Thought…
Reproduced with permission (1)
Be a Friend …
Let your friend know
you think there is a
problem
Encourage him/her to
seek professional help
Don’t try to rescue or
fix the problem, but DO
give support and
reassurance
Reproduced with permission (2)
What Are Healthy Eating
Habits?
Giving yourself permission to eat because
you are happy, sad, or bored
Eating three meals a day, or maybe just
munching through the Food Pyramid
Leaving some cookies on the plate because
you know you can have some tomorrow
Eating foods for enjoyment and enthusiasm
Eating to satisfy hunger
Being able to eat when you are hungry and
continuing to eat until you are satisfied
Being able to choose food you like and eat it
and truly get enough of it – not just stop
eating because you think you should
Being able to use some control of your food
selection to get healthy food, but not being
so restrictive that you miss
out on
pleasurable foods
Reproduced with permission (1)
University of Nebraska Cooperation Extension
cooperating with the Counties and
the U.S. Department of Agriculture
2002
University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension educational programs
abide with the non-discrimination policies of the University of
Nebraska-Lincoln and the United States Department of Agriculture.