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Up to 80% of female college students have reported that they binge eat. Fact or Fiction?
Fact! Binge eating can be common but is also a precursor to the development of bulimia.
Vomiting only occurs with bulimia. Fact or Fiction?
Fiction! Vomiting is used to control weight in those suffering from Anorexia Nervosa too.
Weight checking is the act of frequently weighing oneself. Fact or fiction?
Fact! Of those suffering from disordered eating, some may weigh themselves often and be preoccupied with the day to day fluctuations of weight. On the other hand, some may never want to know how much they weigh.
Someone with an eating disorder may withdraw from friends and family. Fact or Fiction?
Fact! Being social with friends and family usually involves food, so a person with an eating disorder may avoid social interaction so as not to overeat or so others won't see how much they eat.
It is normal for a diet to fluctuate. Fact or Fiction?
Fact! Over eating or under eating once in while is not abnormal. Try your best to keep a steady diet of healthy foods.
Males are more likely to experience binge eating when suffering from an eating disorder. Fact or Fiction?
Fact! 1/3 or more of binge eaters are male.
Typically, a binge eating session is eating anywhere from 1,000 to 2,000 calories in one sitting. Fact or Fiction?
Fact! A binge eating episode is 1,000 to 2,000 calories at one time and can occur once a week or many times in one day. An episode is usually followed by vomiting in Bulimia patients.
In Disordered Eating, it is common for the person to base their self worth on shape and weight. Fact or Fiction?
Fact! The person is plagued by cognitions about their shape and weight and how others perceive them.
Someone with an eating disorder is only trying to get attention. Fact or fiction?
Fiction! It's often not about other people or trying to get attention. The person needs to control their weight and eating for themselves as a way to gain control.
Amenorrhea (the absence of a period) occurs in woman with Anorexia. Fact or Fiction?
Fact! Amenorrhea occurs because the body weight of the woman is too low. The body prioritizes other functions and is preoccupied with starvation. Reproduction isn't as important as staying alive.
Vomiting after eating is able to rid the body of all food ingested during a meal. Fact or Fiction?
Fiction! Vomiting does not retrieve all the food eaten during a meal or binge. It is believed that vomiting can prevent calorie adsorption, but that is not the case as it is not possible to rid the body of all food eaten.
Anorexia and Bulimia can be accompanied by substance misuse and self injury. Fact or Fiction?
Fact! Substances and self injury can be other ways of coping for those suffering from Anorexia or Bulimia.
Disordered Eating can start at any age. Fact or Fiction?
Fact! It's common for eating disorders to begin around adolescence or early adulthood, but they can also occur at any period of life.
A person who has an eating disorder just needs to eat and they'll be fine. Fact or fiction?
Fiction! Food will not alleviate the disorder. Eating disorders are based on negative or irrational cognitions that need to be addressed before someone can recover.
It is possible to recover from an eating disorder. Fact or Fiction?
Fact! Professionals are always willing to help. The first step is reaching out.
Binge eating is often related to mood. Fact or Fiction?
Fact! Those who binge eat tend to do so in response to negative mood brought on by daily stressors. Binge eating helps to relieve some of the negative mood because it can be distracting and comforting.
90% of those suffering from disordered eating are women. Fact or Fiction?
Fact! Eating disorders affect women more, but that does not mean that they don't affect men as well.
A person must look thin or frail in order to have an eating disorder. Fact or Fiction?
Fiction! It is common for us to picture someone very thin when thinking about eating disorders, but that is not always the case. An eating disorder is not always obvious to the eye and someone with an eating disorder could look perfectly healthy.
You can exercise too much. Fact or Fiction?
Fact! Over exercising can be a form of purging for those suffering from eating disorders and can be damaging to the body.
Eating disorders are caused by photoshopped pictures in the media. Fact or fiction?
Fiction! Pictures in the media can influence how people perceive themselves but are not the cause of mental illness.
Most people who seek treatment for binge-eating disorder are overweight or obese. Fact or Fiction?
Fact! Those suffering from binge-eating disorder do not usually participate in self induced vomiting or laxatives that would cause them to lose weight. They tend to overeat even when not binge eating.
Anorexia has an earlier onset than Bulimia. Fact or Fiction?
Fact! Anorexia tends to present around adolescence. Bulimia tends to present in late adolescence or early adulthood.
Eating disorders affect people of all genders, ages, races, ethnicity, body shapes and weights, sexual orientations, and socioeconomic statuses. Fact or fiction?
Fact! Eating disorders in mainstream media are often portrayed by teenage girls, but disordered eating can be a problem for anyone.
Vomiting found in Bulimia does not affect long term health. Fact or Fiction?
Fiction! Purging and then vomiting can lead to medical complications like throat and enamel erosion due to the frequent presence of stomach acid in the throat and mouth.
Bulimia can cause serious health concerns. Fact or Fiction?
Fact! Bulimia can lead to a lot of different health concerns. Some include: irregular periods, miscarriage, still birth, kidney failure, and gastrointestinal problems.