Bulimia does heart your body in so many different ways that it is difficult to list all symptoms. One common mistake bulimic persons do is self-diagnosing what can make the eating disorder even worse.

Just one example. Alexia has been suffering from bulimia for almost 15 years now. She is not totally bulimic, means she has phases where she eats almost normally. There are times where she eats less than 1,000 calories a day and then binge/purge phases with more than 3,000 calories.

Alexia’s symptoms are swollen glands and a inflated stomach. Often her whole body feels inflated and hurts everywhere. When she touches her skin, no matter where, it sometimes hurts. From time to time her hands and feet are swollen. She feels tired, sometimes depressed and without energy.

I know that this does not help because logic does not help to get rid of bulemia. But every doctor will tell you that bulimia does not work at all. It makes it even impossible for your body to loose weight normally because your are shutting down your metabolism.

Bulimia wears away your teeth and bones and the various forms of malnutrition can cause dozens of other symptoms. Many bulimic women (and men) are found dead near their toilet. Trying to loose weight by vomiting is one of the stupidest things you can do. Even once a week is too much already. It is not worth it and it does not work.

It is not your fault if you suffer from bulimia. You need professional help. That is why there are treatment centers and people who know so much about it. It is a disease. Do not wait any longer. Any minute you wait destroys your body even further.

Highly Recommended Reading:

Bulemia

Bulimia Treatment Centers

Annamarie Menge is an expert author on eating disorder topics. Her articles about bulimia, causes and treatments have been published on numerous web sites, forums, blogs and ezines all over the Internet.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Annamarie_Menge

What exactly is bulimia and when do you know that you suffer from it? There are eating disorders in many different forms and types. Bulimia is pretty common but still confused with other disorders.

Eating disorders come in many forms and names. There is anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating just to name the most common ones. Anorexia and bulimia are often confused.

Anorexia is self starvation. Anorexic people suffer from a serious and fatal disease when not treated early. Even with treatment, anorexia ends still fatal in many cases. An anorexic person just starves to death because of the strict control of food intake. These people believe they are still fat and overweight when they are not. They keep dieting until they are death.

Bulimic people instead are usually slightly overweight but also not happy with their weight or body shape. Binge eating is very common in bulimia patients. Binge eating means that these people have periods of excessive food intake, often thousands of calories per meal.

After eating they feel so bad that they see the only way to get rid of all the calories by vomiting. The process of purging though is very harmful to the body when repeated often.

Another symptom for a person with bulimia is overdoing exercise. They train a lot, sometimes several times a day to get rid of the calories. The behavior of binge eating, vomiting, exercise, dieting etc. is very bad for the body long term.

The treatment for bulimia starts with a mental therapy. Bulemic people are often not much overweight but obsessed with their body shape. The bad eating habits can even lead to heart problems or cancer. There is no need to suffer from it. Bulimia is easier to treat than anorexia.

Highly Recommended Reading:

Bulemia

Bulimia And Anorexia

Annamarie Menge is an expert author on eating disorder topics. Her articles about bulimia, causes and treatments have been published on numerous web sites, forums, blogs and ezines all over the Internet.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Annamarie_Menge

A person suffering from anorexia nervosa will never be happy no matter how thin they are, because they don’t see themselves as thin - the mirror reflects a distorted image. Like the Greek mythological figure, Narcissus, who fell in love with his own reflection and would not come away - “I will die before I give you power over me” - a person suffering from anorexia nervosa does not want to give up his or her power to anyone. Narcissus stayed watching his reflection and let himself die.

Anorexia Nervosa is one of the few mental illnesses that can result in death. “Anorexia nervosa” literally means loss of appetite due to emotional causes. These emotional causes usually manifest during the transformation from puberty to adulthood. At this stage of life, a young person has the chance to take control of their life, and their diet, for the very first time. This life change is both empowering and nerve-wracking.

Karen Carpenter was a talented singer and drummer whose success with her brother Richard in The Carpenters included selling 100 million units of her music worldwide. The Carpenters were so successful that they had four hits on the charts in their first year as a group. But at 32, Karen died of heart failure resulting from a seven-year battle with anorexia nervosa. Karen’s friend described it as a classic young women’s struggle for control. Since her mother was a domineering woman, Karen felt she never lived up to her expectations, and anorexia nervosa became her need for control.

Karen exercised excessively; played with her food at mealtimes; drank water with lemon to avoid eating solids; and took laxatives and thyroid pills daily. It wasn’t until Karen was admitted to hospital, and began psychological treatment that, in the last two years of her life, she began to seriously deal with the causes of her anorexia nervosa. But it was too late.

If people in the spotlight don’t have a strong sense of self, they can be fooled into believing that their sense of worth relies on their looks and their physiques. Celebrities, models, and lead singers are under constant media scrutiny. This pressure is particularly tragic for young models whose career relies on their body size.

Silverchair’s Daniel Johns openly admitted that he suffered from anorexia nervosa. Withdrawn from the world, Daniel developed phobias, which included believing that when he ate at restaurants his food was poisoned. In the lyrics for Ana’s Song he wrote:

“And you’re my obsession

I love you to the bones

And Ana wrecks your life

Like an anorexia life”

Sufferers of anorexia nervosa need psychological treatment to regain perspective of their self and their environment; medical treatment to regain their health and weight; replenishment of the minerals zinc and magnesium; an intake of vitamins that are vital to restore their worn out nervous system.

Ann Sinatore is a copywriter, brand strategist, and entrepreneur. She writes about advertising, pop culture, psychology, and media. She is co-founder of TOUT, a creative agency specializing in brand management, advertising, design, and communication. Visit tout.com.au

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ann_Sinatore

Imagine not wanting to eat. Actually imagine being disgusted by food. Something inside of you is scared and repulsed by even the sight of food. Yet, despite your awkward feelings and your slender appearance you see no sense that all is normal, until one day you feel faint and lethargic. Could it be that you are an anorexic?

What is Anorexia and What Causes it?

Anorexia Nervosa is an eating disorder in which the person (90% are females) experience a fear of gaining weight. This fear leads the sufferer to refuse food, over take diet pills and abuse laxatives. This behavior of course leads the one suffering from anorexia to experience heightened weight loss, nutritional depletion, and many other complications and in some cases death.

There has been much debate in the medical and psychological communities about the exact cause or causes of anorexia. There are generally five agreed upon causes, genetics, neurobiological, nutritional, psychological, and social/environmental. Of course each sufferer has a unique set of circumstances and one anorexic’s reasons may not be another’s. Those that have a genetic disposition to anorexia make up around 50% of the cases. This of course is not the only reason these people fall into having an anorexic disorder, rather having a genetic disposition means just that-a potential.

Those that support neurobiological causes for anorexia insist that a disruption in neurotransmitters causes a change in brain functioning, creating the environment for anorexia to surface. Of course a neurobiological cause can be tied to a genetic predisposition, as new studies indicate is the case for alcohol addiction.

Those that believe nutrition plays a direct role see that nutrition and more specifically a deficiency in zinc has been shown to cause a decrease in appetite. Given this theory one would expect that a direct infusion of zinc should be able to reverse the anorexia. This of course doesn’t work on its own and it seems that nutritional deficiencies are part of a larger array of complications having to do with anorexia. Psychological factors seem to have more of a direct impact on the potential anorexic. Depression, isolation, and low self esteem are all factors in building a corridor to full blown anorexia.

Perhaps the cause, which generates the most energy is the social factors cause. Many people believe that anorexics suffer as they do because of increased pressure from social circles, especially media and entertainment outlets “to look thin.” This view represents the other other axis in the swirling debate involving the “right cause” for anorexia. Those that believe genetics is the primary cause see social influence at the most as a catalyst, while those that see social influence encouraging women to exhibit anorexic behavior, believe the genetic argument is rather less convincing.

The ever increasing focus on the “body” especially the slender physique of many female athletes and entertainers seems to have an influence on the desire of ordinary women to do the same. Although not scientifically proven, the outcome of increased cases of anorexia along side more interest in a slender figure in culture and society appear to go hand in hand. Despite the obvious social pressures to slim down, those that develop anorexia seem to have a variety of issues that destabilize their psyche helping them to progress towards anorexia.

Learn more about Anorexia Nervosa here:http://eatingdisordersonline.com/explain/anorexia.php

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Mark

If you’re suffering from eating disorders and want to know how to stop it permanently, then consider a master cleanse. Most eating disorders and food addictions occur because of 1 thing:

Eating foods with addictive substances such as sugar and salt. Overtime people become addicted to these ingredients as does their body.

It’s very difficult to stop eating disorders. Most of the time people who try to stop eating a certain food they are addicted to or change their way of eating to stop eating disorders can’t last for 1 week. And in most cases these things can take up to a month or more. HOWEVER, there is a way for you to get rid of eating disorders and food addictions in 10 days or less. This is through a master cleanse or as most people call it “The lemonade diet”.

When people eat in a certain way or eat unhealthy foods that are addictive and cause eating disorders, their mind and body are both linked to this. In addition most unhealthy foods that cause eating disorders don’t completely digest inside the body and remain there, decaying causing the body to want more of it!

A master cleanse completely gets rid of this, cleaning the body from the inside and flushing away all those addictive substances. This causes people to completely change their eating habits. Most of the time people’s addictions to fast foods disappear as do their eating disorders.

The point of the master cleanse is that it gets rid of the problems which CAUSE eating disorders and food addictions. By cleaning the body from the inside and getting rid of the problem that causes these things in the first place, the body can restore it’s health and this will immediately be felt by the person doing the master cleanse!

In addition to getting rid of eating disorders and food addictions, a master cleanse helps people lose up to 10-20 pounds in 7-10 days and regenerates their skin and health, causing the body to function at it’s prime!

To find out how to get started and accomplish a master cleanse (lemonade diet), click here!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Vitaliy_Gershfeld

A sleep eating disorder is a relatively rare condition related to sleeplessness. This condition is manifested in excessive sleep walking and eating nocturnally. These people are at risk to themselves because they indulge in overeating and may cause self-injury while sleepwalking. They are usually very distressed emotionally and may suffer from excessive daytime sleepiness. The result of this disorder is excess weight gain, choking while eating, disruption in sleep, injury while cooking food at night and the possibility of starting a fire. Moreover, they sometimes indulge in sleep walking which may potentially lead to accidents.

The people suffering from this sleep eating disorder are unconscious of their activities. They are often unable to recall what they did on the night before. The problem with this category of people is that they wake up at night to walk to the kitchen area and eat large amounts of food as well as non-food items. Since, they are unaware of what they are doing; they may harm themselves by eating risky food items. In addition, the food chosen by them is usually high in sugar and fat. In addition, many of them start preparing food using knives and hot cooking vessels and may injure themselves in the process.

Sleep eating disorder often runs in families. Though the actual percentage of people suffering from this problem is not known, it is usually estimated that about 1 to 3 percent of the population suffers from it. Stressful situations and anger could trigger such a bout, and it is often seen in young women due to the perceived pressures of everyday life. Normally, this condition is a physical sign of a deeper psychological problem. Dieting could be one of the major reasons behind it. Since, most dieters control their urge to eat during the day, they unconsciously overeat at night when their ability to control their senses is low.

Often, people suffering from sleep eating disorder have a history of substance abuse. They may also be emotionally distressed and attempting to lose weight by not eating well enough. However, the attempt at weight loss fails due to excessive eating at night and this may add to the frustration, further fueling the disorder. This condition is very complex and needs professional help. Many medical and psychological tests are carried out to investigate the issues. Proper diagnosis and treatment are compulsory to deal with this condition.

We provide information on the facts about insomnia along with information on sleep eating disorders and other sleeping disorders.
by D. Karlson

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Karlson

Irritable bowel Syndrome is a medical condition that can cause a lot of discomfort to the patient. The worst part is that the condition is chronic. There are several discomforts one can face due to the irritable bowel syndrome condition. Some of these include pain in the stomach, diarrhea, constipation, feeling of fullness, indigestion, flatulence, a feeling of emptying stomach and a lot more.

As soon as you notice some of the above mentioned symptoms, you need to take medical help. This will work towards treating the problem at an early stage and let you get immediate and long lasting relief. Visiting a physician will let you know whether you are actually affected by the disease. The disease is diagnosed via analyzing the medical history of the patient and also by looking at the symptoms covered under irritable bowel syndrome.

When it comes to testing irritable bowel syndrome, there is no specific test that can diagnose the problem. The expert can make use of several tests in order to make out the presence of the disease.

One may have to go through some common tests including X-rays, blood test, stool sample testing, colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy. Usually, colonoscopy and sigmoidoscopy are more prevalent for testing irritable bowel syndrome. Both these procedures are undertaken by inserting a small tube. This tube is flexible and comes with attached camera. The tube is inserted in to anus. The image is registered on the screen connected to the tube. This facilitates the physician to get a close look in to the colon.

In case, the tests are negative, the physician will diagnose you on several other symptoms that you must have experienced in last some months. Some questions will be asked related to the frequency and intensity of attacks. You may also be inquired about the consistency of stool and changes in bowel functions.

Once the condition is confirmed, most patients tend to panic. However, there is no need to react in this way because the condition can be easily treated these days. There are several treatment options available these days.

Here are some of the common treatment options available for providing relief to patients from irritable bowel syndrome symptoms:

i) Lifestyle change

This is very important for treating irritable bowel syndrome. Here, you need to take good control over what you eat. Make sure that you include fiber supplements such as Psyllium or methylcellulose with fluids in order to facilitate constipation control. You should eliminate high-gas foods such as raw fruits vegetables, cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower in your diet.

ii) Medication

The doctor would prescribe you anti-diarrhea and anti-cholinergic medication. You may also require to take anti-depressants medications to curb pain or depression.

iii) Counseling

In case, none of the antidepressant medications work, you may go for some counseling to eliminate stress.

iv) Natural fiber foods It is very important to include fiber rich foods in your diet to cure irritable bowel syndrome naturally. Try to include a lot of water in your diet. This will help in finding out the toxins present inside the body.

Irritable bowel syndrome can be treated well if detected on time. Make sure that you follow advice of your medical practitioner.

For more Articles, News, Information, Advice, and Resources about Irritable Bowel Syndrome please visit IRRITABLE BOWEL ADVICE and ACID REFLUX EXPERT.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bertil_Hjert

There is a small, but growing group of extreme dieters who believe that significantly reducing the amount of food they eat, will not only delay the aging of the body, but also prevent developing heart problems, diabetes and other chronic diseases.

This movement, called calorie restriction or some call it CR, is getting massive attention from Baby Boomers. Longevity-obsessed people in this category are continuously looking for ways to keep young and fit as long as possible.

Calorie restriction is not just about weight loss like typical diets. It is about reducing long-term calorie intake and consuming adequate amount of nutrients and elements at the same time with a purpose of achieving a more energetic old age.

And there is a scientific proof for it. Many studies on rodents and primates have shown that eating less helped them to live longer and be more energetic. Many people who follow calorie restriction claim that cutting amount of food and calories will prolong their life and keep them healthy longer.

The followers of CR generally eat 20-30% less than the normal recommended meal, avoid sugar and saturated fats. Most of their calories come from fresh vegetables, fruits and grains.

So, for some people CR is a good way to stay younger and healthier longer. But on the other side there are people who will put their health at risk by following CR. These are people who have anorexic tendencies and people with low body fat. Also, restricting diet for at least 12 months even for a normal weight person can result in lower muscle mass and reduced capacity to perform physical exercise. Moreover, long time diet restriction can be associated with low bone density and early developed osteopenia.

Calorie restriction by itself does not mean a person will develop anorexia in the future. Recent study found that over half of the people who develop anorexia are genetically predisposed to it.

So, people who develop anorexia easily have an obsessive gene in their genotype (or gene which is responsible for developing addictions).

People without this tendency rarely develop anorexia if ever. Sometimes it is possible to predict if a person can develop anorexia by observing their behaviors closely. They normally have underlying issues such as self-esteem, control problem, anxiety and depression. They also crave for weight loss and self-control.

To conclude, calorie restriction by itself has two sides. When CR is balanced it helps some people to stay young and healthy longer. But on the other hand many people get obsessed with counting calories and reducing the food amounts that end up damaging their health and longevity.

Some people can develop anorexia as a consequence of CR (normally who are predisposed to it). To avoid negative side effects of CR it is important to know about how to balance what you eat, what your ideal weight and level of fitness are.

Disturbing the balance will bring on one or another negative consequence of dieting. This can affect the subconscious mind and form mental blockages that can have a catastrophic impact on the person by becoming anorexic.

This then has the reverse effect of what CR people are trying to achieve and actually shorten their life span by 10 to 15 years. Plus these subconscious blockages can take many agonizing years to get rid of.

To read more go to www.eatingdisorder-cure.com

Dr Irina Webster MD is the Director of Women Health Issues Program which covers different areas of Women Health. She is a recognised athority in the eating disorders area. She is an author of many books and a public speaker. http://www.eatingdisorder-cure.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Irina_Webster

Lower back pains can be caused or made worse by an uncomfortable sitting posture, especially if you spend a lot of time working at a desk or at a computer. To reduce pain to your lower back, we recommend sitting properly in your work chair, and investing in a more comfortable chair if the one you currently use is not right for you. A few hundred pounds invested in the right chair can save you from hours of discomfort and from expensive treatment.

The Right Office Chair

The right desk chair or computer chair should allow you to move and adjust your seated position freely as you work. Use a chair that:

• glides effortlessly on 5 sets of castor wheels,
• swivels smoothly, and
• has a well-padded seat and backrest.

Also ensure that your chair has an adjustable seat-height and an adjustable backrest tilt.

If you already suffer from bad lower back pains, invest in an ‘ergonomic’ chair with:

• a posture-shaped backrest,
• an adjustable seat-tilt and
• an adjustable lower-back support (lumbar support).

Seek advice, and try the chair before you buy.

Sitting Comfortably

Having the right chair in your office is not in itself enough to prevent lower back pain: you also have to make sure that you use your chair properly. Avoid slouching by sitting back into your chair and resting your back into the backrest. Similarly, avoid leaning forwards into your computer as you work - maintain contact between your back and the chair’s backrest. Computer chairs with tilting seats are particularly good for encouraging you to sit upright while you work at a desk or computer.

• Set the height of your seat so that your thighs are at a 90 degree angle to your lower legs, and rest your feet firmly on the floor or on a footrest.
• The padded ‘waterfall’ front of your chair’s seat should prevent the chair from digging into the back of your knees.
• And the padded contoured backrest should follow the natural curves of your back.
• Alternatively ‘lock’ and release your chair’s backrest ’tilt’ function so that you can change between sitting upright and rocking gently in the chair.
• And finally, do not stay seated for too long - get up and walk around occasionally: schedule meetings away from your desk, make a cup of tea, and take on other activities that will encourage you to get up and stretch your legs from time to time.

Buying The Right Office Chair

Talk to a chiropractor, physiotherapist or other back-care specialist if you feel that your work chair may be contributing to your back problems or if you feel that your chair is not helping your back to get better. They will be happy to look at the problem and help you find the right solution.

There may be several office supplies companies located near you if you determine that you need to invest in a new chair. Many office supplies companies sell office chairs and computer chairs as well as other office supplies such as desks and stationery etc. You will also find office chair companies on the internet, including those that specialise in ergonomic back-care seating.

Find a supplier that will take the time to discuss your specific needs and find the right chair for you based upon an assessment that your chiropractor or physiotherapist has carried out into your back problem.

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Bola Egunjobi is a director at Chellgrove Office Chairs in the UK. The company has a very wide range of ergonomic chairs, computer chairs, executive chairs and home office chairs in its online catalogue. Bola will take the time to discuss your specific needs and recommed the right chair for you. You can visit Chellgrove’s online shop here: Office Chairs in the UK or call them on 01733 245 958.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bola_Egunjobi

Eating Disorders

Eating disorders are determined as long term illnesses that also require long term treatment. This disorder can occur frequently and can be a result of other illnesses such as substance abuse, depression and anxiety. The sooner that this disorder is diagnosed that better it is for the treatment of the same. It has been known through research that most of the people who are affected with this disorder are women in the age bracket of 12 to 25. However, recent studies indicate that men too are prone to the disorder and are getting affected in large numbers.

Eating disorders are classified into three different types.

Anorexia Nervosa: People with this condition develop unusual eating habits and in most cases are either seen avoiding food or picking and choosing food to be had in small quantities. Weighing the food that they have and even counting calories may be a matter of serious concern to these people. This is a case where the individuals literally starve themselves. They have a high incidence of low blood pressure and loss of calcium due to an improper diet can lead to them having brittle bones. Heart failure is a high risk for people with this disorder. They normally weigh 15% less than the body weight of normal individuals but always believe that they are overweight.

Bulimia Nervosa: People with this disorder also have a fear of gaining weight. However, they also have a tendency to eat excessive amounts of food in a single session and then use diuretics or water pills and laxatives to make them expel the food that they have had. As they tend to vomit in excessive sessions they also cause damage to their stomachs and inflame their pancreas causing peptic ulcers. Irregular heartbeats and heart failure leading to death can also occur in such cases.

Binge Eating Disorder: This is a disorder that occurs both, in men and women. As in Bulimia, here too people tend to over eat in sessions regardless of whether they are hungry or not. They do use any kind of drugs to expel the food from their bodies and are not conscious of their weight at any time. They are, in simple words compulsive eaters. This disorder is a major cause for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, fatigue, joint aches, diabetes and heart disease.

As with disorders of any kind therapists will be the best people to analyze the problem and offer suitable lines of treatment based on the analysis.