Because people tend to hide the condition and behaviors of their eating disorder, it is very hard for loved ones and family members to notice the symptoms and warning signs that are typically associated with eating disorders.

About 10 million people in the United States are affected by some form of eating disorder.  Because those who have them deny they have a problem and because it is so difficult for their loved ones to see the symptoms, they are likely to be untreated.

Comprehension of Eating Disorders

For those that do not yet understand what it means to have an eating disorder, it is hard for them to realize the reason they are so serious.  The reality is that they involve intense fluctuations in eating habits and behaviors and ultimately become very dangerous to one’s health in the long run.

Signs an eating order may exist include starvation, vomiting after meals, obsessively counting calories, and binge eating.  Knowing what an eating disorder is helps, but knowing what causes it is even more important.  Eating disorders are a lot more complicated than superficial issues with food or easy habits that may be temporary.

The cause of an eating disorder may come from psychological feelings of insecurity and self-doubt that eventually create distorted thoughts about weight, body image, and food in general in people.  Ultimately, these negative views that begin to develop leads to dangerous behaviors as people try to control certain things in their lives that they think have gone awry.

Eating disorders typically fall into one of these three types:

• Anorexia – when one starves oneself due to the fear of becoming fat
• Binge eating disorder – when one intensely overeats in cycles
• Bulimia – when one repeatedly binge eats and purges
  
  

How to Identify Eating Disorder Signs

You have a chance of spotting the existence of an eating disorder if you are around a person often enough and are aware of their typical habits and behavior and are on the lookout for the following indications:

• Immediately after eating, they go to the bathroom
• They are obsessed with body image or weight
• They hide food from others
• They avoid occasions where there will be food served
• Even though they are thin, they continue to diet
• They count calories obsessively
• They use laxatives or take diet pills
• They exercise an extreme amount (over an hour each time for several times a week)
• They exhibit sudden and/or unexplained loss of weight or weight gain
  
  

Options for Eating Disorder Treatment

As mentioned, eating disorders affect a person both physically as well as mentally.  For that reason, it is vital that any eating disorder treatment program addresses both these components and the person holistically.  Because everyone is different, one specific program that works for one person might not work for another, therefore, it is important to choose an all-inclusive program that utilizes both psychological and medical treatments that can best address each and every person’s own unique needs.

Depending on the person, individual therapy combined with nutritional counseling may be the best method to achieve healthy change in their thoughts about food and body image.  For other people, hospitalization or residential treatment could be necessary.  When it comes to eating disorder treatment, there are four primary types.  They include:

• Individual therapy – by speaking with a counselor, who is an eating disorder specialist, on a one on one basis, it helps patients develop a more positive self-image and understand the underlying causes of their eating disorder.  Individual therapy also assists patients in developing better methods of handling emotional difficulties and stress.
• Nutritional counseling – this treatment type is given by a nutritionist who is also a specialist in eating disorder treatment.  They can educate patients on eating healthier foods and maintaining a healthy body weight while at the same time not worry about calories, weight, or foods.
• Support groups – the advantage of this method of counseling is that it shows those suffering from eating disorders that there are others who suffer from the same problem they do.  They see that they are not alone and start to feel a little bit less isolated as they try to overcome their problems.
• Residential eating disorder treatment – this treatment option works best for those that suffer from extreme emotional or physical issues, or those that do not wish to take part in the other types of eating disorder treatment options.
  
  

It is always essential to keep in mind that a lot of effort and time is needed to overcome any eating disorder.  They are not the kind of illness that can be solved quickly or overnight.  Patients can slowly return to their normal lives, free from unhealthy and obsessive behaviors with food after the proper combination of medical treatment and therapy.

The support and care from friends and family helps a lot in the successful recovery from eating disorders.  If you would like to help someone you love overcome an eating disorder, the best way is to encourage them without making them feel pressured.  You should also provide a good example through your healthy exercising and diet, in order to give them a positive lead to follow.