Eating Disorders

DISCLAIMER: Dawson McAllister Live does not engage in professional counseling of any sort. The resources that you are about to view are for support and guidance only. They are not intended to give authoritative advice, nor should they be seen as a replacement for professional counseling. These resources are best seen as a beginning point for those who are interested in getting help.

WARNING: The audio clips and stories contained in these resources may cause emotional pain to those who are struggling with the issues discussed.

Welcome to The HopeLine Virtual Coach for the issue of Eating Disorders. Below you will find stories, information, and resources dealing with the issue. Before you get started with the Virtual Coach, please listen to a DMLive caller talk to Dawson about their struggle with an Eating Disorder. To hear the call, please click here.


What are Eating Disorders?

An eating disorder is a compulsion to eat in such a way to disturb physical, mental, and psychological health. The three most commonly discussed eating disorders are anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorder, but another category, “EDNOS,” is probably the most common type of eating disorder.

An overview of the basic types of eating disorders:
  1. Anorexia Nervosa (AN) – Characterized by low body weight, loss of periods (for females), extreme fear of gaining weight, and distorted body image. Most anorexics are restricters and obsessive exercisers, but purging (vomiting and other forms), and diet pills can also be associated with Anorexia. The key distinguishing factors for Anorexia are low body weight and the loss of three periods in a row (for females).
  2. Bulimia Nervosa (BN) – Characterized by recurrent binge eating followed by intentional purging. The purging is done to compensate for the excessive intake of food and to prevent weight gain. Purging typically takes the form of vomiting, but can also include laxatives, enemas, diuretics or other medication; excessive physical exercise, or fasting. The key distinguishing factor for Bulimia is frequency: to meet criteria for bulimia a person must binge and purge on average twice a week for a period of three months.
  3. Binge Eating Disorder (BED) – A type of disordered eating characterized by eating large amounts of food quickly, and on a frequent basis. Binge eaters often feel out of control when eating, and can experience shame, leading them to eat alone. The distinguishing factor for Binge Eating Disorder is that purging is not involved, as it is with Bulimia or Anorexia.
  4. EDNOS – Stands for “Eating Disorders Not Otherwise Specified,” and is the most common type of disordered eating. This category includes chronic dieting, occasional purging, occasional bingeing, obsession with organic foods (Orthorexia), exercise compulsions, “Safe” and “Off Limits” foods and more. The distinguishing factor with EDNOS is that the person is not meeting criteria for the other three disorders. (Note: Some clinicians include Binge Eating in the EDNOS category). It is important to be aware that even if criteria for other categories are not met, EDNOS can be just as devastating as any other eating disorder, having physical, social, emotional and spiritual ramifications..
  • According to The National Institute of Mental Health, between 5 percent and 10 percent of girls and women (i.e. 5-10 million people) have eating disorders. However, anecdotal evidence suggests the numbers are much higher.
  • 1 million boys and men suffer from anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, with many more falling into the EDNOS category.
  • 34 million people are chronic dieters.
  • Estimates suggest that as many as 40 to 75 percent of young women adopt unhealthy attitudes and behaviors about food.
Beth's Story

Beth is 16. She is a typical teenager who is consumed with her friends, her school, and her boyfriend. She has a fairly good relationship with her parents even though they do argue from time-to-time. Beth describes herself as being happy and outgoing with one exception; Beth believes that she is overweight. In fact she is obsessed with her weight, even though her pediatrician has told her that she is below the normal weight range for her age. When she looks in the mirror Beth often feels disgusted. In an effort to control her weight Beth limits her food intake. When she eats too little her mom gives Beth a hard time so Beth has learned to eat a normal amount when her parents are around and then take laxatives so that she eliminates the food from her body quickly. She goes to great lengths to keep her secret and to ensure that she does not gain any weight. Instead, Beth is absolutely convinced that she must continue to lose weight. She knows that it might not be healthy for her to do what she does, but the disgust she feels about her body image overrides the feelings of guilt that she experiences when she takes the laxatives. Beth sometimes wonders what this means for her future, but she does not believe that she could stop if she wanted to. “It doesn’t matter anyway”, she thinks, “because I don’t want to stop.” As a result, Beth relationships with her parents and her friends are beginning to suffer. She often feels like people are coming down on her about her weight and that they don’t understand.

Your Story

Beth struggles with Anorexia Nervosa, a specific type of eating disorder characterized by low body weight and distorted body image. Individuals who deal with this often control body weight by starvation, purging, vomiting, excessive exercise, or other weight control measures, such as diet pills or diuretics. Other people struggle with Bulimia Nervosa, which is characterized by recurrent binge eating followed by intentional purging. A third type of eating disorder is Binge Eating Disorder, which is characterized by not having control over consumption of food, and eating unusually large amounts of food at one time much more quickly than normal. The person usually eats alone whether hungry or not and until they feel physically uncomfortable. The broadest category of disordered eating, EDNOS (Eating Disorders Not Otherwise Specified), serves as a ‘catch-all’ for additional disordered eating practices, including chronic dieting, occasional purging, occasional bingeing, constant focus on weight.

Perhaps you find yourself dealing with an eating disorder as well. If so, you may identify with some of Beth’s experiences. You may be dealing with overwhelming feelings of guilt and a sense of inadequacy. Perhaps you have a very elaborate “system” for practicing your eating habits so that no one has a clue. You may be very aware of the dangers that your eating disorder presents, but you still cannot find the strength to stop. Perhaps you cannot even find the desire to stop. The good news is that people are able to overcome eating disorders and live happy and healthy lives. Overcoming an eating disorder is not easy, however hope exists and help is available.

If you’re struggling with an eating disorder or know someone who is, please read the options below and click any as they relate to you: Return to the Virtual Coach Menu.