May 19 2011
Are you aware that eating disorders affect more than 10 million people in this country, and that bulimia, anorexia, binge eating and other destructive food behaviors are not exclusive to the youth? These serious and often deadly afflictions have become a growing problem with midlife adults and older, often more difficult to detect as adults are expected to have it "all together." Caring Online, the leading online resource for eating disorders, recognizes that disordered eating can be hard to recognize in adults. They offer a comprehensive and informative website to educate and raise awareness and provide real eating disorder treatment options.
With fear of aging, losing loved ones, empty nest syndrome, divorce and financial difficulties being only some of the stresses of adult life and the senior years, adult eating disorders are on the rise. And, with our culture's obsession with looking youthful, being thin and achieving physical perfection, many adults, mostly women, are struggling.
According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, anorexia has the highest death rate of any mental illness. Unfortunately, eating disorders often go unrecognized and untreated. Only about 1 in 10 people get treatment. Without treatment, up to 20 percent of eating disorder patients die; with treatment, the mortality rate falls to 2 to 3 percent. CaringOnline.com seeks to raise awareness on eating disorders by offering a wealth of eating disorder resources, including self-assessment tests, books, videos, studies, blogs and discussion boards.
CaringOnline.com urges seeking help for an eating disorder if several of the following traits are present:
- Frequent weighing and fear of becoming fat
- Feeling fat even when not
- Panicking when a pound is gained
- Needing to obsessively exercise
- Sneaking food when no one's around
- Eating large quantities quickly at one time
- Lying about the amount eaten
- Excessive thinking about whether or not to eat
- Using laxatives, diet pills or diuretics to control weight
- Vomiting after eating
- Feeling depressed or anxious after eating
Source: caringonline.com.
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