Understanding Eating Disorders.

What is an Eating Disorder?

Eating disorders are characterised by two key features:

·  disturbed eating habits

·  disturbed weight control behaviours.

Disturbed eating habits can include:

·  restricted food intake

·  strict dietary rules

·  preoccupation with food

·  binge eating

·  altered mealtime behaviours.

Disturbed weight control behaviours may involve:

·  excessive exercise

·  vomiting

·  the misuse of laxatives or diuretics (pills to reduce water retention).

Many people (especially girls and women) go on diets and restrict their food intake. This dieting only becomes ‘disturbed’ when dietary rules become so strict that daily food consumption is inadequate for health, either through being insufficient or nutritionally unbalanced.

Moderate exercise is a healthy behaviour. However, exercise behaviour becomes ‘disturbed’ when it is too frequent, obsessive, driven, or used for extreme weight control so that it interferes with other aspects of a person’s life. If someone is exercising excessively, they will feel upset if they are prevented from exercising and will continue exercising despite injuries or bad weather. They may also prioritise their exercise regimen over having fun or spending time with others.

People with eating disorders have a high chance of experiencing physical and medical complications. The most serious problems are related to impaired functioning of the heart. Disordered eating and/or weight control behaviours may lead to a heart attack, coma or death.

If you have concerns that you or someone close to you has an eating disorder, it is important to take the issue seriously, and to seek medical advice.

Getting Professional Help

Few people are able to overcome an eating disorder without outside assistance. Encouraging someone to seek professional help, and providing support for them during the process, can be the most important thing that a family member, friend or partner can do.

Your first point of professional contact should be a General Practitioner (GP) who can provide an initial assessment of your physical state and diagnose the nature and severity of the eating disorder. A GP can provide you with options and referrals for further treatment in light of your personal circumstances and current physical state.

If you are reluctant to visit a GP or health professional for any reason, the Eating Disorders Helpline as a first point of call for anyone in the community who has a worry about an eating disorder or a related issue. Call 1300 550 236 for free, confidential support and information

Self Help Resources

Overcoming Disordered Eating - Part A: Thisinformation packageis designed to provide you with some information aboutdisordered eating - how it develops, how it is maintained, andstrategies to start to change the problem behaviours associated with disordered eating.

http://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/resources/infopax.cfm?Info_ID=48

Overcoming Disordered Eating - Part B: Thisinformation packagefollows on the Overcoming Disordered Eating- Part A, and provides some strategies and techniques to change the thinking patterns associated with disordered eating.

http://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/resources/infopax.cfm?Info_ID=49

Community Resources & Treatment options

The Eating Disorders Foundation of Victoria is the primary source of support, information, community education and advocacy for people with eating disorders and their families in Victoria.

http://eatingdisorders.org.au/

For names and numbers of private practitioners who have an interest and/or experience in the area of eating disorders please contact The Eating Disorders Foundation of Victoria Helpline on 9885 0318 or non-metro 1300 550 236.

The Helpline operates from Monday to Friday from 9.30am to 5pm.

Practitioner types include: GP’s, Psychologists, Psychiatrists, Psychotherapists, Dieticians, Counsellors, Family Therapists and Social Workers.

Please note that three referrals are provided at random by area and upon request not the whole list. EDFV does not provide recommendations to one practitioner over another. For tips on choosing the right practitioner for you see the ‘’Getting Help’’ information sheet (available on the EDFV website)

/ Document: Understanding Eating Disorders
Author: Lara Bardsley
Save Date: 19/05/2011
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