Wilkes University's Health & Wellness Corner

The Health & Wellness Corner is a weekly feature in The Beacon. Students who ask questions will remain anonymous. All questions will be answered by Health Services staff. 

Q. Can you help me to understand more about eating disorders?

 A. Bulimia usually begins in late adolescence and early adulthood.  Persons with bulimia are aware of the problem and work to keep it secretive. Bulimia Nervosa consists of recurrent episodes of binge eating when a person eats an excessive amount of food within any two-hour period feeling a lack of control over their eating. The binge eating and inappropriate compensatory behaviors both occur, on average, at least twice a week for three months. A person’s self worth is greatly influenced by body shape and weight. There is a purging type of bulimia disorder and non-purging type.  In the non-purging type, a person uses other compensatory behaviors such as fasting or excessive exercise. Finally, there are disordered eating patterns that do not meet the criteria for any specific eating disorder.  An example of this would be binge-eating disorder where a person engages in binge eating but does not use compensatory behaviors.
 

Common warning signs of eating disorders include:  preoccupation with body type/weight, continuous dieting even when thin, obsessing over food, calories, nutrition, making excuses to avoid eating, eating high calorie foods in secret, compulsive exercise, eating alone or in secret, and going to the bathroom right after meals.

The risks of anorexia nervosa are: loss of approximately 30% or more of body weight leading to emaciation, irregular or complete loss of menstrual period, dry skin, hair loss, growth of fine body hair, withdrawal and isolation, and death.  The risks of bulimia are: abdominal pain due to overeating, heart and kidney problems, excessive constipation, digestive problems, swollen salivary glands, a tear in the esophagus, and diarrhea.

 Next week’s column will include a compassionate look at those who suffer with eating disorders and practical ways to help.

Do you have a question for the Health & Wellness Corner? Email your question to, wellness.services@wilkes.edu, and you may see your question in next weeks Wellness Corner. Your privacy will be protected.