Eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder include extreme emotions, attitudes, and behaviors surrounding weight and food issues.They are serious emotional and physical problems that can have life-threatening consequences for females and males. There are three common types of eating disorders, which may at times overlap:

Anorexia Nervosa  •   Bulimia  •   Binge Eating  •   Over Exercising
Anorexia Nervosa: is a disruption of normal eating habits characterized by excessive dieting, self-starvation, compulsive exercising, and loss of minimally 15% of normal body weight. There is an intense preoccupation with food, body size and fear of being fat. There are many dangerous and potentially life threatening side effects to this disorder.

In anorexia nervosa’s cycle of self-starvation, the body is denied the essential nutrients it needs to function normally. Thus, the body is forced to slow down all of its processes to conserve energy, resulting in serious medical consequences:

• Abnormally slow heart rate and low blood pressure, which mean that the heart muscle is changing. The risk for heart failure rises as the heart rate and blood pressure levels sink lower and lower.
• Reduction of bone density (osteoporosis), which results in dry, brittle bones.
• Muscle loss and weakness.
• Severe dehydration, which can result in kidney failure.
• Fainting, fatigue, and overall weakness.
• Dry hair and skin; hair loss is common.
• Growth of a downy layer of hair called lanugo all over the body, including the face, in an effort to keep the body warm.

Bulimia: is a cycle of uncontrolled binge eating followed by purging through vomiting, the use of laxatives or excessive exercise. For the most part, a binge consists of consuming large quantities of food, but sometimes a person may purge after a normal or even small intake of food. Bulimia can occur infrequently or can become an extremely debilitating pattern that absorbs all of a person's time, energy and money. As with anorexia, there are many potentially dangerous health risks associated with this disorder.
The recurrent binge-and-purge cycles of bulimia can affect the entire digestive system and can lead to electrolyte and chemical imbalances in the body that affect the heart and other major organ functions.

• Electrolyte imbalances that can lead to irregular heartbeats and possibly heart failure and death. Electrolyte imbalance is caused by dehydration and loss of potassium, sodium and chloride from the body as a result of purging behaviors.
• Potential for gastric rupture during periods of bingeing.
• Inflammation and possible rupture of the esophagus from frequent vomiting.
• Tooth decay and staining from stomach acids released during frequent vomiting.
• Chronic irregular bowel movements and constipation as a result of laxative abuse.
• Peptic ulcers and pancreatitis.

Binge Eating: is characterized by consuming large quantities of food typically in response to stress. Excessive weight gain is a common outcome.
Binge eating disorder often results in many of the same health risks associated with clinical obesity.

• High blood pressure.
• High cholesterol levels.
• Heart disease as a result of elevated triglyceride levels.
• Type II diabetes mellitus.
• Gallbladder disease.

Over Exercising: or Exercise Addiction occurs when people control their bodies, alter their moods, and define themselves through their over involvement in exercise activity, to the point where instead of choosing to participate in their activity, they have become "addicted" to it, continuing to engage in it despite adverse consequences. Carolyn Costin, MA, M.Ed., MFCC wrote an article "Over Exercising, Over Activity" which provides information on the following areas.

What is Over Exercise and Over Activity

Signs and Symptoms of Activity Disorder

Features of an Activity Disorder

Cognitive Distortions in Activity Disorder

Physical Symptoms of Activity Disorder

Symptoms of Over-Training

Approaching an Individual With an Activity Disorder

Guidelines for Approaching the Activity Disordered Individual

Risk Factor

Sociocultural

Family

Individual

Biological

Treatment for an Activity Disorder

Therapy for an Activity Disorder