Diet » Nutrition Management » Nutrition for Eating disorders

Eating disorders are psychological disorders in which people develop a disorted view of their own body and severely restrict their intake of food. Psychological and nutrition counseling are required for people with eating disorders. Eating disorders are mostly common among teenage and young adult girls, but about 5 to 10% of cases occur in boys. Some types of eating disorders are Anorexia nervosa, Bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder.

Anorexia nervosa is a condition that goes beyond out of control deiting or characterized by a refusal to maintain a healthy body weight. A person with anorexia begins dieting to lose weight. Overtime, the weight loss becomes a sign of mastery and control. Some of the risk factors of anorexia are feeding problems as an infant, history of under eating and depressive symptoms.

Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder in which person binges and purges. The person may eat lot of food at a time and then try to get rid of the food by vomiting, using laxatives or sometimes over exercising. Bulimia is associated with depression. Bulimia can lead to nutritional deficiencies and complications. Dehydration, constipation, bad breath, weight that goes up and down, irregular menstrual periods are some of the common symptoms of Bulimia.

Binge eating disorder is a central feature of Bulimia nervosa and binge eating is a pattern of disordered eating which consists of episodes of uncontrollable eating. Most people who have eating binges try to hide this behavior from others. Emotions play a role. People with binge eating problem may overeat when they feel stressed, upset, hurt or angry. People with binge eating are not aware of whats  driving them to overeat.

Healthy eating tips for Anorexia nervosa:

• Eat small frequent meals.

• Avoid smoking.

• Avoid drinking alcohol.

• Avoid coffee.

• To increase appetite before a meal it is suggested to walk.

• Choose lot of protein foods.

• Drink plenty of fluids. Choose good amount of fruits and vegetables.

• Avoid Caffeine and alcohol.

Healthy eating tips for Bulimia nervosa and binge eating:

• Avoid simple and refined sugars.

• Drink 6 to 8 glasses of water.

• Choose good quality proteins such as vegetable proteins, lean meats, eggs, soy and whey protein.

• Don’t skip breakfast.

• Exercise regularly.

• Iron and zinc should be provided.

• Adequate intake of essential fatty acids.

• Adequate intake of nutrients like calcium, magnesium necessary to support bones.

• Eat plenty of vegetables, fruit s and complex carbohydrates.

• Eat a diet that is low in fat, saturated fat and cholesterol to reduce your risk of heart disease.