Expert: Reverend Abbott - 1/13/2007

Question
Dear Reverend Abbott !

My friend and i do a project about anorexia nervosa.
We would like to ask you some questions about the topic:
*Can anorexia be treated?
*Who has anorexia?
*What exactly are eating disorders?What are the causes?How are they treated?
*Can eating disorders be prevented?Is there a cure?

thank you!


Answer
Anorexia is a psychological disorder. It's the number ONE most fatal of all psychological disorders known to man. If someone doesn't get help and enter recovery from anorexia, they will die. Period.

It can be treated - usually with psychological counseling, support groups and sometimes medication intervention.

Anyone can be anorexic. Sadly, a 300 lb man may be anorexic - but no one pays any attention until it's progressed so far that it can't be missed (the 85 lb skeleton).

Bulimia comes in many different forms. It's not just using self-induced vomiting. In fact, many bulimics don't do this at all. The strongest fact about bulimics is that typically, they are overweight, or of normal weight.
BDD is a relatively new diagnosis. Body Dysmorphic Disorder is an exaggerated, skewed self-perception.  Most anorexics will have some degree of BDD, some bulimics will have it as well.
Binge-Purging Disorder and other eating disorders are controversial diagnoses. Some members of the medical profession accept them as hard and fast psychological problems, no more the 'fault' of the sufferer than a schizophrenic (or other patient) chooses to have this disorder.

Anorexics are anorexics forever. A need for control, tendency to be orderly and neat, count things, even take 'souvenirs' (stealing) from places, family and friends, among other characteristics are constantly fought. Whenever there is an event in their lives that feels overwhelming, even in a subtle way, they can easily lapse into anorexia again.  Anorexics in their teens tend to become anorexic again in their 40's AND even older. Senior citizens with anorexia is not uncommon by any means.

So, while the stress and pressures of being a teen in the face of distorted norms presented by the media could prompt the beginning of this disease, those who are most successful at it have a mental illness that would somehow manifest itself anyway.  
As for bulimics and other 'eating disorders', chronic dieting, etc., blame the idiot media attacking (all ages of) women (and even men) for not looking like a computer generated, air brushed, camera angled image. The people who think they are measured by a number on the scale or size they wear, don't have a whole lot going on for themselves. They could better spend all that time and energy making a difference, couldn't they?
 I did.

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