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Dr. Anita Johnston, Senior Expert Clinical Consultant for Moonpointe

Compulsive Over-Eating Signs & Symptoms

• Binge eating large quantities of food
• Constant grazing of food throughout the day, often secretive eating
• Obsessive type thoughts of food, meals, and the desire to lose weight
• Continued weight gain over time
• Sometimes obsessive with the scale or weighing oneself
• Inability to remain on a healthy meal plan without binging episodes
• Failed attempts to lose weight through various weight-loss diets, fasting or programs, some being extreme
• Marked decrease in self-esteem or self-confident
• Possible mood swings
• Increased feelings of hopelessness or despair
• A feeling of not controlling eating compulsions
• Self loathing may be present
• There is often a sense of "calm" which accompanies binging

Excess weight can cause many health problems:
• Strain on the heart
• Increase in blood pressure
• Difficulty breathing
• Stress on joints, particularly knees
• Increased risk of diabetes
• Fatigue and decreased energy levels
• Changes in metabolism
• Too much weight carried can cause premature death

Bulimia Signs & Symptoms

• Episodes of binge eating large quantities of food followed by purging
• Some abuse syrup of Ipecac for inducing vomiting
• Purging may be by vomiting, use and abuse of laxatives, diuretics or excessive exercise
• The binge-purge cycle is most often a secretive event
• Increasing isolation for purpose of binging and purging
• Obsessive thoughts of food, calories, weight, binging and purging
• Often periods of restricting food accompany the plan to binge and purge
• Decrease in the enjoyment of activities
• Increase in mood swings
• Self esteem and self confidence falls
• Feelings of helplessness and hopelessness
• Feelings of being alone with an out-of-control secret problem
• Intense fears of becoming fat and feeling fat
• Body distortion or seeing oneself as fat even if not
• Denial that there is a problem
• Generally individual is at or around normal weight
• Habit of chewing food and spitting it out
• There often is a "high" and sense of relief following purging behavior

Bulimia causes many health problems:
• Possible hair loss
• For women, loss of menses
• Stomach and digestive problems
• Dental problems
• Electrolyte imbalances, low potassium
• Physical dependency on laxatives
• Possible irreversible damage to intestines
• Internal bleeding from purging
• Possible dehydration
• Heart complications
• There can always be the potential of serious complications resulting in illness and death

Anorexia Signs & Symptoms

• Denial that there is any problem
• Dramatic weight loss in short period
• Exaggerated and intense fears of becoming overweight
• Preoccupation with calories, food and weight
• Restricting food for prolonged periods
• Inability to stop dieting even when below normal weight
• Distorted body image or seeing oneself as fat even with evidence to the contrary
• Constant weighing of oneself throughout the day
• Increased isolation from family or friends
• Isolative behavior concerning food and exercise - may stop eating in front of others
• Increased prolonged periods of exercise for purpose of burning calories
• Increased dishonesty with self and others over eating and exercise habits
• Frequent arguments with others regarding eating habits
• Increased mood swings
• Self esteem and confidence levels drop
• Possible loss of hair from head
• Increased body hair as thermal insulator for body's decreasing ability to stay warm
• Loss of the ability to enjoy friends or activities
• Strong feelings of being in control of oneself
• There is often a "High" experienced with restricting and over exercising behavior
• Possible feelings of self-loathing

Anorexia causes many health problems:
• Changes in metabolism
• Chronically chilly or cold
• For women, loss of menses
• Drop in blood pressure
• Dizziness and weakness from malnutrition
• Body begins feeding itself off muscle tissue and storing fat
• Heart complications
• Vitamin and Mineral deficiencies
• If untreated, Anorexia can cause premature death from starvation