What is an Eating Disorder?
An eating disorder is a series of unhealthy behaviours, such as eating very little or exercising too much, which is intended to make you thinner. Having an eating disorder is serious and can damage your heart, muscles, bones, skin, teeth and stomach. Sometimes girls start out with healthy eating or exercise habits and then become obsessed with eating less and less and exercising more and more. When the desire to be thin becomes more important than being healthy, it's a problem.

What Causes an Eating Disorder?
Anyone can develop an eating disorder regardless of age, race, gender or background. However, young women are most vulnerable, particularly between the ages of 14 and 25.
Certain factors can increase the risk of developing an eating disorder. For example:

• Having a negative self-image, such as constantly putting yourself down
• Unrealistic expectations of yourself, always striving to be perfect, needing to get straight A's
• A strong need to have control over your life
• Feelings of depression
• Relationship and communication problems, fighting with your friends and family
• Family conflict
• A belief that thin is ideal and that it will make you happy and successful
• Pressure to be thin to achieve your career goals (e.g. model, dancer, athlete)
• A life crisis, such as parents divorcing or a death in the family
• Being abused or assaulted.

How do I know if I have an Eating Disorder?

• Does food occupy your thoughts day and night?
• Do you feel fat even though others do not see you as overweight?
• Do you feel fear, anger, guilt or shame when you're faced with food?
• Do you feel alone in your struggle with your weight?
• Do you think about your weight and the amount you eat all the time?
• Do you feel that if you lost weight you'd be happier and more accepted?
• Do you have a weight you aim for but can't achieve?
• Do you check your weight daily?
• Are you always criticizing yourself about what you do and how you look?
• Do you exercise all the time to burn off the calories you have eaten?
• Do you feel depressed and low about yourself and use food to cope with these feelings?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may have an eating disorder.

If you think you have an eating disorder, contact the National Eating Disorder Information Centre for confidential information and referral to a professional in your community.

The National Eating Disorder Information Centre
Tel. (416) 340-4156 or
Toll-Free 1-866-NEDIC-20 (1-866-63342-20)
Email: nedic@uhn.on.ca
Website: www.nedic.ca.

For additional information and how to get help, see Eating Disorders.

Anorexia, Bulimia and Binge Eating

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