Eating disorders are psychological illnesses with serious physical consequences. All eating disorders involve a preoccupation with weight and food, however the behaviours vary for different disorders. It is possible for people to display signs of different eating disorders at one time, or to move between disorders, for example, anorexia nervosa can later develop into bulimia nervosa.
It is not uncommon for an eating disorder to go undetected. The signs associated with bulimia nervosa in particular, can be more difficult to detect as the person may be of normal body weight. Despite an increase in the incidence and understanding of eating disorders, many people live with these disorders for a long time without clinical diagnosis or treatment.
Symptoms and characteristics
Some of the common attributes found among individuals with eating disorders include:
- low self esteem
- need to seek others' approval
- difficulty expressing needs and feelings, including anger and anxiety
- perfectionism
- difficulty being assertive with others
- dieting.
Eating disorders are most commonly experienced by adolescent females and young women, but can also occur in males, across all ages and all socio-economic and cultural backgrounds.
Workplace adjustments and solutions
There are adjustments and solutions for the following job requirements:
References
Better Heath Channel 2007, Eating disorders, State Government of Victoria, Melbourne, viewed 24 February 2007, <http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Eatingdisorders?open>.
Eating Disorders Foundation of Victoria 2006, , Eating Disorders Foundation of Victoria, Glen Iris, viewed 24 February 2007, <http://www.eatingdisorders.org.au/component/option,com_weblinks/catid,77/Itemid,96/>.
The Butterfly Foundation 2007, The Need The Alarming Statistics and Trends, The Butterfly Foundation, Melbourne, viewed 24 February 2007, <http://www.thebutterflyfoundation.org.au/what_we_do/the_need>.
Links to specific types of eating disorders