What you may not know about Eating Disorders

It is common for people with eating disorders to resist treatment by hiding food, concealing symptoms, and faking weights.
Patients with anorexia nervosa are often anosognosic; they experience their disordered behaviors and thoughts as normal and truly do not feel ill.
Symptoms associated with eating disorders, such as strange ritualized eating, binging, irritability, hoarding of food, paranoia, and social withdrawal, are understood to be consequences of malnutrition.
Exercise can be problematic when it’s done intensely but without pleasure and to compensate for eating. Exercise is a common method of “purging” calories and is dangerous.
Co-morbidity occurs when two illnesses are present at the same time. Eating disorders are often co-morbid with anxiety and depression.
Early detection and assertive treatment are the best way to prevent chronic illness and death from an eating disorder; the earlier a person with an eating disorder seeks treatment, the greater the likelihood of recovery.