Eating Disorders: Deadly Psychological Conditions

Eating disorders are not a ‘lifestyle choice’. They are complex psychological problems of modern society that affect the lives of many. The consequences of these disorders are serious and sometimes even fatal.

- Mok Shi-Lynn

There are a number of classified eating disorders but the three major types are anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder (BED). Anorexia nervosa is characterized mainly by self-starvation and excessive weight loss. People with anorexia often see themselves as overweight, or they possess an intense fear of gaining weight despite being dangerously thin.

Those who have bulimia are often preoccupied with their body weight and shape, causing them to restrict what they eat, which then leads to binge eating. They typically feel very anxious or shameful after the binge and resort to purging to undo to over-eating. These behaviours repeat themselves in a cycle and, according to Dr Prem Kumar Shanmugam, a psychologist and psychotherapist, they occur at least once a week on average.

Binge eating disorder is quite common; this is when a person loses control and eats an abnormally large amount of food in one sitting. Unlike bulimia nervosa, the person does not go through phases of purging. Instead, he or she experiences guilt and distress about the binge eating, which often leads to more binge eating. As such, a person with BED is often overweight or obese.

The desire for the perfect body