Anorexia vs bulimia which is more dangerous

Someone with anorexia may exhibit certain behavioral changes before physical symptoms are noticeable. This includes:. Someone with bulimia may develop an unhealthy relationship to food over time. This may lead to extreme behaviors to prevent weight gain.

There are two different types of bulimia. The attempts to purge are used to differentiate them. Many people with bulimia will experience anxiety because their eating behavior is out of control. As with anorexia, there are many different emotional, behavioral, and physical symptoms that can signal bulimia. Someone with bulimia may exhibit certain behavioral changes before physical symptoms are noticeable. Many medical experts believe it may be due to a combination of complex biological, psychological, and environmental factors.

These tests can also assess any related complications. The first step will be a physical exam. Your doctor will weigh you to determine your body mass index BMI. Your doctor will likely ask about your eating and exercise habits. They may also ask you to complete a mental health questionnaire. At this stage, your doctor will likely order lab tests. This can help rule out other causes of weight loss.

It can also monitor your overall health to make sure that no complications have occurred as a result of a possible eating disorder. If the tests reveal no other medical causes for your symptoms, your doctor may refer you to a therapist for outpatient treatment. They may also refer you to a nutritionist to help you get your diet back on track. If severe complications have occurred, your doctor may recommend that you get inpatient treatment instead.

This will allow your doctor or another medical professional to monitor your progress. They can also watch for signs of further complications.

It is important that those who are affected get the help they need to recover as soon as possible. As these illnesses all have distinct characteristics, it is hard to say which eating disorder is worse.

Each of them can cause life threatening consequences for the affected individual. The three most common eating disorders are anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder, but there are many others. For the purposes of this article however, we will concentrate on the three mentioned here to see how these affect the individual.

Anorexia nervosa, or simply anorexia as it is commonly known, is one of the most recognised eating disorders in the world. Those who suffer from it will deliberately try to keep their body weight as low as possible and are usually unable to see their body in the same way that others do. They will do this by restricting the number of calories they consume or by exercising to excess and taking laxatives.

While others may suggest that these individuals need to put weight on, the affected person will fiercely challenge this because they will still be unhappy with their weight, no matter how low it gets. Anorexics often have a distorted idea of what they look like. While others will see them as painfully thin, anorexics will believe they are fat and will try to do more to lose what they see as excess pounds. For most anorexics, weight loss is something that they can control.

Whenever they lose weight, they will see it as an achievement. Nevertheless, tied in with this is the fact that many suffer from a lack of confidence and have a very low self-esteem because of it. As you might imagine, anorexics often suffer with extremely low body weights. They will lose muscle mass because of their severe calorie restriction, which can leave them feeling weak and fatigued.

Females who suffer from anorexia may develop reduced bone strength and problems with menstruation. In men it can cause a loss of libido and even impotency.

As most anorexics try to hide their illness from family members and friends, they may become withdrawn and isolated; they will often become guarded in case anyone discovers their secret. In the early days, family members and friends will be confused as to the changing behaviour of the affected person.

However, as time goes by, they will spot the signs and start to worry, soon discovering that there is very little they can do to change the mindset of the person, who is convinced he or she is fat when far from it.

BED is different from bulimia nervosa as it does not involve compensatory behaviors. Binge eating disorder is just as dangerous as any other eating disorder. Avoidant and Restrictive Food Intake Disorder ARFID involves an extreme eating or feeding disturbance characterized by avoidant or restrictive behaviors regarding food that limits the caloric intake of the individual.

However, individuals with ARFID are not the same as picky eaters or individuals going through a phase of selective eating because ARFID causes significant nutritional deficiencies and interferes with psychosocial functioning. Many people suffer from disordered eating. When those symptoms cause significant distress but do not meet the full criteria of an eating disorder mentioned above, they may still be diagnosed with an eating disorder.

Their health and well-being may be in danger and should seek help from a professional. Those who struggle with this eating disorder manipulate the usage of insulin needed by the body, in order to lose weight or change the appearance of their body. The rigidity and obsessiveness of this eating disorder interrupts daily activities and physical health.

Denver, CO info eatingdisorderfoundation. This treatment involves seeing a health professional and getting counseling on a regular basis. In most cases, men and women admit themselves to an in-house treatment. This approach is so the doctors can keep a close eye on the patient and make sure she is eating a healthy diet. However, the victim can overcome anorexia only with the help of a mental-health physician, a medical-health professional, or a registered dietician.

On the contrary, bulimics have an easier time taking charge of their eating disorder. Behavior therapy is better than hospitalization. It helps bulimics achieve specific goals such as changing their eating patterns.

Cognitive therapy is another helpful treatment for bulimia.