Month: June 2017

3 Different Kinds of Eating Disorders

Health EducationHealth
Eating Disorders

According to the National Eating Disorders Association, “eating disorders are serious emotional and physical problems that can have life-threatening consequences for both females and males.” The trouble with getting treatment for sufferers is that they go to a lot of trouble to hide or disguise their symptoms and frequently deny that they have any problem – because that is what they believe.

Here are 3 different types of eating disorders.

  • Bulimia Nervosa – This is characterised by episodes of binge eating in between using various ways and means to control eating or losing weight. The latter may consist of deliberately vomiting, using laxatives, fasting or doing excessive exercise. This becomes a compulsive cycle that makes the person will feel out of control and this can lead to feelings of shame, self-disgust and guilt. They will also have low self-esteem. While a person with BN does not necessarily lose weight, their weight can vary as they gain some and then lose some, depending on what stage the cycle is at and how long it lasts for. While this sounds like BN is not serious, it can indeed cause many serious health problems from chronic sore throat and indigestion through to ulcers, osteoporosis, infertility and risk of heart failure.

(more…)

Obesity – How Big an Issue?

Health EducationHealth
obesity

When I hit menopause, the weight started creeping up. Whereas I was used to being able to lose 3-5 pounds if I didn‘t eat for a few days (as when I had a cold or such), my metabolism seemed to have changed quite drastically. Now if I didn‘t eat for a few days I would put weight on! I found that to be an affront to common sense. It certainly doesn‘t agree with the calories in-calories out concept! What it did seem to do was to establish a new bodyweight for me, whether I liked it or not.

According to Professor Peter Saunders(1), the calorie theory is only partly correct. If things were as simple as that, our weight would fluctuate a lot more than it does. The theory says that if you left out 300 calories at breakfast you would lose ten pounds a year. But that doesn‘t always happen. The body has mechanisms to control both weight gain and weight loss, either by varying the appetite or by adjusting its metabolic rate. It is generally assumed that the obese eat more than those of normal weight. Research has shown that this is not always true; in some cases fat people eat less than those of normal weight(3). In addition, says Prof Saunders, not only does heredity matter but also our entire life experience from the moment we were conceived, and even what our mother ate while pregnant!

(more…)

Sickness or Health? Not an easy choice

Health EducationHealth
Sickness or Health

You probably wonder what on earth I mean by the headline. Who would choose to be sick? Doesn’t everyone want to be healthy? Isn’t that an obvious choice? Well, on first take, yes, but if we look at how society sets things up, we might do a double take.

Let’s start with childhood. You have to go to school, no matter what. If you ever have a day where you just really don’t feel like going, that is not a good enough reason, and you have to go. Except if you’re sick. Ah, then everything changes. You get to stay home in bed, or wherever, and watch TV all day. Your mom or dad might even stay home with you, and bring you books or games or special yummy foods. Your sickness is rewarded, you get extra attention and cuddles, and you don’t have to do what you don’t want to do that day.

When you grow up, it’s not so easy. But you can have a nice job, good pay, and good benefits. Among your benefits are sick days. You get sick, seek medical advice, you get to stay home, and you get paid anyway. What a deal! Who wouldn’t want to get sick once in a while? Fortunately, if you did that every day you’d get bored, so work is then a welcome entertainment. But you’re going to make sure you get to take every single sick day you’re entitled to. Otherwise, you’re losing money, no? So here is another very common way in which sickness is rewarded.

(more…)