Bikinibrawn covers eating disorders !

I felt it was important to cover a story on eating disorders, after seeing a story earlier today online about an Irish girl suffering with anorexia. The 23 year old Irish girl has had anorexia for over ten years, her case is so severe she is not only fighting for her life but also has found her case in the high court. The young woman has been diagnosed as critical and has been told without nutritional supplements she will die. She has turned down four of seven attempts to help her, and now the high court has ordered her to be fed through a tube in the attempts to save her life. At only 23 years of ages, the girl weighs a tiny five stone and will no doubt have a sad ending to her story if she doesn't except the treatment. We here at Bikinibrawn wish her the best of luck and hope her journey ends on a positive note. We hope that she receives the help and support she needs to return to a normal healthy life. Sometimes it can be hard to comprehend why people fall into eating disorders whether its Anorexia or obesity. I personally try not to judge someone when you don't understand their story. For me the most important thing is highlighting the dangers of eating disorders and how destructive they can be, that their or so many misunderstandings about weight loss and food. I always have tried to push how healthy it is eat regularly and that there are options for everyone and can all be done in a healthy manor. It is important to keep your mind healthy in these situations and i think this is where people falter. Anorexia is not glamorous and being overweight is not curvy, there are genuinely so many options for what ever your goals are, and food does not need to turn into a negative thing. Everyone can achieve their ideal body in a healthy manor and that is a fact. Some of you Bikinibrawn readers might not even know what exactly an eating disorder is, It is basically described as a mental condition where an individual has an unhealthy relationship with a food. An individual who suffers with an eating disorder usually struggles with body image and it disrupts their everyday life. 
Check out some details below which you might find helpful and shocking.

- Over 200'000 people in Ireland have been affected by an eating disorder 
- 400 new people are added to the list every year
- Each year roughly 80 deaths accur in Ireland that are related to eating disorders 
- Eating disorders can lead to illnesses like Anorexia, bulimia
- Eating disorders in Ireland are highest with females between the age of 15-40 . Roughly 2% go on to have bullemia and 0.5% go on to have anorexia 
- Over 30% of people have been recorded to be affected by binge eating 
- 4% of Ireland's adult population have been affected by binge eating disorders like obesity
- There has been an increase of 67% in the number of recorded male eating disorders in the UK over the last 5 years.
- 71.4% of Irish teens feel adversely affected by media portrayal of body weight and shape 
- The mortality rate associated with anorexia is 200 times higher than the suicide rate of female in the general pollution 
- Roughly 20.8% of Anorexia Nervosa patients do not recover or improve but develop a long term or chronic form of the eating disorders .


The negative impacts of Anorexia and Bulimia 

• Muscle wasting
• Thinning hair
• Bone loss
• Tooth decay
• Delayed growth and development
• Anemia
• Digestive problems
• Heart problems
• Seizures
• Depression, which can spiral to suicidal thoughts or behavior

Reasons eating disorders may occur & Signs to look out for as a friend or family member !

• Stressful life situations, accompanied by a lack of adequate coping skills.
• Sensitivity to life changes
• Separation from family.
• Social or cultural factors, such as preoccupation about weight and appearance, especially influenced by magazines or television.
• Possible biological or genetic predispositions.
• Domestic problems
• Preoccupation with food and weight.
• Claims of feeling fat when weight is actually normal or even low.
• Body dismorphia ie. seeing a fat person in the mirror when the individual is actually painfully thin.
• Not wanting to eat in front of other people.
• Guilt and shame about eating.Evidence of binge eating or hoarding of food, followed by the use of laxatives, diuretics and emetics to rid the body of that food.A preoccupation with exercise, particularly exercising to lose weight rather than to get fit.
• Emotional changes and mood swings, depression, irritability and social withdrawal.

The most important factor is that all of these serious illnesses can be prevented. They can also be curable, especially if they are identified early. What to do ??
The first and most important step is visiting your local GP / Doctor. If it is possibly a friend or family member why not approach the individual in a relaxed environment and offer your support. If you do not see an improvement take the next step speak to a teacher, parents, guidance counselor and most importantly stick by them.  


Whats your views on eating disorders and do you think there is enough support for people ?

Kelly D x