Dallas Counseling for Eating Disorders
Eating disorders are characterized by disturbances in eating behavior. Eating Disorders have become so common in this country that it becoming hard to remember what “normal” is. There are three types of eating disorders: anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating.

Anorexia is characterized by failure to maintain body weight of at least 85% of what is expected, fear of losing control over your weight or of becoming ‘fat.’ There is typically a distorted body image, where the individual sees themselves as overweight despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Anorexia and the underlying causes are very treatable, but can easily lead to severe physical problems and death if it is allowed to continue.

Warning signs include:

• Preoccupation with food, calories, and nutrition
• Denial of hunger
• Excessive dieting and/or exercising
• Frequent weighing
• Claiming to “feel” fat while continuing to lose weight
• Distorted body image
• Feeling bloated or nauseated after eating normal or less than normal amounts of food
• Hair loss
• Feeling cold even though the temperature is normal
• Interruption of menstrual cycle (for women)

Warning signs include:

• Excessive concern about weight
• Strict dieting followed by periods of binge eating
• Reacting to emotional stress by overeating
• Expressing guilt or shame about eating
• Depressive moods
• Feeling out of control in situations involving food
• Possible weight fluctuations
• Vomiting after eating
• Excessive use of laxative or diuretics
• Obsessive exercising

Warning signs include:

• Eating in the absence of hunger
• Feeling out of control when eating
• Feeling guilty about eating
• Eating during stressful times to feel better