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The official medical definition of eating disorders describes the
following three types of eating disorders:
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Bulimia Nervosa
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At first you eat quickly and excessively. This is followed by vomiting,
fasting, exercise, laxatives or medicine in order to avoid an increase in
weight.
More.
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Anorexia Nervosa
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You don't eat enough to maintain your normal weight. You are very afraid
of becoming fat and have false ideas about your weight and figure.
More.
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Binge Eating
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You eat too much in periods as a consequence of a craving for food which
exceeds your real nutritional needs.
More.
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In addition to this, there are also people who do not exactly fit into the
three categories above, but who nevertheless exhibit eating disturbances.
Typical examples of such cases are:
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Partial Syndrome
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You limit your intake of food and are preoccupied with your weight, you
swing between frenzied eating and vomiting, and have other eating
disorders symptoms, but still do not meet the full diagnostic criteria for
full-blown eating disorders.
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Obsessive Dieters or "weight-preoccupied" individuals
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You think a lot about your weight and figure but not so much that you
belong to the "Partial Syndrome" group.
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Obese individuals with eating disorders
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You eat more than you need and allow your weight to become too high for
good health. Overweight can have other causes than eating disorders and
can be caused by an eating disorder if there are psychological reasons for
eating more than the body needs, such as when negative emotions (anger,
boredom, disappointment, etc.) cause an abnormal craving for food.
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Non-classifiable Disturbances
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Your answer to the eating disorder test may indicate the presence of an
eating disorder without any real problem with your weight, figure or
eating. There are those who compulsively take laxatives to reduce weight
but do not regularly eat compulsively. There are women who are very
underweight but still have menstruation. A person who does not fulfil the
formal definition of eating disorders may nevertheless have a serious
eating disorder.
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