Addicted to Disorder

A major dilemma we face today is the issue of eating disorders. We need to realise, first and foremost, that often the person suffering an eating disorder of some sort is the victim and can’t get out of the addiction no matter how hard they try! Although these disorders come in many different packages, all are a reflection of an inner battle going on in the person affected.

One of the most common syndromes is Anorexia. It’s an eating disorder where the main characteristic is the restriction of food and the refusal to maintain a minimal, normal body weight. Any actual gain or even perceived gain of weight is met with intense fear by the Anorexic.

Another disorder would be Bulimia; a mental ailment, common especially among young women of normal or nearly normal weight, that is characterized by episodic binge eating and followed by feelings of guilt, depression, and self-condemnation. It is often associated with measures taken to prevent weight gain, such as self-induced vomiting, the use of laxatives, dieting, or fasting.

The third eating dilemma, however, is the least acknowledged, yet it’s a common problem in the United States today. Compulsive Overeaters are regularly caught in the brutal cycle of binge eating and depression. Using food as a coping mechanism to deal with their emotions, binge eating temporarily mitigates these feelings, but is unfortunately followed by sentiments of disgust, depression, guilt, and shame.

Consequently, most women today suffer at least one of these addictions. Whether it be anorexia, bulimia, overeating, or be it simply a severe dislike of oneself even though one eats healthy and stays fit, almost every woman is a most probable candidate for some form of eating disorder.

Thus, we need to understand that each of us has a reason for our disorders. It may be because we feel pressure from society to be thin, or it may be because you just view yourself far larger than you are in reality and are, therefore, desperate to eradicate this issue. No matter what the reason may be, women, and even some men, need to realize that God made us the way we are for a reason! He sees us as perfect beings, physically. He hates to see us starving ourselves, He hates to see us binging and purging, and He hates to see us overeating. He wants us to accept our bodies the way He made them, and we must never forget it.