Pocrescophobia

„Anorexia is a parasite, and not your friend“ – Sally Hayward-Young

Pocrescophobia is the fear of gaining weight!

Having an eating disorder is a serious medical problem.

Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any other mental illness.

Nowadays there are more girls suffering from an eating disorder than 5 years before, due to a tsunami of modified body images (social media).

It describes an unhealthy relation between you body-perception and the consumption of food, and this negative relation has a huge impact on your everyday life.

95% of all patients are girls!!!

Eating disorders like Anorexia or Bulimia cause twelve times more deaths that any other illness among young girls aged 14 to 25.

Approximately 10 million women and 1 million men suffer from an eating disorder.

50% of teenage girls and 33% of teenage boys have an unhealthy weight control behavior (fasting, vomiting…).

There are 3 major eating disorders:

Anorexia Nervosa: obsessed with the fear of gaining weight, excessive weight loss, infertility,

Heart, bones and brain damage, multi-organ failure

Binge Eating: episodes of impulsive and uncontrolled eating until the feeling of discomfort overwhelms you. Obese people with this disorder have a higher risk for cardiovascular diseases and blood pressure.

Bulimia Nervosa: repeated rotation of binge eating followed by purging, overeating followed by forced vomiting, excessive workout periods and abuse of diuretics, fear of weight gain, dehydration, intestinal problems, throat and tooth damage (due to stomach acids), electrolyte imbalance (can lead to heart attacks)

Here are some differences between bulimia and anorexia (effects):

	Anorexia	Bulimia
Body Image	·      Beliefs of being fat ·      In reality: underweight ·      Obsession of weight and appearance	·      Obsession of weight and appearance
Physical Symptoms	·      Extreme weight loss ·      Heart problems ·      Low blood pressure ·      Hair loss ·      Kidney problems ·      Fatigue & weakness ·      amenorrhea (Interruption of menstruation)	·      sore throat and mouth ·      Dehydration ·      Dental problems ·      Fatigue & Weakness
Emotional symptoms	·      Depression/Anxiety ·      Denial ·      Anosognosia (denial of the illness) ·      Fear of weight gain ·      OCD	·      Depression/Anxiety ·      Feelings of guilt ·      Destructive behaviour
Weight	·      Underweight ·      BMI > 17	·      Usually normal or overweight
Eating	·      Small quantity of calories ·      Food rituals	·      Binge eating ·      Vomiting ·      Pills abuse

How to overcome such an illness?
There is no official treatment; it depends on the person itself.
But every treatment has common goals and methods:
-       Maintain a healthy weight
-       Reduce thoughts and behaviors that lead to disordered eating

Treatments:
-       Individual, groups, psychotherapy
-       Cognitive behavioral therapy
-    Nutritional counseling
-    Medications
-    Medical monitoring

If you might think that you have an eating disorder: GET HELP!!

If you think that someone close has an eating disorder, pay attention to the following signs:

• -       Going to the bathroom instantly after a meal
• -       Constant weight changes
• -       Constant dieting
• -       Eating alone/in secret
• -       Excuses to avoid eating
• -       Extreme concerns about weight

You have to realize that you are worth living, and that you don’t have to starve yourself to death because social media wants you to be skinny.  Experience true happiness and carry about yourself. You have to overcome your own demons and validate your worth.

YOUR DISORDER DOESN’T DEFINE YOU!

HOW YOU OVERCOME IT DEFINES YOU!

Accept yourself as you are, if you want to
change you appearance do it in a healthy way