Republic of the Philippines

NORTHERN NEGROS STATE COLLEGE OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Old Sagay, Sagay City, Negros Occidental
(034)722-4120, www.nonescost.edu.ph

COURSE Family and Consumer Life Skills

MODULE 1 (3HOURS) Lesson 2 : Eating Disorders

COURSE
Maria May L. Daulong, M.Ed.-THE
FACILITATOR

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Maria May Lebiga Daulong
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CONTACT DETAILS
Email Ad mariamaydaulong79@gmail.com

Phone No./s 09067344857

Introduction
Eating disorder can affect anybody. Having the right information about these disorders
is crucial in overcoming it. This lesson will help you develop an understanding of the common eating
disorders and acquaints you with some of the myths surrounding such disorders.

Learning Outcomes:
1. Define eating disorder
2. Examine eating disorders and the factors which may contribute to their onset and
development
3. Explore the impact of eating disorders on personal health
Motivation
Why are some people too keen on their diet while others are not? How keen are you on your
diet? Do you often associate your body size with how much you eat? (Students will reflect on how
keen they are when it comes to their diet and how they see themselves given their eating habits.)
Answer:
The reason why people are too serious about their diet because they care so much to their body while
people who don’t give attention about diet are those people who just go with the flow. I am not into
diet because I am too skinny for that but I stay healthy person as I could. Maybe I am picky eater but
I am not diet. I limit myself to junk food and sodas but it is not my diet I just don’t want to be
unhealthy person. I prefer healthy foods that opposite.
Watch the two-minute video on YouTube entitled “Eating Disorders Myths...Busted”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbMi_ygqRYU

Presentation
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 On the video you just watched, what are the most common misconceptions about eating disorder?
How are those myths similar to your perception about eating disorder? Or how are they different from
yours?
I. TEACHING POINTS

What are eating disorders?

American Psychiatry Association defines it as “illnesses in which the people experience

severe disturbances in their eating behaviors and related thoughts and emotions.” People with
eating disorders typically become pre-occupied with food and their body weight.

Eating disorders are complex conditions that can arise from a combination of long-
standing behavioral, biological, emotional, psychological, interpersonal, and social factors.
Once started, however, they can create a self-perpetuating cycle of physical and emotional
destruction.

Although scientists are still investigating the factors that can contribute to the
development of an eating disorder, they have identified some risk factors for the development
of an eating disorder.

PSYCHOLOGICAL RISK FACTORS

 Perfectionism
 Anxiety
 Depression
 Difficulties regulating emotion
 Obsessive-compulsive behaviors
 Rigid thinking style (only one right way to do things, etc.)

SOCIOCULTURAL RISK FACTORS

 Cultural promotion of the thin ideal

 Size and weight prejudice
 Emphasis on dieting
 “Ideal bodies” include only a narrow range of shapes and sizes

BIOLOGICAL RISK FACTORS

 Having a close family member with an eating disorder

 Family history of depression, anxiety, and/or addiction
 Personal history of depression, anxiety, and/or addiction
 Presence of food allergies that contribute to picky or restrictive eating (e.g. celiac disease)
 Presence of Type 1 Diabetes

Common Types of Eating Disorders

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 1. Anorexia Nervosa – a lack or loss of appetite for food (as a medical condition). It is an
emotional disorder characterized by an obsessive desire to lose weight by refusing to eat.

Individuals with anorexia nervosa may starve themselves or use excessive exercising or
other purging behaviors that result in extreme weight loss, defined as 15% below ideal body
weight for age, sex and height. Despite looking emaciated, patients with anorexia nervosa
are convinced they are overweight and become terrified of gaining additional weight.
Behaviors common in anorexia nervosa include unusual eating habits such as avoiding
specific foods, skipping meals, selecting only few foods to eat, weighing their food ,
counting calories, and excessive exercising. Individuals with anorexia nervosa may lose
weight gradually and may not receive medical or psychiatric attention until their
malnourishment leads to serious medical and psychiatric changes.

People with anorexia:

 eat very little on purpose. This leads to a very low body weight.
 have an intense fear of weight gain. They fear looking fat.
 have a distorted body image. They see themselves as fat even when they are very thin.

2. Bulimia –an eating disorder in which a large quantity of food is consumed in a short period of
time, often followed by feelings of guilt or shame. It is an emotional disorder involving
distortion of body image and an obsessive desire to lose weight, in which bouts of extreme
overeating are followed by depression and self-induced vomiting, purging, or fasting.
It is characterized by repeated episodes of overeating. In a short period of time they will
eat a lot more food than others would eat in the same situation. Each episode is followed by
actions to compensate for the large food intake and to avoid weight gain. The most common
behaviour is to induce vomiting but they can also abuse laxatives, fast for periods or take part in
excessive amounts of exercise. People with bulimia are often normal weight or overweight, so
bulimia can be more difficult for others to recognise than anorexia. About 30 per cent of people
with bulimia have a history of anorexia.

People with bulimia:

 overeat and feel out of control to stop. This is called binge eating.
 do things to make up make up for overeating. They may make themselves throw up on
purpose after they overeat. This is called purging.
 To prevent weight gain they may use laxatives, diuretics, weight loss pills, fast, or exercise
a lot.
 judge themselves based on body shape and weight

3. Binge Eating - is characterized by episodes of overeating without the corresponding

compensatory action present with bulimia. Binge eating episodes are characterized by loss of
control when eating. They cannot stop until they have eaten far more than others would eat in
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 the same situation. They may eat faster than usual, even when not hungry, or eat alone because
of embarrassment. Often, they will not stop until they are uncomfortably full. Episodes are
often followed by shame, abhorrence or depressive thoughts. Some people with overeating
disorder are overweight.

People with binge eating disorder:

 overeat and feel out of control to stop. This is called binge eating.
 eat large amounts even when they are not hungry
 may feel upset or guilty after binge eating
 often gain weight, and may become very overweight

Some of the Eating Disorder Myths

Eating disorders are a choice. I just need to tell my loved one to snap out of it.

Eating disorders (EDs) are actually complex medical and psychiatric illnesses that patients
don’t choose and parents don’t cause.

Several decades of genetic research show that biological factors play a significant role in who
develops an eating disorder. EDs commonly co-occur with other mental health conditions like major
depression, anxiety, social phobia, and obsessive compulsive disorder.
The causes of an eating disorder are complex. Current thinking by eating disorder researchers
and clinical experts holds that eating disorders are caused by both genetic and environmental factors;
they are bio-sociocultural diseases. A societal factor (like the media-driven thin body ideal) is an
example of an environmental trigger that has been linked to increased risk of developing an eating
disorder. Environmental factors also include physical illnesses, childhood teasing and bullying, and
other life stressors. Historical data reveals that some of the earliest documented cases of eating
disorders were associated with religious fasting. Additionally, they may run in families, as there are
biological predispositions that make individuals vulnerable to developing an eating disorder.
It’s just an eating disorder. That can’t be a big deal.
Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric illness. Besides medical
complications from binge eating, purging, starvation, and over-exercise, suicide is also common among
individuals with eating disorders. People who struggle with eating disorders also have a severely
impacted quality of life.

As long as someone isn’t emaciated, they are not that sick.

Most people with an eating disorder are not underweight. Although most people with eating
disorders are portrayed by the media as emaciated, you can’t tell whether someone has an eating
disorder just by looking at them. These perceptions can perpetuate the problem and may cause distress
in eating disorder sufferers for fear of not being “sick enough” or “good enough” at their disorder to
deserve treatment. Additionally, you cannot determine if an individual is struggling with binge eating
disorder (BED) based on their weight. It is important to remember that just because a sufferer is no
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 longer emaciated, or has lost weight in the process of treatment for BED, it doesn’t mean they are
recovered; an individual can experience a severe eating disorder at any weight.

Eating disorder behaviors only focus on food.

Individuals with eating disorders generally have an unhealthy focus on food and weight, but the
symptoms of an eating disorder can extend far beyond food. Numerous scientific studies have shown
links between eating disorders, perfectionism, and obsessionality, which can lead to a fixation on
grades, sports performance, etc. Although many sufferers report that eating disorder behaviors initially
help them decrease depression and anxiety, as the disorder progresses, the malnutrition caused by
eating disorder behaviors can ultimately increase the levels of depression and anxiety that can affect all
aspects of life.

My child is too young to develop an eating disorder.

Eating disorders can develop or re-emerge at any age. Eating disorder specialists are reporting
an increase in the diagnosis of children, some as young as five or six. Many eating disorder sufferers
report that their thoughts and behaviors started much earlier than anyone realized, sometimes even in
early childhood. Picky eating is common in young children, but doesn’t necessarily indicate an eating
disorder. Although most people report the onset of their eating disorder in their teens and young
adulthood, there is some evidence that people are being diagnosed at younger ages. It’s not clear
whether individuals are actually developing eating disorders at younger ages or if an increased
awareness of eating disorders in young children has led to improved recognition and diagnosis.

Emotional and Behavioral Signs of Person with Eating Disorder

Those struggling with an eating disorder may have some, but not all, of the following emotional
and behavioral signs. Presence of any of the signs that your loved one may be struggling is cause for
serious concern and you should encourage them to seek professional help.

 Intense fear of gaining weight

 Negative or distorted self-image
 Frequent checking in the mirror for perceived flaws
 Self-worth and self-esteem dependent on body shape and weight
 Fear of eating in public or with others
 Preoccupation with food
 Eating tiny portions or refusing to eat
 Avoiding eating with others
 Hoarding and hiding food
 Eating in secret
 Disappearing after eating—often to the bathroom
 Unusual food rituals (cutting food into small pieces, chewing each bite an unusually large number of
times, eating very slowly)
 Any new practice with food or fad diets, including cutting out entire food groups (no sugar, no carbs,
no dairy, vegetarianism/veganism)
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 Little concern over extreme weight loss
 Obsessive interest in cooking shows on television and collecting recipes
 Consumption of only “safe” or “healthy” foods
 Social withdrawal
 Making excuses for not eating
 Cooking elaborate meals for others, but refusing to eat them themselves
 Eating strange combinations of foods
 Elaborate food rituals
 Withdrawing from normal social activities
 Hiding weight loss by wearing bulky clothes
 Flat mood or lack of emotion
 Irritability
 Mood swings
 Hyperactivity and restlessness (unable to sit down, etc.)
 Rigidity in behaviors and routines, and experience of extreme anxiety if these are interrupted
 Excessive exercising
 Exercising even when ill or injured, or for the sole purpose of burning calories

Individuals with eating disorders may be at risk for co-occurring conditions such as mood and anxiety
disorders, substance abuse (alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamines, etc.), self-harm
(cutting, etc.) and suicidal thoughts and behaviors.

Those struggling with an eating disorder may have some, but not all, of the following physical signs
and symptoms. Presence of any of the signs that your loved one may be struggling is cause for serious
concern and you should encourage them to seek professional help.

 Noticeable fluctuations in weight, both up and down

 Stomach cramps, other non-specific gastrointestinal complaints (constipation, acid reflux, etc.)
 Menstrual irregularities—missing periods or only having a period while on hormonal contraceptives
(this is not considered a “true” period)
 Difficulties concentrating
 Abnormal laboratory findings (anemia, low thyroid and hormone levels, low potassium, low blood cell
counts, slow heart rate)
 Dizziness
 Fainting/syncope
 Feeling cold all the time
 Sleep problems
 Cuts and calluses across the top of finger joints (a result of inducing vomiting)
 Dental problems, such as enamel erosion, cavities, and tooth sensitivity
 Dry skin
 Dry and brittle nails
 Swelling around area of salivary glands
 Fine hair on body
 Thinning of hair on head, dry and brittle hair (lanugo)
 Cavities, or discoloration of teeth, from vomiting
 Muscle weakness
 Yellow skin (in context of eating large amounts of carrots)
 Cold, mottled hands and feet or swelling of feet
 Poor wound healing
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 Impaired immune functioning

Signs of Anorexia Nervosa

 Dramatic weight loss

 Dresses in layers to hide weight loss or stay warm
 Is preoccupied with weight, food, calories, fat grams, and dieting
 Refuses to eat certain foods, progressing to restrictions against whole categories of food (e.g., no
carbohydrates, etc.)
 Makes frequent comments about feeling “fat” or overweight despite weight loss
 Complains of constipation, abdominal pain, cold intolerance, lethargy, and excess energy
 Denies feeling hungry
 Develops food rituals (e.g., eating foods in certain orders, excessive chewing, rearranging food on a
plate)
 Cooks meals for others without eating
 Consistently makes excuses to avoid mealtimes or situations involving food
 Maintains an excessive, rigid exercise regimen – despite weather, fatigue, illness, or injury, the need to
“burn off ” calories taken in
 Withdraws from usual friends and activities and becomes more isolated, withdrawn, and secretive
 Seems concerned about eating in public
 Has limited social spontaneity
 Resists maintaining a body weight appropriate for their age, height, and build
 Has intense fear of weight gain or being “fat,” even though underweight
 Has disturbed experience of body weight or shape, undue influence of weight or shape on self-
evaluation, or denial of the seriousness of low body weight
 Post puberty female loses menstrual period
 Feels ineffective
 Has strong need for control
 Shows inflexible thinking
 Has overly restrained initiative and emotional expression

Signs of Bulimia Nervosa

 In general, behaviors and attitudes indicate that weight loss, dieting, and control of food are becoming
primary concerns
 Evidence of binge eating, including disappearance of large amounts of food in short periods of time or
lots of empty wrappers and containers indicating consumption of large amounts of food
 Evidence of purging behaviors, including frequent trips to the bathroom after meals, signs and/or
smells of vomiting, presence of wrappers or packages of laxatives or diuretics
 Appears uncomfortable eating around others
 Develops food rituals (e.g. eats only a particular food or food group [e.g. condiments], excessive
chewing, doesn’t allow foods to touch)
 Skips meals or takes small portions of food at regular meals
 Steals or hoards food in strange places
 Drinks excessive amounts of water
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 Uses excessive amounts of mouthwash, mints, and gum
 Hides body with baggy clothes
 Maintains excessive, rigid exercise regimen– despite weather, fatigue, illness, or injury, the need to
“burn off ” calories
 Shows unusual swelling of the cheeks or jaw area
 Has calluses on the back of the hands and knuckles from self- induced vomiting
 Teeth are discolored, stained
 Creates lifestyle schedules or rituals to make time for binge-and-purge sessions
 Withdraws from usual friends and activities
 Looks bloated from fluid retention
 Frequently diets
 Shows extreme concern with body weight and shape
 Has secret recurring episodes of binge eating (eating in a discrete period of time an amount of food that
is much larger than most individuals would eat under similar circumstances); feels lack of control over
ability to stop eating
 Purges after a binge (e.g. self-induced vomiting, abuse of laxatives, diet pills and/or diuretics, excessive
exercise, fasting)
 Body weight is typically within the normal weight range; may be overweight

Signs of Binge Eating Disorder

 Evidence of binge eating, including disappearance of large amounts of food in short periods of time or
lots of empty wrappers and containers indicating consumption of large amounts of food
 Develops food rituals (e.g., eats only a particular food or food group [e.g., condiments], excessive
chewing, doesn’t allow foods to touch)
 Steals or hoards food in strange places
 Hides body with baggy clothes
 Creates lifestyle schedules or rituals to make time for binge sessions
 Skips meals or takes small portions of food at regular meals
 Has periods of uncontrolled, impulsive, or continuous eating beyond the point of feeling comfortably
full
 Does not purge
 Engages in sporadic fasting or repetitive dieting
 Body weight varies from normal to mild, moderate, or severe obesity

Supporting a Loved One

Recovery from an eating disorder requires professional help, and chances of recovery are improved the
sooner a person begins treatment. It can be frustrating to watch a loved one suffer and refuse to seek
help. Parents of children under 18 can often require that their child’s eating disorder be treated, even if
the child doesn’t buy in to the idea that treatment is necessary.

For parents of older sufferers, and other loved ones of sufferers of any age, encouraging a reluctant
eating disorder patient to seek help can be a delicate task. It’s crucial to their future well-being,
however, to seek recovery, and encouraging proper treatment of their eating disorder can help them
move towards that goal.

Although every discussion with an eating disorder sufferer will be slightly different, here are a few
basic points to keep in mind:
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 Taking the first step towards recovery is scary and challenging. Although the act of seeking help
might seem straightforward to you, it can be very stressful and confusing. Keeping that in mind will
help you empathize with what the other person is going through.
 Ask if they want help making the first call or appointment. Some individuals may find it less
anxiety-provoking if someone else sets up the appointment or goes with them to discuss a potential
eating disorder.
 Don’t buy the eating disorder’s excuses. It’s easy enough to promise to see a doctor or a therapist,
but the sufferer needs to follow through with making the appointment and seeing a professional on a
regular basis. Yes, everyone’s busy, treatment can be expensive, and the eating disorder might not
seem like a big deal. Don’t making eating disorder treatment the only thing you talk about with your
loved one, but follow up on their promise to see someone.
 If the first professional isn’t a good match, encourage them to keep looking. Finding the right
therapist isn’t easy, and someone may have to interview several potential candidates before finding one
that works. Sometimes it takes several tries before a person identifies the right clinician.
 Make sure they get a medical check-up. Eating disorders cause a wide range of medical issues, and
sufferers need to see a physician regularly to make sure their health isn’t at immediate risk. Remember
that lab work may remain stable even if someone is close to death, so don’t rely on blood tests alone.
 Ally with the part of them that wants to get well. Often, eating disorder sufferers are hesitant to
change their behaviors. Some people have found it easier to focus on some of the side effects of the
eating disorder that the sufferer may be more willing to acknowledge and tackle, such as depression,
social isolation, anxiety, insomnia, fatigue, or feeling cold. This can help get them in the door, where
the eating disorder can begin to be addressed.
 Remind the person of why they want to get well. What types of goals does your loved one have? Do
they want to travel? Have children? Go to college? Start a new career? Helping them reconnect with
their values and who they want to be can help them stay focused on long-term recovery and not the
short-term benefits of the eating disorder.
 Find a middle ground between forcing the issue and ignoring it. If you become overly insistent and
combative about your loved one seeking help, they may start to avoid you. On the other hand, you
don’t want to ignore a potentially deadly illness. It’s not easy to find a middle ground between these
two extremes, but regularly checking in with your loved one about how they’re doing and if they are
willing to seek treatment can help nudge them in the right direction.

ACTIVITY:
In a 1/8 size of an illustration board, create a poster or infographic called “ A Healthy Dose of
Reality.” Search in the internet or magazines for images that you promote unhealthy eating habits or a
starved or unhealthy appearances. Next, find images that represents the opposite: good nutrition and
healthy bodies. Then use these images to start your poster or infographic. You can add your own
drawings and text to explain your message. Make your work clean and presentable.

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Assessment

Instruction: Explain the following in at least five sentences. The rubric for scoring is provided below.
The highest point you can get for each number is ten (10) points.

Criteria 5 4 3 2 1
Appropriateness The response The response The response The response The response
given answers given answers given is given barely given does not
the question the question slightly answers the necessarily
befittingly but with a appropriate to question answer the
little deviation the question question
from the
concept
Clarity The response Most of the The response The response The response
given is clear response given given is given is most given is not
and not is clear slightly of the time clear
confusing unclear unclear

Essay

1. How are the eating disorders similar to one another? How are they different?
Anorexia Nervosa,Bulimia and Binge Eating are common types of eating disorders and
they are different in a way that the, a lack or loss of appetite for food (as a medical
condition). It is an emotional disorder characterized by an obsessive desire to lose weight by
refusing to eat. While Bulimia –an eating disorder in which a large quantity of food is
consumed in a short period of time, and It is characterized by repeated episodes of
overeating m. On the other hand Binge eating cannot stop until they have eaten far more
than others would eat in the same situation. In general this disorder are related to eating
disorders that can affect anybody.
2. Why is it necessary to detect these illnesses early on?
Answer:
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 In order for us to recover from eating disorder and we can able to get help from professionals.
It is important for us us to know what is better for us and we should aware of what we are doing
. It is not difficult to be responsible for our own sake.
3. How do some people develop eating disorders? How do people with eating disorders feel about their
bodies? Does the person they see in the mirror always match reality?
Answer:
Eating disorder comes from ways of eating beyond normal. Eating disorder can be develop from
irresponsible of eating and too much consuming of food. Maybe they can feel nothing because they
are already out of control and they don’t care anymore unless there is someone to help them and
remind theme. Yes Maybe, what they see in the mirror always match to them because it is a reflection
of what they really are. What we eat will reflect to our body.

4. What effects do eating disorders have on the body? How might an eating disorder affect a person’s
family and social life? How could it affect school?

Answer :Eating disorder will give us unhealthy body. Eating disorder May affect to our family because
our family will be so much frustrating about our situation. It also affect our school because we can able to
encounter bullying and maybe it will affect our academic since we can’t able to focus because we think and
care food so much

References:
1. Abaigar, R. (2015). Food Chemistry with Basic Nutrition. Unlimited Books Library Services & Publishing
Inc. Intramuros, Manila
2. Brown, Amy (2005). Understanding Food. Thomson Learning Asia. Singapore
3. https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/toolkit/parent-toolkit/eating-disorder-myths

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