Eating Disorders Are Associated With Over-Exercise

For an old-school sort like myself, I found it rather appalling the other day when I saw a lot of 12-year-old girls posing on the catwalk...before I realized they were adult women in their early 20s. Indeed, a lot of the more popular manufacturers of clothing and night wear, such as Victoria's Secret, are propagating an image that a girly figure is a sexy figure, and a lot of supermodels are doing the same, which has resulted in womankind in general trying to appropriate these ridiculously skinny figures for themselves.

And it is also sad to note that women are more susceptible than ever to eating disorders and unreasonable exercise regimens that could lead to life-threatening or even fatal conditions.

Here are the most commonly developed eating disorders:

Anorexia nervosa is the first such condition - it is characterised by the sufferer being obsessed about his/her physical appearance and eating very little food despite being severely underweight. Even if everybody thinks the sufferer looks skinny as a rail, she will usually see herself as Jabba The Hut of Star Wars fame when she looks at herself in the mirror. People with this disorder often turn to laxatives and various diet aids such as fat burning pills to bring their weight down to dangerous levels.

Bulimia would be characterised by the concept of binge and purge - the sufferer would eat copious amounts of food and let it all out the very next moment. People who have bulimia tend to eat often unhealthy food and release what they have just eaten by inducing themselves to vomit or taking laxatives for them to defecate the stuff more easily. This is a dangerous practice that could upset the body's balance of minerals in the bloodstream and could be hazardous to the heart.

Compulsive overeating followed by compulsive over exercising is a pattern that is not as dangerous as anorexia and bulimia but still can lead to both physical and psychological problems. This particular disorder involves eating a hearty amount of food, often of the unhealthy kind, followed up by an unreasonably long and intense exercise routine.

Researchers believe that about one thirds of all female college athletes may eventually develop some form of eating disorder. So if the above eating disorders may be hitting a bit too close to home for you, we implore you to seek help from a medical professional to avoid potential complications, or even an early and untimely end.

About the author: Writer Melanie Hewitt is a dog enthusiast. If you're looking for the pick of the litter, check these English bulldog puppies for sale. These litters of English bulldogs for sale are wrinkly with a massive nose rope and overdone. One of these classic dogs is perfect for your family.