Observing Eating Disorders Awareness Week

Eating Disorders Awareness Week 2023 is being observed from February 27 to March 5. The observance, which began in the United States in 2001, is slowly being recognised by other territories.

The observance was started by the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), an American non-profit organisation devoted to preventing eating disorders, providing treatment referrals, and increasing the education and understanding of eating disorders, weight, and body image.

Eating disorders are a variety of serious psychiatric or psychosocial conditions related to persistent eating behaviors that negatively impact health, emotions, and the ability to function in important areas of life. The most common eating disorders are anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge-eating disorder. There are, however, less common disorders.

Eating disorders are present in all parts of the world including Guyana. Although statistics are not currently available, Guyanese should learn about the matter so as to be able to recognise symptoms and access medical care.

Having an eating disorder is not a choice. A person who has a disorder cannot simply decide to get well; in most cases, professional medical intervention is necessary.

Anorexia Nervosa

Anorexia nervosa — often simply called anorexia — is a potentially life-threatening eating disorder characterised by abnormally low body weight, intense fear of gaining weight, and a distorted perception of weight or shape. People with anorexia use extreme efforts to control their weight and shape, which often significantly interferes with their health and life activities.

When one has anorexia, one excessively limit calories or use other methods to lose weight, such as excessive exercise, using laxatives or diet aids, or vomiting after eating. Efforts to reduce weight, even when one is underweight, can cause severe health problems, sometimes to the point of deadly self-starvation.

Bulimia nervosa

Bulimia nervosa — commonly called bulimia — is a serious, potentially life-threatening eating disorder. When one have bulimia, one usually has episodes of binging and purging. That is, eating too much and then vomiting.

Binge-eating disorder

When a person has binge-eating disorder, the person regularly eats too much food (binge) and feel a lack of control over your eating. The payient may eat quickly or eat more food than intended, even when they are  not hungry, and may continue eating even long after being uncomfortably full.

According to Guyanese  psychologist Catlin  Vieira, “Eating disorders may be caused by many factors, one being the blatant social pressure to be thin which has drastically increased in the last few years due to the popularity of social media [which has placed much attention on body image].”

In an exclusive interview with this publication, the psychologist said that, “although statistics are collected by Guyana government on general mental illnesses,  Guyana does not have statistics on eating disorders specifically.” The expert added, though, that in her experience, the problem is “quite common in Guyana.”

Fortunately, medical help is available in Guyana for persons who have eating disorders.

If you think that you or someone you know has such a disorder, medical help may be obtained from the Georgetown Public Hospital Psychiatric Department

Monday- Friday – 08:00hrs – 12:00hrs. The Suicide Prevention Helpline Numbers: 223-0001, 223-0009, 623-4444, 600-7896 are also equipped to address such illnesses.