Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Nereida Lopez
Eating disorders are the silent killers for many people in society today. With the
pressure of having a slim physique, while at the same time having other body traits to
comply with the standards of beauty, many young men and women turn to eating
disorders to please not only societys satisfaction, but many times their own. Eating
disorders come in various ways and aspects. The most common eating disorders that we
However, there is a silent eating disorder that many people are not familiar with.
It has various similarities to both Anorexia and Bulimia, but it cannot be labeled as
either of them. A sufferer of this with have symptoms of both diseases, but because the
characteristics are not strong enough, they are diagnosed with EDNOS. EDNOS is the
most dangerous eating disorder, because it is the eating disorder that kills most often,
due of the lack of knowledge about it. Shockingly, although Anorexia and Bulimia tend
to take the light for eating disorders, EDNOS takes up about 70 percent of all 24 million
Some symptoms a person may have if they have EDNOS are extremely unusual
eating habits, a distorted body image and an intense fear of gaining weight. There are
various warning signs that parents or loved ones of a sufferer should look for. They
include physical signs such as a rapid amount of weight loss, or frequent changes in
weight. For women, it could be a loss of menstrual cycle including a disturbance in their
normal cycle. People with this illness may also feel extreme fatigue and low energy. In
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addition, they may also have signs of damage to their bodies due to vomiting (2001, M.F
The psychological warning signs are a little bit more difficult to distinguish.
Because it is not necessarily physical, it is more difficult to notice. A person with EDNOS
will be preoccupied with eating, food, body shape, and their weight. They will become
anxious or irritable around meals and certain foods. They will have a distorted body
image and many times will use foods as a source of comfort. This causes using food as
self-punishment, for example, using it as a way to deal with depression, stress, or other
A person with EDNOS (as well as other eating disorders) will exhibit certain
behaviors and symptoms that are commonly present while a person has an eating
disorder. A person may eat in private as well as avoid eating meals with other people.
This person will also have frequent trips to the bathroom during or shortly after meals,
including evidence of binge eating. Some people have been noted to change their
clothing style by wearing baggy clothing. A person might also have secretive behavior
around food such as saying that they have eaten when they have not done so. Many with
those suffering also have extreme sensitivity to comments about their body shape,
weight, eating and exercise habits (2016, EDNOS: THE SILENT KILLER.)
The numbers are alarming, and there is still not a lot of research towards
disorder, and women who suffer from EDNOS. These women were of ages 18-35, of
disorders. They found that in many cases, there is a correlation between having a
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personality disorder or some sort of mental illness that coexists with EDNOS. This is
important for doctors and even family members or loved ones who are suffering with
EDNOS because it can help with certain treatment options, and it can also be an
explanation for certain habits that a person may have (2016, EDNOS: THE SILENT
KILLER).
Many sufferers feel that EDNOS is less important because of the not otherwise
specified portion of the diagnosis title. This causes them to feel worse about the
disease, and feel more drawn to continue these behaviors. In many cases, without the
sufficient help, many people will die with this illness (Healthcare, A. Eating Disorders
Various long-term effects can happen to a person who has had an eating disorder
for a large period of their life. A person may have a permanently ruptured esophagus
and stomach from frequent vomiting. In addition, they could have kidney failure,
chronic constipation, or diarrhea, irregular or slow heartbeat. A person will also develop
osteoporosis which can lead to human bones becoming brittle and fragile. This makes it
easy for them to break and fracture (Healthcare, A. Eating Disorders Anorexia, Bulimia,
The good news is that there is a wide variety of treatment options for those who
are seeking help. It is important that if you see someone that has EDNOS or any other
eating disorder that you help them seek help immediately. They earlier they get help, the
closer they are to recovery. Depending on the need of the patient, there can be recovery
plans tailored to meet each individual need. They can be individual, group, or family
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Fairburn)
It is becoming a common thing amongst men and women, and it needs to be more
spoken about. This topic could help me because as someone who struggles with this, it is
important to become aware so I can help others who are like me, who do not know
where to turn to. My feelings about this topic are very strong because I feel like we need
to help more people with this disorder, and help them realize that they are all perfect the
way they are, and turning to an eating disorder will not help you. Self-acceptance and
WORKS CITED
EDNOS: THE SILENT KILLER. (2016, MAY 16). RETRIEVED APRIL 10, 2017, FROM
HTTPS://WWW.RECOVERYRANCH.COM/ARTICLES/EATING-DISORDERS/EDNOS-THE-SILENT-
KILLER/
FISHY.ORG/WHATARETHEY/EDNOS.PHP
MARINO, M. F., & ZANARINI, M. C. (2001). RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EDNOS AND ITS SUBTYPES