Society, nowadays, puts endless pressure on girls young and old to be thin. Approximately 10% of adolescents and young girls in America suffer from eating disorders. But, when we think of eating disorders, usually two come to our minds; Anorexia and Bulimia.
Anorexia is when teen restricts food intake in order to control their weight. Teen anorexics have an intense fear of gaining weight and are often times severely underweight once deep into their disorder. They have a distorted body image and tend to be in denial of their low weight. Adolescents who develop this condition can also become underweight by simply refusing to gain weight as they age.
Bulimia occurs when one purges their food by induced vomiting or taking laxatives and/or diuretics. Physical symptoms are mostly easier for a bulimic to hide due to the body absorbing nutrients before purging.
These two disorders are almost impossible to achieve if Type 1 Diabetes is present. Diabetics need food in order to survive. However, if you are under the impression that someone with Type 1 Diabetes can’t have an eating disorder, think again.
A Diabetic needs to take insulin everyday in order for the body to process glucose out of the bloodstream and into the cells for energy. When insulin is not taken glucose stays in the bloodstream causing blood sugar levels to rise. This eventually causes rapid weight loss and excessive urination. It is referred to as Diabulimia and can be considered an eating disorder. In fact, eating disorders are more likely to occur in girls with Type 1 Diabetes than in girls without. Sometimes it is hard to know whether one is just manipulating and controlling their insulin intake, or if it is Diabulimia.
This disorder can cause serious complications to the diabetic body. One side affect can be the early onset of diabetes complications including, but not limited to, retina damage. Having high blood sugar levels as a result of not taking insulin can eventually become fatal.
Eating disorders among teens and young adults can be quite secretive and hard to detect sometimes. The longer one has an eating disorder the harder it is to treat. All eating disorders are dangerous.