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Eating Disorders

 

What is an eating disorder?

Anorexia, bulimia and binge eating are the three most common eating disorders.

Someone with anorexia:

  • has an intense fear of gaining weight and typically has lost 15% of their original body weight
  • has a distorted body image and often engage in intense and excessive exercise

    Women may experience an interruption in their menstrual cycle due to weight loss and inadequate nutrition.
  • may experience hunger but feel in control when they resist the urge to eat

Someone with bulimia typically:

  •  engages in binge eating - eating large portions of food at one sitting, often in response to emotional, environmental stressors, or dieting
    These episodes are often characterized by a feeling of being out of control of their eating.
  • very often purges after binging to alleviate the discomfort and guilt created by food intake

Those with binge eating tend to:

  • eat more than what is needed to maintain a healthy body
  • generally eat in response to emotional or environmental stressors as well as responding to intense hunger from deprivation and dieting 
  • have usually dieted repeatedly in the past and have experienced shame about food and body
  • feel discouraged and view their ability to handle their problems as inadequate

All of these eating disorders are serious health problems, perhaps life threatening, and can benefit from professional treatment available at UO.

TEAM APPROACH

UO offers a team approach to working with clients experiencing eating disorders. We have found that a comprehensive approach seems to be the most beneficial to clients because it maximizes services and support. Our team consists of members from the following disciplines:

  • Psychology
  • Medical
  • Nutrition
  • and Exercise

All members work together to help you achieve the best and healthiest results for you. Following is a description of the services offered according to specialty area. There are very few resources available for clients with eating disorders in the Eugene area. The following are currently functioning:

  • Drop in group at ANRED
    492 E. 13th #101
    541-344-1144 or 1-800-931-2237
    www.anred.com
  • Student Health Center Peer Health Advisors
    541-346-4456 or visit the website at healthed.uoregon.edu
  • University Counseling Center
    Healing Together
    Screening by appointment
    Call  Chaunce Windle 
    541-346-3227
  • University Counseling Center
    My Body, Myself
    Screening by appointment
    541-346-3227

Some other helpful websites are:

Challenge Yourself to Have a Positive Relationship with Your Body

How much of your mental energy is spent on body image? Is your self-esteem affected by the extent to which you maintain control over your diet and weight? To help you become more aware of these destructive thoughts, we invite you to take a week and challenge yourself each day with the following.

  • Monday- We challenge you to refuse to diet or engage in any dieting behavior. Studies have shown that weight-loss dieting only serves to promote diet/weight preoccupation and eating disorders.
  • Tuesday- The challenge today is to refuse to engage in conversations pertaining to weight, diet or body image. Steer conversation away from these issues if they arise. (Notice how much time you usually spend on these issues).
  • Wednesday-Go to the Counseling and Testing Center and pick up Eating Disorder brochures, and make it a point to discuss the contents with at least one other person.
  • Thursday-Allow yourself two 15-minute periods for relaxation today. By allowing your body to relax, you become more connected to this part of yourself.
  • Friday-At the start of every hour, think of something positive about your body and challenge any negative feelings. You are a valuable person exactly as you are.
  • Saturday-Examine your attitudes toward fatness and fat people. Try to eliminate your own fattism and reject the fattism you observe. Refrain from making judgments about others' body size.
  • Sunday-Approach but don't control! Approach someone that you feel my be suffering from and eating disorder. Let this person know you are concerned and be direct, but don't try to control their eating behavior. The best you can do for this person is to let them know you care and that you are there to offer support.

What is an eating disorder?

Anorexia, bulimia and binge eating are the three most common eating disorders.

Someone with anorexia:

  • has an intense fear of gaining weight and typically has lost 15% of their original body weight
  • has a distorted body image and often engage in intense and excessive exercise

    Women may experience an interruption in their menstrual cycle due to weight loss and inadequate nutrition.
  • may experience hunger but feel in control when they resist the urge to eat

Someone with bulimia typically:

  •  engages in binge eating - eating large portions of food at one sitting, often in response to emotional, environmental stressors, or dieting
    These episodes are often characterized by a feeling of being out of control of their eating.
  • very often purges after binging to alleviate the discomfort and guilt created by food intake

Those with binge eating tend to:

  • eat more than what is needed to maintain a healthy body
  • generally eat in response to emotional or environmental stressors as well as responding to intense hunger from deprivation and dieting 
  • have usually dieted repeatedly in the past and have experienced shame about food and body
  • feel discouraged and view their ability to handle their problems as inadequate

All of these eating disorders are serious health problems, perhaps life threatening, and can benefit from professional treatment available at UO.

TEAM APPROACH

UO offers a team approach to working with clients experiencing eating disorders. We have found that a comprehensive approach seems to be the most beneficial to clients because it maximizes services and support. Our team consists of members from the following disciplines:

  • Psychology
  • Medical
  • Nutrition
  • and Exercise

All members work together to help you achieve the best and healthiest results for you. Following is a description of the services offered according to specialty area. There are very few resources available for clients with eating disorders in the Eugene area. The following are currently functioning:

  • Drop in group at ANRED
    492 E. 13th #101
    541-344-1144 or 1-800-931-2237
    www.anred.com
  • Student Health Center Peer Health Advisors
    541-346-4456 or visit the website at healthed.uoregon.edu
  • University Counseling Center
    Healing Together
    Screening by appointment
    Call  Chaunce Windle 
    541-346-3227
  • University Counseling Center
    My Body, Myself
    Screening by appointment
    541-346-3227

Some other helpful websites are:

Challenge Yourself to Have a Positive Relationship with Your Body

How much of your mental energy is spent on body image? Is your self-esteem affected by the extent to which you maintain control over your diet and weight? To help you become more aware of these destructive thoughts, we invite you to take a week and challenge yourself each day with the following.

  • Monday- We challenge you to refuse to diet or engage in any dieting behavior. Studies have shown that weight-loss dieting only serves to promote diet/weight preoccupation and eating disorders.
  • Tuesday- The challenge today is to refuse to engage in conversations pertaining to weight, diet or body image. Steer conversation away from these issues if they arise. (Notice how much time you usually spend on these issues).
  • Wednesday-Go to the Counseling and Testing Center and pick up Eating Disorder brochures, and make it a point to discuss the contents with at least one other person.
  • Thursday-Allow yourself two 15-minute periods for relaxation today. By allowing your body to relax, you become more connected to this part of yourself.
  • Friday-At the start of every hour, think of something positive about your body and challenge any negative feelings. You are a valuable person exactly as you are.
  • Saturday-Examine your attitudes toward fatness and fat people. Try to eliminate your own fattism and reject the fattism you observe. Refrain from making judgments about others' body size.
  • Sunday-Approach but don't control! Approach someone that you feel my be suffering from and eating disorder. Let this person know you are concerned and be direct, but don't try to control their eating behavior. The best you can do for this person is to let them know you care and that you are there to offer support.