just out of interest

[roxie_09]

how many of you would class eating disorders as a mental illness? or think those that suffer with it bring it on themselves? xx

[sandyRoe]

Both ends of the spectrum, anorexia and Obesity, are mental illnesses.

[roxie_09]

how about buleamia (i know its not spelt right) and binge/comfort eating

[joeluke]

Anorexia - eating far too little of the right foods

Obesity - eating far too much of the wrong foods

How are they mental illnesses?

[roxie_09]

at the moment i am doing mental health nursing in uni, and obviously covered eating disorders. There's a lot more to it than not eating right. I am interested to see peoples thoughts on it x

[AlBags]

JL

You should read a few more books .. and study more at school.

[cazzz1975]

I would not class it as a mental illness

[bednobs]

mental illness

[sandyRoe]

If people stray onto a path in their lives that can be life threatening, then I'd say it may indicate mental illness. Both anorexia and obesity are known to take years of peoples lives.

[joeluke]

Maybe albags thinks you 'should read a few more books .. and study more at school' too then cazzz?

[ummmm]

I worked in a psychiatric hospital. Mental illness and eating disorders go hand in hand.

[karenmac60]

I would Cazz, my aunt has been anorexic for over 30 years now and it has destroyed her life. There is no way she would choose to be the way she is and she has often benefitted from time at a special anorexic unit at a mental hospital - but I doubt she will ever truly recover.

[cazzz1975]

maybe, I have always considered eating disorders as an obsessive pattern of behaviour, but not a mental illness.

[roxie_09]

from what i understand of it, as it is a complex illness, for example anorexia may start from someone feeling they need to shed a few pounds etc, however, start becoming obsessive over calories, exercising to extremes and being very ritualistic? about their daily activites x

[AlBags]

Settle on psychological disorder then?

[roxie_09]

and also, having worked with anorexics, they no longer have control over the anorexia, the anorexia controls them, so surely this would make it a mental illness? x

[ummmm]

You find with a lot of anorexic's that it's not actually just about weight loss and more about control.

[bednobs]

tbh, if the NHS classes it as a mental illness (as it does) then i would say i probably have less knowledge than the whole of the NHS, so i'll go with their definition

[cazzz1975]

maybe people who exhibit symptoms of OCD may be more likely to take "a diet" to eating disorder levels?

[237SJ]

I`m not an expert but I wouldn`t call obesity an illness. If anorexia is caused by body dysmorphia then I would call that a mental illness.

[karenmac60]

I don't think it is about dieting Roxie. It is often linked to something traumatic in a young person's life which leads them to feel a lack of control and/or a wish to stay as a child. With young people, there is very little they can actually have control over in their lives and so they use the one thing they have power over - food. With women in particular it can almost keep them physically in a childlike state - they do not develop, their periods stop etc.