There's no single cause to blame for developing the illness
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Some 80 people die each year from eating disorder related illnesses. It is estimated that about 200,000 people in Ireland suffer from the disease.
But the figure could even be higher because sufferers often hide their problem.
The majority of sufferers are female and typically the disorder becomes apparent shortly after puberty. But Teresa Moorhead, clinical director of the Lois Bridges Treatment Centre, says that there are plenty of exceptions. She has treated a nine-year-old boy who suffered a severe eating disorder.
There are three different types of eating disorders: Anorexia Nervosa, in which the sufferer will not eat; Bulimia Nervosa, in which the suffer eats but then vomits; and unspecified disorders which include compulsive or binge eating.
While much is written about the cultural pressure on people to be thin, many sufferers and clinicians do not believe this is the main reason why someone develops an eating disorder. There is evidence that dieting behaviour in mothers influences dieting behaviour in adolescent girls, which may trigger future eating problems. But there appears to be no single cause of an eating disorder. For sufferers, help is available.
A wealth of information for sufferers, family members and friends is available at the Eating Disorder Resource Centre of Ireland, www.eatingdisorders.ie or telephone: 01-4953577 Information on the Lois Bridges Treatment Centre is available at www.eatingdisordersdublin.ie or phone 01-8396147 The Eating Disorder Association of Ireland provides support for those suffering from the disease. Check out their website www.bodywhys.ie or call their helpline on lo-call 1890 200244. The association has launched an online support site for under-18s called Youth Connect. Check it out on www.bodywhys.ie.
Irish Independent
