Eating Related Concerns and Body Image Issues
General Information about Eating Disorders and Body Weight Issues
In a society that overvalues being thin, feeling positive about one’s body shape and weight can be very difficult. A negative body image can result in disordered eating, poor self-esteem, depression, and social anxiety. A range of environmental and physiological factors influence one’s eating habits and weight such as stress, metabolic rates, societal pressures, and feelings of loneliness, boredom, frustration, and shame. Treatment can help you to change your eating behaviors, as well as help you to identify and modify any distorted thoughts you may have about food, body shape, and weight. Additional services may be required including nutritional counseling and medical care. Although symptoms often overlap, the different eating disorders have distinct features. For further information, please visit the National Eating Disorders Association website. This website will also provide information about the diagnosis and treatment of anorexia nervosa, a disorder that often requires more intensive treatment than we can provide in our setting.