An eating disorder is a compulsion to eat, or avoid eating, that negatively affects both one's physical and mental health. 

Anorexia nervosa

This condition is driven by fear of distorted body image.  As a result, these individuals have abnormally low body weight.  These individuals have a high expectation of themselves often leading to become perfectionists.  However, when they fail to meet those expectations then they look to things that they can control... food and weight.

Bulimia nervosa

This condition has uncontrolled bursts of overeating followed by guilt, and over compensatory behavior such as crash dieting, over-exercising and purging to compensate for the excessive caloric intake.  This compulsive behavior can often lead to sexual promiscuity, pathological lying, and shoplifting.

Binge Eating

This condition seems to be the most common type.  This involves consuming large amounts of food in a short period of time.  These individuals feel that they can’t control their life and often have additional health problems such as difficulty sleeping, joint pain, muscle pains, menstrual problems and headaches.

Orthorexia Nervosa

This is a more recent discovered disease in which there is an obsession with eating only healthy types of foods.  There is a drive to be pure and very critical of what others eat and therefore, usually isolate themselves.  Furthermore, there is such an obsession with strict planning of breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Naturopathic Medicine 

Whether it is obesity or an eating disorder of being too thin there is an underlying fear that needs to be addressed.  It is not about the food, as the food is just a means to full fill that fear.  For some individuals it may about the lack of control, lack of self-esteem, lack of feeling loved... whatever the feeling... the fear that drives that feeling needs to be addressed.

1.Homeopathy: An energetic therapy that works on addressing the mental and emotional attachments that we make due to our modes of compensation throughout our life.

2.Bach Flower remedies: Also an energetic type of therapy to address the fears, phobia, anxiety and compulsive behaviors that we have in order to compensate for our true fears.

3.Lifestyle Counseling

4.Nutrition: Herbs and supplements in order to optimize brain function and mental clarity.

Ask Dr. Maria Papasodaro, your Naturopathic Doctor how to begin your journey to wellness!