Megarexia: obese people who look slim

Another eating disorder appears.

The Megarexia is an eating behavior disorder (ED). The most popular EDDs are bulimia, anorexia nervosa and vigorexia or orthorexia (the obsession with healthy eating), but there are also others, such as Megarexia.

This last disorder, however, is not included in the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders). Dr. Jaime Brugos first cited the term Megarexia in one of his works collected in his book "Isoproteic Diet" in 1992.

An eating disorder is a serious, chronic and progressive disease that, although its most important characteristic has to do with the alteration of eating behavior, there are other types of symptoms such as a distortion of the self-image of the body. distortion of body self-imageThe most common symptoms are: a great fear of gaining or losing weight, and the acquisition of certain beliefs and values about aesthetics and body image.

Nowadays, in Western societies, it is common to come across people who are obsessed with their physical appearance, an obsession that can even prevent them from functioning normally in their daily lives and put their health at risk. In extreme cases it can even endanger their lives.

Megarexia: what is it?

Megarexia is an eating behavior disorder in which the obese person who suffers from ithe obese person who suffers from it does not see himself as overweight, that is to say, he perceives his body as thin.. 

Since it is not a well-known disorder, there are difficulties in combating this disease. Obesity is not only a matter of aesthetics, but can cause serious health problems in people who suffer from it.

Consequences of Megarexia

As we have already mentioned, obesity and overweight are risk factors that significantly increase the possibility of suffering from diseases such as diabetes, metabolic syndrome, Cardiovascular diseases, gout, etc.

People suffering from Megarexia, not only consider that they are not obese, but they do nothing to change their harmful lifestyle. For example, instead of eating nutritionally adequate foods, they eat foods that are harmful to their health. Because they are unaware of their disorder, they do not lead an active life or engage in physical exercise, which increases the risk of other diseases related to a sedentary lifestyle....

In addition, physical physical exercise not only affects the physical level, but also brings benefits on a psychological level. To learn more about this, we invite you to read our article: "The 10 psychological benefits of exercising".

How to combat Megarexia?

Therefore, a first step to combat this disorder has to do with the acceptance of the person who suffers from this disease.. But not only must he/she accept that he/she has an eating problem, but he/she must also be aware that he/she is suffering from a serious psychological disorder. In this context, the person's environment is critical to help him/her overcome this psychopathology.

The close environment must persuade the patient to get into the hands of an expert in the treatment of ED. If this is not possible, the family physician should be contacted, as this may be the first option for a progressive improvement of the disorder.