Eating Disorders: Do YOU Have One?February 23 to March 1, 2014 has been designated as National Eating Disorders Week. Most people regard eating disorders as an issue that affects only those with vain ideas about personal appearance. Nothing can be further from the facts, in my opinion as a retired natural nutritionist who saw many clients with eating disorders. Eating disorders usually are thought of as being bulimia, anorexia nervosa, and binge eating. In my opinion, there is much more involved in what I would prefer to designate as an eating disorder syndrome because there are other contributing factors to the condition, which have to be addressed for successfully overcoming what can become a life-threatening condition. Several pop culture personalities have succumbed to eating disorders. Probably the most famous celebrity who died from complications caused by anorexia was the singer Karen Carpenter. [1] Wikipedias list includes four fashion models. Personally, I think the fashion industry ought to steer away from gaunt-looking women as models of fashion and the personification of femininity. Apparently, there is some talk, along with movement, in that direction. Former Vogue editor Kirstie Clements discusses what she came to realize about the fashion industry models problems with food and eating in this article. So, what really is an eating disorder? In my opinion as a natural nutritionist, there are various personality traits that add to and complicate nutritional status in the human body which, in turn, affect whats commonly called Body Mass Index (BMI). The U.S. National Institutes of Health has the website Calculate Your Body Mass Index, which I encourage readers to check out. Why? Because overweight also is an eating disorder for many, but not all. My idea of an eating disorder includes any fact or fallacy that abnormally influences an individuals eating style, habits, or nutritional content. Here are a few examples of what I mean: Other Factors to Consider Psychological Factors Social Factors Weight There are various reasons why the western culture, in particular, has eating disorders, in my opinion. Most of the eating problems have roots stemming from lack of proper nutrition information from childhood years onward. If I were asked to revise the educational system, there are two courses, in particular, I would mandate as necessary: 1) Basic age-appropriate nutrition courses at every grade level through high school and 2) Civics classes starting at fifth grade level through to high school graduation. But no one is asking for my opinion. With 25 million eating disorder sufferers in the United States, someone had better start doing something to change that demographic. One group thats trying to help is the National Eating Disorders Association. Catherine J Frompovich (website) is a retired natural nutritionist who earned advanced degrees in Nutrition and Holistic Health Sciences, Certification in Orthomolecular Theory and Practice plus Paralegal Studies.Her work has been published in national and airline magazines since the early 1980s. Catherine authored numerous books on health issues along with co-authoring papers and monographs with physicians, nurses, and holistic healthcare professionals. She has been a consumer healthcare researcher 35 years and counting. Catherines latest book,published October 4, 2013, is Vaccination Voodoo, What YOU Dont Know About Vaccines, available on Amazon.com. Her 2012 bookA Cancer Answer, Holistic BREAST Cancer Management, A Guide to Effective Non-Toxic Treatments, is available on Amazon.com and as a Kindle eBook. Two of Catherines more recent books on Amazon.com are Our Chemical Lives And The Hijacking Of Our DNA, A Probe Into Whats Probably Making Us Sick (2009) and Lord, How Can I Make It Through Grieving My Loss, An Inspirational Guide Through the Grieving Process(2008). 