Byron Clinic -Byron Bay- Exclusive therapeutic retreat

Anorexia Nervosa (Anorexia) is typically characterised by refusal to maintain a healthy body weight or failure to make expected weight gain during periods of growth. Along with an intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat even though they are underweight. As well as a disturbance in the way in which one's body weight or shape is experienced, undue influence of body weight or shape on self-evaluation, or denial of the seriousness of the current low body weight.

There is also often a preoccupation with diet and weight loss, secretive eating behaviours, insomnia, depression, anxiety / stress, irritability, perfectionist behaviour, negative self-statements and an attempt to control hunger with the use of caffeine or other stimulants, like coffee, diet drinks, chewing gum and other methods.

Discussion and approval from the treating Doctors may need to be obtained before the more seriously underweight can be accepted into these programs.

Bulimia Nervosa (Bulimia) is typically characterised by binging on food and/or regular episodes of over eating (loss of control), followed by various methods to compensate in order to prevent weight gain. These methods can include vomiting, excessive exercise and laxative abuse. Many feel a strong sense of fear and guilt and endeavour to keep their condition form public knowledge. Bulimics are often normal weight but regularly see themselves as overweight.

Some of the warning signs of Bulimia may include; excessive thoughts about weight, strict dieting followed by binge eating, use of laxatives, diuretics, excessive exercise, vomiting and using the bathroom directly after meals. It is not unusual for a person with bulimia to want to stop. They experience a large amount of guilt and a great deal of shame, often they have a total loss of control in their lives and feel elevated levels of stress, yet they find it extremely difficult on their own to change.

If bulimia is severe and prolonged, the medical consequences are extremely serious. These include injury to the stomach, intestines (through laxative use) and oesophagus and damage to the heart and kidneys.

Overweight and Obesity The fundamental cause of overweight and obesity is the lack of an energy balance. Energy balance means the energy (in food) equals the amount of energy your body uses to function like being physically active, digestion and breathing. When you are not in balance you either gain or lose weight.

Emotional eating - research indicates that certain emotional situations trigger increased eating in overweight and obese individuals. This eating appears to have an emotion reducing effect, especially for negative emotions such as anger, loneliness, boredom, and depression. At Byron Clinic Byron Bay we believe that many cases of weight gain or obesity can be attributed to emotional eating and that eating can be a socially acceptable means of controlling stress and anxiety. Unfortunately research finds that excess body weight during midlife, including overweight, is associated with an increased risk of death. There are many diseases or conditions that can be attributed to being overweight or obese including diabetes, many forms of cancer, congestive heart failure, pulmonary embolism and erectile dysfunction to name a few.

At Byron Clinic Byron Bay our approach to eating disorders including being overweight or obese is to bring change in gradually We do not condone the ‘boot camp' approach. We understand that enduring change considers a number of life style changes and approaches, for this reason we work intimately within the abilities of each client.

Discussion and approval from the treating Doctors may need to be obtained before the more seriously overweight can be accepted into these programs.

Weight Measure One measure commonly used to measure overweight and obesity is the Body Mass Index (BMI). BMI is determined by your weight in kg divided by your (height in metres)2. For adults over 18, a healthy BMI is between 18.5 and 25. A result below 18.5 indicates that you may be underweight. A figure of or above 25 indicates that you may be overweight. (World Health Organisation figures 2000).