

![]() |
In bulimia, eating binges may occur as often as several times a day for many months. These binges cause a sense of self-disgust, which leads to self-induced vomiting or excessive exercise.
|
|
According to the American Anorexia/Bulimia Association, Inc. , warning signs of bulimia include: eating large amounts of food uncontrollably (bingeing) vomiting, abusing laxatives or diuretics, or engaging in fasting, dieting, or vigorous exercis...
|
|
The DSM-IV-TRspecifies that bingeing and the inappropriate attempts to compensate for it must occur twice a week for three months on average to meet the diagnostic criteria for bulimia nervosa. A second criterion of bulimia nervosa is exaggerated...
|
|
|
The cause of bulimia is as of 2004 unknown. Researchers believe that it may be caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors.
|
|
According to the American Anorexia/Bulimia Association, Inc. , warning signs of bulimia include: eating large amounts of food uncontrollably (bingeing) vomiting, abusing laxatives or diuretics, or engaging in fasting, dieting, or vigorous exercis...
|
![]() |
Age and weight lossQuestion:Why does it get harder to lose weight with age?Answer:One must burn more calories than one takes in to lose weight at any age. This can be done either with caloric restriction or with exercise.
|
|
Weight loss is a reduction in body mass characterized by a loss of adipose tissue(body fat) and skeletal muscle.Unintentional weight loss is the most common symptom of cancer and often a side effect of cancer treatments. A poor response to cancer ...
|
|
Weigh Less, Live Longer helps you determine the cause of your excess weight and tailor a plan to your particular needs. Even a modest reduction of 7%-10% of your starting weight can lead to significant improvements in health.
|
|
The not-so-secret secret to weight loss is to burn more calories than you eat. This can be done safely and effectively by eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly.
|
|
The latest studies conclude that a successful weight-loss plan is a mind/body undertaking that not only involves monitoring calorie intake and expenditure, but dealing with the psychological side of weight loss and habit change.
|
|
Out of the millions Americans who are overweight and go on a diet each year, many regain all or a part of the weight they lose within five years.
|
|
Moderately intense activities, such as walking briskly from your parked car to the mall entrance and taking your dog for a quick jog after dinner, won't help you train for a sport. But they can help you achieve and maintain a healthful weight and improve your overall fitness level.
|
|
The balance of diet studies shows it's not carbohydrates specifically that count, but the total calories and fat consumed.
|
|
Walking is a great form of exercise that can be done just about anywhere. If you're trying to lose weight, though, you'll need to do more than a leisurely stroll.
|
|
Most people want to lose weight in a hurry, so they go on a fad diet, lose some weight, go off the diet and go back to eating as they always have.
|
|
Some diet advice is just plain wrong—and some can be dangerous to your health.You don't have to look far to find diet advice. It's as close as your Web browser, your local bookstore, or that pop culture magazine you leafed through. But how accurate is the information? Some diet advice is just plain wrong—and some can be dangerous to your health.
|
|
If you're starving most of the time or can't imagine staying on a particular diet past a perceived deadline, you're on the wrong track.
|
|
Experts say the long-term success at weight loss requires a balance between diet and physical activity.
|
|
Experts say the long-term success at weight loss requires a balance between diet and physical activity.
|
|
Here are strategies that can help you troubleshoot and personalize your weight-loss plan to manage common workplace weight-loss roadblocks.
|
|
New types of weight-loss medications may help those who struggle with obesity, but there are some potentially serious side effects. Also, use of such a drug requires a significant adjustment in one's diet and level of physical activity.
|
|
The majority of dieters regain the weight they lose within five years. But they could avoid doing so by gradually changing their eating and exercise habits. Your approach to weight loss should be to make changes you can keep up for the rest of your life.
|
|
Doctors become most concerned about unintentional weight loss if it reaches more than five percent of the usual body weight (about ten pounds), especially if your weight has not stabilized and continues to go down.
|
|
Out of the 90 million Americans who are overweight, 50 million go on a diet each year, according to the National Women's Health Resource Center.
|
|
Binge eating is a disorder in which people eat more than they need to satisfy their hunger.The eating disorder bulimia is most common among female adolescents and young adults. People with bulimia typically eat large amounts of high-calorie foods,...
|
|
Binge eating disorder(BED) is characterized by a loss of control over eating behaviors. The binge eater consumes unnaturally large amounts of food in a short time period, but unlike a bulimic, doesn''t regularly engage in any inappropriate weight-r...
|
|
Maybe you eat too much on weekends. Or you always order the jumbo tub of popcorn at the movies. Maybe you're hooked on chocolate chip cookies. But that doesn't mean you have binge eating disorder. For those who do, eating too much doesn't happen just once in a while. Instead, it's a constant part of life. Fortunately, there are treatments that can help.
|
|
Binge eating disorder(BED) is characterized by a loss of control over eating behaviors. The binge eater consumes unnaturally large amounts of food in a short time period, but unlike a bulimic, does not regularly engage in any inappropriate weight-...
|
|
Binge eating disorder(BED) is characterized by loss of control over eating behaviors. The binge eater consumes unnaturally large amounts of food in a short time period, but unlike a bulimic, does not regularly engage in any inappropriate weight-re...
|
|
Detailed information on binge eating disorder, including who is affected and potential complications
|
|
Binge eating is a form of overeating in which a person ingests a large amount of food during a discrete period of time(within one or two hours, for example) and experiences feelings of being out of control and unable to stop eating during the epis...
|
|
Studies have found links between excessive nighttime eating and depression, and also between the excessive eating and propensity for substance abuse.
|
|
Binge eating disorder(BED), also known as compulsive overeating, has been designated as a psychiatric disorder requiring further study by the.American Psychiatric Association. Like bulimics, individuals suffering from binge eating disorder indulge...
|
![]() |
Tooth decay is one of the most common of all disorders, second only to the common cold.
|
|
|
Tooth decay, which is also called dental cavities or dental caries, is the destruction of the outer surface(enamel) of a tooth. Decay results from the action of bacteria that live in plaque, which is a sticky, whitish film formed by a protein in s...
|
|
Detailed information on tooth decay and preventing cavities Tooth decay is the disease known as caries or cavities - a highly preventable disease caused by many factors.
|
|
Detailed information on tooth decay and preventing cavities Tooth decay is the disease known as caries or cavities - a highly preventable disease caused by many factors.
|
|
Detailed information on tooth decay and preventing cavities Tooth decay is the disease known as caries or cavities - a highly preventable disease caused by many factors.
|
|
Detailed information on tooth decay and preventing cavities Tooth decay is the disease known as caries or cavities - a highly preventable disease caused by many factors.
|
|
Children with sealants have 50 percent less tooth decay than children without sealants, dental experts say.
|
|
Detailed information on common dental problems and concerns in children There are many common dental problems and concerns affecting children and adolescents that require clinical care by a pediatric dentist, physician, or other healthcare professional. Listed in the directory below are some, for which we have provided a brief overview.
|
|
Detailed information on nursing caries, or tooth decay, including symptoms and prevention
|
|
Detailed information on nursing caries, or tooth decay, including symptoms and prevention
|
|
Includes up-to-date information on disease prevention, fillings, gingivitis, periodontitis, pulp diseases, root canal therapy, implants, bridges, orthodontics, and cosmetic procedures.
|
|
|
Tooth decay, which is also called dental cavities or dental caries, is the destruction of the outer surface(enamel) of a tooth.Tooth decay results from the action of bacteria that live in plaque. Plaque is a sticky, whitish film formed by a protei...
|
|
|
Dental caries, also known as tooth decay, is the destruction of the outer surface(enamel) of a tooth. Decay results from the action of bacteria that live in plaque, which is a sticky, whitish film formed by a protein in saliva(mucin) and sugary su...
|
![]() |
Absent menstruation means no menstrual flow, or period. Absent menstruation may be:.Primary-- no menstruation before age 16 Secondary-- menstruation begins at the appropriate age, but later stops for more than 3 cycles or 6 months.Missed periods; ...
|
|
Many women experience absent, short, skipped or irregular menstrual periods at some point in their lives.
The most common reason for missed, skipped or irregular periods is pregnancy, often an unexpected or unplanned pregnancy.
|
![]() |
Increased appetite means you have an excess desire for food.Hyperphagia; Increased appetite; Hunger; Excessive hunger; Polyphagia.An increased appetite can be a symptom of different diseases. For example, it may be due to certain mental conditions...
|
|
America has a weight problem. More than half of us are classified as overweight, say officials at the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
|
|
|
Depression, also known as depressive disorders or unipolar depression, is a mental illness characterized by a profound and persistent feeling of sadness or despair and/or a loss of interest in things that once were pleasurable. Disturbance in slee...
|
|
This report offers in-depth information on the causes of depression and the treatments and medications that can lift your mood.
|
|
It's important not to underestimate the dangers associated with depression, especially if you've had multiple episodes or lingering symptoms. For example, people who don't get treated for their depression have a higher risk for suicide.
|
|
People who are depressed have a cluster of symptoms characterized by sadness and a profound lack of energy and well-being.
|
|
Depression is a complicated and common mental health condition that affects about 10 to 15 percent of Americans. The following questions and answers can help you recognize and get effective treatment for depression.
|
|
The analysis of more than 15,000 young people in the United States found about a third of the cases of depression and obesity among those teens could be attributed to being from families with low incomes.
|
|
Men suffer from depression in smaller numbers than women do, but their treatment needs differ due to responses to medication, especially in older men. Additional medication may be necessary to treat the sexual side effects.
|
|
In general, only about three percent of the elderly living independently in the community will experience depression. That figure increases to around 20 to 30 percent of persons in nursing homes or with chronic illnesses like emphysema, heart disease or diabetes.
|
|
Learning more about this illness will allow you to understand what your symptoms may mean and make it easier for you to seek help.
|
|
Too often, parents miss the signs of depression. Or, they believe their teen will "snap out of it” eventually.
|
|
A woman's unique biological, social, and cultural factors may increase her risk for depression.
|
|
Many people with depression do not receive adequate medical treatment, and even if they are treated, doctors may not be paying enough attention to their patients' needs.
|
|
In elderly patients, symptoms of depression can be mistaken for symptoms of another medical problem, so it is important for clinicians to consider all physical problems and medications of elderly patients before making a diagnosis.
|
|
Depression is not "all in your head." It is a real illness that saps your energy. It can leave you feeling sad, hopeless, lonely and guilty. It is related to a chemical imbalance in the brain and to certain traits such as low self-esteem and pessimism. Some kinds of depression may be inherited.
|
|
Everyone feels down at times, but diabetics are especially prone to depression. An unhappy period that's intense or lasts for more than a couple of weeks can be a sign of depression. Depression is a serious illness.
|
|
The mind and the body are intimately connected, and our overall health depends on both working well. This is most evident in depression: Research shows that people who suffer from clinical depression face a higher risk of contracting one of the stress-linked illnesses than the rest of the population.
|
|
Depression can often develop as a result of a heart attack or cardiac surgery, and has more serious effects on heart health and overall health than depression that was present before a heart attack.
|
|
Seasonal affective disorder is thought to be caused by decreased exposure to sunlight during the winter months. Light therapy helps some people, and the FDA has approved the antidepressant bupropion for treatment as well.
|
|
Studies of a link between depression and osteoporosis suggest the bone deterioration could be a result of the depression, or may be caused by taking antidepressant medications for a long period of time.
|
|
Studies suggest mental health care following a heart attack can improve patient health and mortality.
|
|
Depressed patients are more likely to respond to medical treatment if their doctors practice empathy and effective communication skills.
|
|
Discussing the definition and treatment of a contested psychological diagnosis???atypical depression.
|
|
Two studies examine the correlation between depression in adults and its prevalence in their children, and the effect of adults' treatment on the children's mental health.
|
|
Exposure to the right kind of light may go a long way toward reducing seasonal affective disorder symptoms.
|
|
A roundup of studies exploring the beneficial effects of exercise on depression, anxiety, and insomnia. Is it a case of the chicken and the egg?
|
|
Teen depression is a serious illness. The benefits of getting help, including taking medications if needed, far outweigh the potential risks.
|
|
During the dark days of winter, many people develop signs of depression that are tied to the changing amount of daylight.
|
|
A study claims that obese people are more likely to suffer from anxiety and depression, but the findings do not prove that the conditions are causally related to each other.
|
|
Behavioral activation therapy is a variation of cognitive therapy that encourages patients to fight depression by examining their feelings and experiences and focusing on their positive accomplishments.
|
|
Folate, a B vitamin, breaks down homocysteine, which may be associated with depression. Because of this it has been tested as a possible treatment, but the results have been mixed and more research is needed.
|
|
Researchers in China found that Chinese citizens were more likely to express symptoms of depression as having a physical component as well as an emotional one, due to the way their culture interprets such feelings.
|
|
My mother has advanced lung cancer and is receiving chemo. I live with her and am also her caregiver. We have been very close all of our lives, and I am having a hard time adjusting well. Sometimes I even get angry with her and then I feel guilty. The next step is I get depressed and have thought about a way out, but have not attempted anything. Can you suggest anything to help me cope?
|
|
Hypotheses explaining how depression manifests itself. The American Psychiatric Association requires any five of nine symptoms for a diagnosis of major depression. As the definition implies, these symptoms do not all appear in everyone who is depressed. Two studies explore the consequences for the understanding of depression and come to contrasting conclusions. One study suggests that an individual patient's symptoms are not consistent, but change more or less unpredictably from one episode of depression to the next. The other study suggests that there are several sets of depressive symptoms that are distinguishable genetically and therefore likely to persist in a given individual.
|
|
An explanation of the two-way relationship between depression and stroke. Depressed people are at higher risk for a stroke, but depression often precedes as well as follows a stroke.
|
|
A Harvard Medical School physician answers your question about whether Accutane, a powerful acne medication, has been linked to depression or suicide.
|
|
People who suffer from depression are more likely to have a sleep-related breathing problem such as apnea. Treating the sleep problem may help alleviate the depression in some people.
|
|
Discusses options for treatment of seasonal affective disorder.The treatment of seasonal affective disorder throws light on dark moods.
|
|
Are children with ADD more likely to be depressed?
Claire McCarthy, M.D., is a senior medical editor for Harvard Health Publications. She is an instructor in pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, an attending physician at Children's Hospital of Boston, and co-director of the pediatrics department at Martha Eliot Health Center, a neighborhood health service of Children's Hospital. The author of two books, "Learning How the Heart Beats" and "Everyone's Children", Dr. McCarthy was a regular columnist for "Sesame Street Parents Magazine" from 1995 to 1998 and is currently a contributing editor for "Parenting Magazine".
|
|
Concern about antidepressants increasing the risk of suicide in children could have the unintended effect that children suffering from depression may not receive needed treatment.
|
|
Depression is sometimes referred to as the common cold of mental illness. It is a debilitating disease with significant societal costs.
|
|
A combination of factors causes depression. Some cases are triggered by a stressful experience, such as the death of a spouse or loss of a job. Some illnesses, such as cancer, also can cause depression, as can alcohol and drug abuse.
|
|
Chances are you know the difference between occasional sadness and depression. But here's a fact you may not know: Hypothyroidism, a common thyroid disorder, can cause depression.
|
|
When recommending treatment for clinical depression, physicians typically prescribe a tried-and-true regimen: anti-depressant medication and "talk" therapy. In the future, however, health professionals may be advocating a healthy dose of exercise.
|
|
Take action if you suspect a friend and/or family member suffers from depression. It's a condition that can cloud thinking and make people believe they aren't worth helping, so they often can't help themselves.
|
|
The unrealistic expectations of the season, time and financial pressures, missing loved ones and reflecting on past events as the year comes to an end all contribute to the blues.
|
|
The medical community once thought depression affected only adults. The risk for the condition begins in the early teens, however, and increases steadily through the mid-20s.
|
|
Although anyone can suffer from depression, it is particularly common among older adults. Depression affects 15 out of every 100 adults older than 65.
|
|
Because depression isn't a normal part of growing older, it's important to learn the signs of this condition and seek help if you or a loved one could be suffering from it.
|
|
Everyone gets down in the dumps from time to time. But you may have clinical depression if a feeling of sadness or loss of interest in life and friends lingers for two weeks or more.
|
|
Instead of asking for help, men who are depressed are likely to drink alcohol to excess, take drugs, or become frustrated, discouraged, and irritable.
|
|
Although sadness touches all our lives, true depression is different in its intensity and persistence.
|
|
What's the difference between a bad case of the blues and the painful mental disorder known as depression? According to the experts, impaired functioning is usually a clear-cut indication of clinical depression.
|
|
Primary care physicians should be asking their patients questions about five "warning flag" symptoms to determine whether they should be screened for depression or other mood disorders, researchers say.
|
|
Having a chronic condition such as COPD can lead to depression. You can get help. Talk with your doctor about your symptoms.
|
|
Living with diabetes may increase the likelihood of depression. The connection may be go both ways: information from a diabetes trial suggests the possibility of a link between antidepressant use and diabetes.
|
|
A recent study offers evidence that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors may help those who develop depression after a heart attack.
|
|
Most people, most of the time, overestimate themselves. It is pervasive and powerful, but is not the same in all people or in all circumstances.
|
|
A discussion of the social impact of depression in the elderly and the benefits of treatment.
|
|
According to two studies, women going through menopause are much more likely to develop symptoms of depression, due in part to changes in hormone production. Hormone replacement may provide temporary relief from severe depression.
|
|
Reports of risky side effects may have dampened enthusiasm for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, which are among the world's most widely prescribed medications. A review of concerns and benefits associated with SSRIs.
|
|
Mental health among Americans may have declined during the 1990s.
Revealing information on the mental health of Americans appears in data from three random telephone surveys of the adult population by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.
|
|
While there is a very small risk of suicide in adolescents who take antidepressants, they are also beneficial to many teenagers with depression. All factors should be weighed in treatment decisions, and patients should be monitored carefully.
|
|
Discussion of whether the new antidepressant Cymbalta (duloxetine) has any advantage over other antidepressants on the market.
|
|
DHEA may not be an anti-aging panacea, as some suggest, but a new study suggests that it may be able to temporarily lift mood.
|
|
Older people with macular degeneration are more likely to experience depression, but those who received problem-solving therapy to help them adapt to and cope with their condition were less likely to develop depression.
|
|
A study shows that interaction with animals can be a path to recovery from depression.
|
|
Age-related macular degeneration is the most common cause of severe vision loss in people over 55. A recent trial shows that education may help relieve disability and depression in those with the condition.
|
|
Is there a link between depression and migraines?
Michael Craig Miller, M.D., is editor-in-chief of the Harvard Mental Health Letter and an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Miller has an active clinical practice and has been on staff at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center for more than 25 years.
|
![]() |
Depression may be described as feeling sad, blue, unhappy, miserable, or down in the dumps. Most of us feel this way at one time or another for short periods.True clinical depression is a mood disorder in which feelings of sadness, loss, anger, or...
|
|
Detailed information on depression and depression in women, including types, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment
|
|
|
A depressive disorder is defined by the National Institute of Mental Health(NIMH) as an illness that involves the body, mood and thoughts. It encompasses feelings of overwhelming sadness and despair that persist or intensify over time.Occasional f...
|
|
|
Depression or depressive disorders(unipolar depression) are mental illnesses characterized by a profound and persistent feeling of sadness or despair and/or a loss of interest in things that were once pleasurable. Disturbance in sleep, appetite, a...
|
|
|
Depression or depressive disorders(unipolar depression) are mental illnesses characterized by a profound and persistent feeling of sadness or despair and/or a loss of interest in things that were once pleasurable. Disturbance in sleep, appetite, a...
|
|
|
Depression is the general name for a family of illnesses known as depressive disorders. Depression is an illness that affects not only the mood and thoughts, but also the physical functions of affected individuals.
|
|
|
Depression and depressive disorders(unipolar depression) are mental illnesses characterized by a profound and persistent feeling of sadness or despair and/or a loss of interest in things that once were pleasurable. Disturbance in sleep, appetite, ...
|
|
An emotional state or mood characterized by one or more of these symptoms: sad mood, low energy, poor concentration,.sleep or appetite changes, feelings of worthlessness or hopelessness, and thoughts of suicide.Until recently, it was thought that ...
|
|
Everybody feels sad sometimes, but to be clinically depressed is not just a matter of feeling sad. A patient with cancer is diagnosed as having major depression only if certain symptoms, such as loss of pleasure or thoughts of death, are present f...
|
|
|
Depression is the general name for a family of illnesses known as depressive disorders. Depression is an illness that affects not only the mood and thoughts, but also the physical functions of affected individuals.
|
![]() |
Suicide is the act of deliberately taking one''s own life. Suicidal behavior is any deliberate action with potentially life-threatening consequences, such as taking a drug overdose or deliberately crashing a car.Suicidal behaviors can accompany man...
|
|
Suicide is the act of ending one''s own life. Suicidal behavior are thoughts or tendencies that put a person at risk for committing suicide.Suicide, attempted suicide, and thoughts of committing suicide are, as of the early 2000s, growing problems ...
|
|
If you think a person could be suicidal, ask, "Have you thought about suicide?" If they say "yes," they may already have a plan for how and when they will attempt it. Find out as much as you can. The more detailed the plan, and the easier it is to carry out, the more danger the person is in right now.
|
|
The heart rate, usually measured by checking the arterial pulse or sounds counting the times of the heart beat, is considered one of the vital signs. Vital signs – body temperature, pulse, breathing rate, and blood pressure provide information about the state of health of a person and, if abnormal, offer clues to problems.
|
![]() |
An arrhythmia is a disorder of the heart rate(pulse) or heart rhythm, such as beating too fast(tachycardia), too slow(bradycardia), or irregularly.Dysrhythmias; Abnormal heart rhythms; Bradycardia; Tachycardia.Normally, the four chambers of the he...
|
|
An arrhythmia is an abnormality in the heart''s rhythm, or heartbeat pattern. The heartbeat can be too slow, too fast, have extra beats, skip a beat, or otherwise beat irregularly.Arrhythmias are deviations from the normal cadence of the heartbeat,...
|
|
Detailed information on arrhythmias, including symptoms, diagnostic, and treatment information
|
|
Detailed information on arrhythmias, including symptoms, types, diagnosis, and treatment
|
|
Detailed information on problems involving heart rhythm There are many problems that affect the heart's rhythm that require care by a physician or other healthcare professional. Listed in the directory below you will find some additional information regarding problems involving heart rhythm, for which we have provided a brief overview.
|
|
The guidelines for how long to wait before driving after having an ICD implanted have been revised, to reflect the growing number of people who receive the device preventively.
|
|
The heart rate, usually measured by checking the arterial pulse or sounds counting the times of the heart beat, is considered one of the vital signs. Vital signs – body temperature, pulse, breathing rate, and blood pressure provide information about the state of health of a person and, if abnormal,offer clues to problems.
|