Anorexia, bulimia and binge-eating at the centre of the first of the food education project meetings

Knowing eating disorders to deal with them.

They usually start from adolescence, mainly affect women in more developed countries and may manifest themselves in the first place through particular attitudes such as a preference for baggy clothes or an obsession with exercise. Eating disorders are a phenomenon still too little known, a problem that seems distant, but that every year in Italy registers, among only women, about 9 cases of anorexia per 100,000 people and more than 12 cases of bulimia per 100,000 people.

Yesterday anorexia, bulimia and binge-eating (uncontrolled eating disorder) were the focus of the first of the seminars organized by the Provincial Acli of Cagliari together with the amateur sports association Blue Sardinia as part of the project Eat Sardinia, funded by the Sardinian Foundation. During the meeting, the psychologist Nicoletta Serra and the nutritionist Valentina Marongiu talked about how complicated it can be to recognize the problem and how it can be tackled with the support of professionals, structures and associations active in the territory.

When we talk about eating problems, we immediately think about diets. "In fact, before we talk about the diet, we need to work on behaviours – explains the Marongiu – and not just those suffering from the problem, but also those around him, family members, friends, teachers". "Even before you face the disturbance, but, you have to be able to recognize it," explains Greenhouse –. There is a problem of lack of information, sometimes you don't realize that there's a problem, or you don't know who to turn to, that's why it's important to talk about eating disorders through initiatives like this.".

In the upcoming meetings, that will be calendared shortly, the speech will be expanded to everything related to food welfare. "Through the seminars, addressed in the first place to parents, educators and teachers, we will try to spread information and even practical indications to recognize signals so that we can act immediately, helping victims to get in touch with a professional who can give concrete help. But the meeting is only the first phase of the project – explains the president of the Provincial Acli Mauro Charter –. Next we'll go to schools, in contact with young people for targeted actions on self-perception, to spread a culture of healthy eating and physical activity".