A Beginners Guide To Eating Disorders
What is an eating disorder?
The American Psychiatric Association explains eating disorders as mental illnesses. Eating disorders are an interruption in an individual’s eating habits and any thoughts and emotions associated. They also note that eating disorders occur simultaneously with psychiatric disorders like anxiety, panic, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and alcohol and drug abuse.
Most common types of eating disorders:
Anorexia Nervosa: Limited to no food intake because of a fear of being “fat.” These individuals have problems with their body image or denial of low body weight.
Bulimia Nervosa: Excessive consumption of calories (sugars, carbohydrates & fats) in a short space of time but followed by self-inflicted regurgitation of the food consumed due to guilt or fear of weight gain.
Binge Eating: Overconsumption of very large quantities of food in a short space of time but without the desire to vomit or purge. Rather, binge eating leads to health complications (severe obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease) as individuals tend to be discreet about their habits which can occur at least once a week or three times a month.
Who is more at risk of an eating disorder?
Around 9% of the world population will be affected by an eating disorder within their lifetime, with less than 6% of those with an eating disorder medically diagnosed as “underweight.” This implies so many people around us can look and act normal in front of our eyes but still have an eating disorder. In fact, a systemic review published in the Shanghai Arch Psychiatry, lead researcher Jie Quan determined through surveying, that within Asian communities the ratio of lifetime prevalence of any eating disorders amongst female-male was 4-2. Western research describes this lifetime prevalence of eating disorders was 6-1-fold greater than Asian countries. Most often women between the ages of 12 – 35 are affected by an eating disorder. In fact, there are fears that the COVID-19 health pandemic increases anxiety amongst persons with an eating disorder. In the United States, the National Eating Disorders Association reported that its hotlines were up 70-80% in 2020. Also, the International Journal of Eating Disorder explained that survey results released in July 2020 found that 62% of people in the U.S. with anorexia reported a worsening of the disorder, due to the pandemic.
How do you identify if someone has an eating disorder?
Eating disorders are very difficult to identify amongst friends and family because those with the disorder would likely disguise their binges. Excessive reliance on eating disorders leads to an individual becoming drastically thin and/or certain behaviors become noticeable. In fact, a person with eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa may see themselves as overweight, even when they are dangerously underweight. More drastically though, many persons with an anorexia nervosa disorder die from starvation while others die from suicide.
As it relates to bulimia nervosa, individuals with this disorder compensate for their overconsumption by purging, using laxatives or diuretics, participate in extreme fasting, excessive exercise, or a combination of these behaviors. In fact, those that suffer from this mental disorder are not always slim but more often slightly overweight, of normal weight, or overweight.
Persons who suffer from binge-eating disorder are usually overweight or obese and can be very secretive about their excessive food consumption. Although they won’t purge, fast, or practice excessive exercise this disorder can be detrimental because the large volume of calories from unhealthy foods can lead to chronic non-communicable diseases.
Here are some symptoms to be aware of:
Anorexia Nervosa
Extremely restricted eating.
Extreme thinness and fear of being “fat.” This is accompanied by extreme self-esteem issues.
Brittle hair and nails & dry/yellowish skin.
Lethargy, sluggishness, or feeling tired constantly
Constipation.
Infertility
Brain Damage
Bulimia Nervosa
Chronic Inflammation & Sore Throat.
Swollen salivary glands in the neck and jaw area.
Decaying Teeth due to exposure to stomach acids.
Acid Reflux Disorder & other Gastrointestinal issues.
Severe Dehydration & Imbalance Electrolytes (sodium, potassium, & calcium) leading to a stroke or heart attack.
Binge Eating
Eating alone or in secret because of embarrassment.
Frequent dieting (usually without weight loss).
Consumption of large volumes of food within a 2-hour period.
Eating fast and excessively until you are uncomfortably full.
What is the solution to eating disorders?
To overcome eating disorders, treatment plans have to be customizable based on the individual needing treatment and therapy. Early treatment is always more helpful as persons with eating disorders are at higher risk for suicide and medical complications. Although persons with eating disorders tend to have other mental disorders (depressions or anxiety) or substance abuse, a complete recovery is possible. Treatment plans can be tailored for individual needs to include one or more of the following:
The individual, group, and/or family psychotherapy.
Medical Care and monitoring.
Nutrition counseling
Medication
For more help and support for yourself or someone you know that might have symptoms of an eating disorder, you can use this link as a resource: https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/where-do-i-start-0
