Eating Disorders

Eating disorder are psychological conditions that can cause the development of unhealthy eating habits (Goetz et al., 2020). It can negatively impact your health, your emotions and your ability to function in life.  It begins with an obsession with food, body weight, or body shape. There is a commonly held misconception that eating disorders are a lifestyle choice. If it is not treated on time, it can cause more serious health issues or even fatality. Symptoms of eating disorder include food restriction, binge eating, over exercising, and vomiting after eating. Young adolescent women are the most affected but it can affect any person. Some causes of eating disorders include genetics, pressures to be thin, cultural preferences for thinness, and exposure to media promoting such ideals (Goetz et al., 2020). Recently some experts have proposed that differences in brain structure and biology may also play a role in the development of eating disorders (Goetz et al., 2020). Common eating disorders include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder

Anorexia nervosa is the most well-known eating disorder. It tends to develop during adolescence or young adulthood and affect more women than men. These people view themselves as overweight, even if they are dangerously underweight. They constantly monitor their weight due to an intense fear of gaining weight, avoid certain types of foods, and severely restrict their calories. Such individuals may also have difficulty eating in public and exhibit a strong desire to control their environment, limiting their ability to be spontaneous (Petre, 2019). There are two types of anorexia— the restricting type and the binge eating and purging type. Those with the restricting type lose weight through dieting, fasting, or excessive exercise. Those with the binge eating and purging type may binge on large amounts of food or eat very little. In both cases, after they eat, they purge using activities like vomiting, taking laxatives or diuretics, or exercising excessively. Anorexia can be very damaging to the body. Over time, anorexia patients may experience the thinning of their bones, infertility, brittle hair and nails, and the growth of a layer of fine hair all over their body (Petre, 2019). In extreme cases, it can result in heart, brain, or multi-organ failure and death.

Bulimia nervosa tends to develop during adolescence and early adulthood and is most is common women. People with bulimia usually eat large amounts of food in a specific period of time. They usually continue until they become very full. During a binge, the person usually feels that they cannot stop eating or control how much they are eating. After eating, they attempt to purge to compensate for the calories they have consumed while relieving discomfort. Common purging behaviors include forced vomiting, fasting, laxatives, diuretics, enemas, and excessive exercise. Symptoms are very similar to those of the binge eating or purging subtypes of anorexia nervosa. These individuals usually maintain a relatively normal weight. Common symptoms of bulimia nervosa include: frequent binge eating with a lack of control, frequent inappropriate purging behaviors to prevent weight gain, self-esteem issues, and a fear of gaining weight despite having a normal weight (Linardon et al., 2020). Side effects include inflamed sore throat, swollen salivary glands, worn tooth enamel, tooth decay, acid reflux, irritation of the gut, severe dehydration, and hormonal disturbances (Linardon et al., 2020). Severe bulimia can also create an imbalance in levels of electrolytes which can cause heart attack.

Binge eating disorder begins during adolescence but it can develop later on. Individuals have symptoms similar to those of bulimia or the binge eating subtype of anorexia. They usually eat large amounts of food in short periods of time and feel a lack of control during binges. They do not restrict calories or use purging behaviors to compensate for their binges. Common symptoms of binge eating disorder include: eating large amounts of foods in secret and until uncomfortably full despite not feeling hungry, feeling a lack of control during episodes of binge eating, feelings of distress when thinking about the binge eating behavior, and no use of purging behaviors to compensate for the binging (Burnette & Mazzeo, 2020). People with binge eating disorder are often overweight. This may increase their risk of medical complications as heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes (Burnette & Mazzeo, 2020).

Other types of disorders are:                                                                                                                                  

Pica is a disorder that involves eating things that are not considered food Individuals with pica tend to crave and eat non-food substances. This disorder particularly affects children, pregnant women, and individuals with mental disabilities.

Rumination disorder describes a condition in which a person regurgitates food they have previously chewed and swallowed, re-chews it, and then either re-swallows it or spits it out. This disorder can affect people at all stages of life.

Treatments and Therapies

It is important to seek treatment early for eating disorders. People with eating disorders are at higher risk for suicide and medical complications. People with eating disorders can often have other mental disorders (such as depression or anxiety) or problems with substance use. Avoid dieting around your child, cultivate and reinforce a healthy body image, and enlist the help of your child's doctor. Complete recovery is possible. Treatment plans include: Individual, group, and/or family psychotherapy, medical care and monitoring, nutritional counseling, medications and psychotherapies (Goetz et al., 2020).

References:

Burnette, C. B., & Mazzeo, S. E. (2020). An uncontrolled pilot feasibility trial of an intuitive eating intervention for college women with disordered eating delivered through group and guided self‐help modalities. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 53(9), 1405-1417. doi:10.1002/eat.23319

Goetz, D. B., Johnson, E. C., Naugle, A. E., & Borges, L. M. (2020). Alexithymia, state‐emotion dysregulation, and eating disorder symptoms: A mediation model. Clinical Psychologist, 24(2), 166-175. doi:10.1111/cp.12210

Linardon, J., Messer, M., Helms, E. R., Mclean, C., Incerti, L., & Fuller‐Tyszkiewicz, M. (2020). Interactions between different eating patterns on recurrent binge‐eating behavior: A machine learning approach. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 53(4), 533-540. doi:10.1002/eat.23232

Petre, A. (2019, October 30). Learn about 6 common types of eating disorders and their symptoms. Retrieved September 23, 2020, from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/common-eating-disorders