eating disorders
Eating disorders are serious mental illnesses, not a choice or a lifestyle. It is extremely difficult to end the disordered behaviors without proper treatment.
Types of eating disorders include:
Many eating disorders co-occur with other serious issues that can intensify the symptoms of the eating disorder. These include:
Types of eating disorders include:
- Anorexia Nervosa
- Characterized by: weight loss or lack of appropriate weight gain; difficulties maintaining appropriate weight for height, age, and build; distorted body image
- Bulimia Nervosa
- Characterized by: cycle of binge eating and compensatory behaviors like self-induced vomiting
- Binge Eating Disorder
- Characterized by: recurrent episodes of eating large quantities of food; feeling a loss of control during the binge episode; experiencing shame, guilt, or distress after the binge; not regularly using unhealthy compensatory measures (like vomiting) to counter the binge eating
- Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID)
- Involves limiting the amount and/or types of food consumed but does not include distress about body shape or size
- Other Specified Feeding and Eating Disorder (OSFED)
- Encompasses individuals who have a significant eating disorder but who do not meet strict criteria for anorexia or bulimia
Many eating disorders co-occur with other serious issues that can intensify the symptoms of the eating disorder. These include:
- Depression
- Anxiety disorders
- Mood disorders
- Personality disorders
- Obsessive compulsive disorders
- Substance abuse
statistics:
- Approximately 20 million women and 10 million men will have an eating disorder at some point in their lives
- Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness
- More than 70% of those who suffer with an eating disorder will not seek treatment due to stigmas and lack of access to care
- 13% of women over the age of 50 have symptoms of an eating disorder
- The rate of children under the age of 12 being admitted to a hospital for an eating disorder rose 119% in less than a decade
- Anorexia is the 3rd most common chronic illness among adolescents
- 80% of patients who receive and complete treatment will recover
- Prevention-based programs can alter the attitudes and behaviors associated with disordered eating
- Various prevention programs have successfully discouraged the development of disordered eating in children, adolescents, and young adults
Risk factors:
Eating disorders are caused by a combination of biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors and vary depending on the individual. Some of the major risk factors include:
BIOLOGICAL
PSYCHOLOGICAL
SOCIOCULTURAL
BIOLOGICAL
- Having a close relative with an eating disorder
- Having a close relative with a mental health condition
- History of dieting, especially with caloric restrictions
PSYCHOLOGICAL
- Body image dissatisfaction
- Perfectionism
- History of an anxiety disorder
- History of following rules rigidly and without flexibility
SOCIOCULTURAL
- Bullying
- Society's weight stigma
- Limited social networks
- Internalizing a cultural appearance ideal
- Acculturation to Western appearance ideals
warning signs:
The earlier an eating disorder is detected, the higher the chance for recovery. Symptoms vary based on the type of eating disorder and the individual, and not all individuals suffering with an eating disorder will exhibit the same warning signs.
Possible general symptoms include:
Emotional/Behavioral:
Physical:
Possible symptoms specified by eating disorder include:
Anorexia:
Bulimia:
Binge Eating Disorder:
ARFID (Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder):
OSFED (Otherwise-Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder):
Possible general symptoms include:
Emotional/Behavioral:
- Weight loss, dieting, and control of food become primary concerns
- Preoccupation with weight, food, calories, carbs, fat grams, dieting
- Refusal to eat certain foods or entire categories of foods
- Food rituals
- Skipping meals or taking only small portions of food at meals
- Frequent dieting
- Preoccupation with fad diets
- Withdrawal from usual friends/activities
- Extreme concern with body size/shape
- Extreme concern with body size/shape
- Frequent checking in the mirror for perceived flaws in appearance
- Extreme mood swings
Physical:
- Noticeable fluctuations in weight
- Stomach cramps or gastrointestinal complaints
- Menstrual irregularities
- Difficulty concentrating
- Abnormal lab tests:
- Anemia
- Low hormone levels
- Low potassium
- Low white/red blood cell counts
- Low thyroid levels
- Dizziness, especially upon standing
- Always feeling cold
- Sleep disturbances
- Fainting
- Dry skin/hair and brittle nails
- Fine body hair
- Swelling near salivary glands
- Muscle weakness
- Poor wound healing
- Impaired immune functioning
Possible symptoms specified by eating disorder include:
Anorexia:
- Dramatic weight loss
- Wearing several layers to hide weight loss or to stay warm
- Preoccupation with weight, food, calories, and dieting
- Frequent comments about feeling "fat"
- Unable to maintain an appropriate body weight for their age, height, and build
- Maintains excessive exercise regime regardless of fatigue, injury, illness, or weather
Bulimia:
- Evidence of binge eating
- Disappearance of large amounts of food in short periods
- An abundance of empty wrappers/containers indicating consumption of large amounts of food
- Evidence of purging behaviors
- Frequent trips to bathroom after meals
- Signs/smells of vomiting
- Presence of wrappers/packages of laxatives or diuretics
- Drinking excessive amounts of water or non-caloric beverages
- Excessive use of mouthwash, mints, gum
- Calluses on the back of hands/knuckles from self-induced vomiting
- Dental problems like enamel erosion, cavities, tooth sensitivity, discoloration of teeth due to frequent vomiting
Binge Eating Disorder:
- Secret and recurring episodes of binge eating
- Feeling a lack of control over the ability to stop eating
- Feelings of disgust/depression/guilt after overeating
- Feelings of low self-esteem
- Creating schedules or rituals to make time for binge sessions
- Evidence of binge eating
- Disappearance of large amounts of food in short time periods
- An abundance of empty wrappers/containers indicating consumption of large amounts of food
- Stealing or hoarding food in strange places
ARFID (Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder):
- Dramatic weight loss
- Limited range of preferred foods that becomes narrower over time
- Fears of choking/vomiting
- No body image disturbance or fear of weight gain
OSFED (Otherwise-Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder):
- Frequent episodes of consuming very large amounts of food followed by behaviors to prevent weight gain, such as vomiting
- Evidence of binge eating
- Self-esteem highly related to body image
- Dieting behavior, such as reducing the amount or types of foods consumed
- Expressing a need to "burn off" calories
- Evidence of purging behaviors
Treatment:
Recovery from an eating disorder is possible, and the earlier it is treated the higher the chance of recovery. There are several different levels of care that vary due to the individual's needs.
Levels of Care:
Treatment options may include:
Finding help:
Levels of Care:
- Intensive outpatient
- Flexible treatment practicing recovery skills in a real-world context
- Partial hospital
- Development of recovery skills in a structured and supportive environment
- Structure of residential treatment with the opportunity to practice recovery outside of the controlled environment
- Residential
- Daytime medical/psychiatric supervision
- Group meetings and individual therapy
- Focus on recovery skills and relapse prevention
- Inpatient
- Focused on weight restoration and medical stabilization
- Includes medical supervision, psychiatric care, and medication management
Treatment options may include:
- Family-Centered Treatment
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment (CBT)
Finding help:
- The National Eating Disorders Association provides a database to search for treatment based on location: NEDA Search
Sources:
National Eating Disorders Association: www.nationaleatingdisorders.org
The Center for Eating Disorders: eatingdisorder.org
Eating Recovery Center: eatingrecoverycenter.com
The Center for Eating Disorders: eatingdisorder.org
Eating Recovery Center: eatingrecoverycenter.com