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Realities about eating disorders - What is an eating disorder: Eating disorders occur when a person’s attitude about food, weight and body size lead to very rigid eating..

Realities About Eating Disorders - What is an eating disorder?

Eating disorders occur when a person’s attitude about food, weight and body size lead to very rigid eating and exercise habits that jeopardize one’s health, happiness and safety. Eating disorders may begin as a way to lose a few pounds, but these behaviors can quickly get out of control, become obsessions and may even turn into an eating disorder.

Eating disorders are not due to failure of will or behavior; rather, they are real, treatable medical illnesses in which certain maladaptive patterns of eating take on a life of their own. The main types of eating disorders are anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. A third type, binge-eating disorder, has been suggested but has not yet been approved as a formal psychiatric diagnosis.

Many people with eating disorders experience depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and childhood sexual abuse, and may be at risk for osteoporosis and heart problems. Death rates for eating disorders are among the highest for any mental illness.

Eating disorders are on the rise and more than 90 percent of those who have them are women. No one knows exactly what causes eating disorders. However, all socioeconomic, ethnic and cultural groups are at risk.

What are some factors that can contribute to eating disorders?

Psychological Factors:

• low self-esteem
• feelings of lack of control in life
• depression, anxiety, anger or loneliness
• strong need to please others

Interpersonal Factors:

• troubled family and personal relationships
• difficulty expressing emotions or feeling
• history of being teased about size or weight
• history of physical or sexual abuse

Social Factors: cultural pressures that glorify “thinness” and the perfect body cultural norm valuing people by their appearance

Other Factors:

• possible biochemical or biological reasons
• family history of eating disorders

Anorexia Nervosa
Anorexia is essentially self-starvation, a refusal to maintain a minimum normal body weight. People with eating disorders also may engage in self-induced vomiting and abuse of laxatives, diuretics or exercise in order to control their weight. People with this disorder see themselves as overweight even though they are dangerously thin. The condition may lead them to become emaciated and, in severe cases, anorexia can be life-threatening.

Some signs and symptoms of anorexia include:

• weight loss, sometimes severe
• intense fear of gaining weight
• distorted body image
• electrolyte imbalance

Health consequences of anorexia nervosa:

• irregular heart rhythms and heart failure
• osteoporosis
• risk of suicide
• menstrual changes or absence of menstruation

Bulimia Nervosa
People suffering with bulimia follow a routine of secretive, uncontrolled eating followed by inappropriate ways of trying to rid the body of food before it is digested. This includes vomiting and /or misuse of laxatives, diet pills, water pills, excessive exercise or fasting. Because many people with bulimia “binge and purge” in secret and maintain normal or above the normal body weight, they can often hide the disorder from others.

Some signs and symptoms of bulimia include:

• preoccupation with food, body weight and shape
• feeling unable to control eating behavior
• self-induced vomiting, using laxatives or other medications, fasting or excessive exercise
• difficulty controlling impulsive behavior

Health consequences of bulimia nervosa:

• electrolyte imbalance
• damage of heart muscle
• inflammation of esophagus
• erosion of tooth enamel
• damage to salivary glands

Binge-eating disorder People with binge-eating disorder experience frequent episodes of out-of-control eating, with the same binge-eating symptoms as those with bulimia. The main difference is that individuals with binge-eating disorder do not purge their bodies of excess calories. Therefore, many with the disorder are overweight for their age and height. Feelings of self-disgust and shame associated with this illness can lead to binging again, creating a cycle of binge eating.

Some signs and symptoms of binge-eating include:

• frequent episodes of eating large quantities of food in short periods of time
• feeling out of control over eating behavior
• feeling ashamed or disgusted by the behavior
• eating when not hungry and in secret

Health consequences of binge eating disorder:

• high blood pressure
• high cholesterol
• heart disease
• diabetes
• gallbladder disease

What is the treatment for eating disorders?

Eating disorders are most successfully treated when diagnosed early. The longer abnormal eating behaviors persist, the more difficult they are to overcome. In some cases, long-term treatment and hospitalization is required. Presently, there is no universally accepted standard treatment for eating disorders. Ideally, an integrated approach to treatment involves medical care, psychosocial interventions, and nutritional counseling. Certain selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) have been shown to be helpful for weight maintenance and for resolving mood and anxiety symptoms associated with anorexia. People with eating disorders often do not recognize or admit that they are ill. As a result, they may strongly resist getting and staying in treatment. Family members and other trusted individuals may be helpful in ensuring that the person with an eating disorder receives needed care and rehabilitation.

What is body image?

The idealization of thinness has caused distorted body image and unrealistic measures of beauty and success. Cultural and media influences such as TV, magazines and movies reinforce the belief that women should be more concerned with their appearance than with their own ideas or achievements. Research has shown that many normal weight and even underweight girls are dissatisfied with their body and are choosing inappropriate behaviors to control their appetite and food intake.

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