Eating Disorders

What are Eating Disorders?

Eating disorders are psychological problems defined by significant and continuous disruption in eating patterns as well as painful emotions and feelings. They can be severe conditions that impair physical, mental, and emotional functioning.

Eating disorders affect up to 5% of the population and often emerge throughout adolescence and early adulthood. Several are more frequent in women, particularly anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, although they can all happen at any age and impact any gender.

Types of Eating Disorders

Anorexia

Although it appears to be the most well-known eating problem, anorexia has various types and does not appear the same for everybody. Anorexia nervosa in its simplest version will manifest as a restriction of calories or certain meals in order to avoid gaining weight. However, there is also the bingeing and cleansing version. Individuals  with this kind of anorexia frequently restriction their caloric intake or excessively eat and subsequently display cleansing behaviours such as self-induced vomiting, laxative usage, or over-exercising.

Aside from behavioural symptoms, other concealed physical indications of anorexia include missed or irregular menstruation, thinning hair, skin problems, or sleep problems. It’s crucial to note, however, that seeming extremely thin or “sick” may not be a red flag: some persons are diagnosed with atypical anorexia nervosa if they exhibit such restrictive eating practises but aren’t always underweight.

Symptoms of Anorexia

• Low body weight – may have dramatic weight loss
• Feels as though he or she is overweight, even when that is clearly not the case
• Denial of hunger
• Preoccupation with body weight and shape (frequent weighing and comments regarding weight and shape)
• Obsession with food and its nutrients (calories, fat, carbohydrates, etc.)
• Food rituals (cutting into very small pieces, excessive chewing, etc.)
• Excessive exercise and dieting
• Anxiety regarding weight, meal time, and social activities or gatherings
• Frequent fatigue and overall weakness
• Dry, thinning, or loss of hair
• Dry skin and brittle nails
• Frequently cold, wearing multiple layers to hide body or to stay warm
• Downy hair covering body, called lanugo
• Amenorrhea (loss of menstruation in women)

Bulimia Nervosa

Bulimia nervosa symptoms may be more difficult to detect than anorexia. Bulimia is characterised by behaviours similar to bingeing-purging anorexia, such as consuming huge amounts of food and then purging the body of that food. However, unlike anorexia, bulimia is not characterised by severe weight loss.

If you believe someone you know is suffering from bulimia, search for hidden indications such as empty food containers, evidence of diuretic or laxative bottles, dental concerns, or calluses on their knuckles from vomiting. Of course, going to the restroom after every meal is another obvious indicator of bulimia.

Symptoms of Bulimia Nervosa

• Frequent fluctuations in body weight
• Frequent episodes of bingeing (consuming large amounts of food) followed by purging (compensatory behaviors including self-induced vomiting, misuse of diuretics, laxatives, or enemas)
• Hiding food to eat in private
• Feeling of loss of control during binge episodes
• Feelings of shame and guilt when eating
• Preoccupied with body weight and shape
• Preoccupied with exercise and dieting
• Signs of purging include frequent trips to bathroom (especially after meals), swollen cheeks, cuts or scabs on knuckles and back of hands, discolored teeth and tooth decay
• Withdrawal from social activities and gatherings

Binge Eating Disorder

Because the symptoms of a few of common eating disorders can be so similar, diagnosing an eating problem can be difficult. Binge eating disorder can be mistaken with bulimia because the person consumes enormous amounts of food in a short period of time, sometimes quietly. But there is a distinction. A person suffering from binge eating disorder often participates in limiting and overeating habits but not cleansing. People of any weight might suffer from binge eating disorder.

Again, as with bulimia, it’s critical to recognise the subtle indicators of binge eating disorder, such as food stockpiling or an individual expressing regret after bingeing an inordinate quantity of food. If the individual is hiding their overeating tendencies, you could also look for discarded food wrappers or concealed food containers.

Symptoms of Binge Eating Disorder

• Frequent episodes of bingeing (consuming large amounts of food)
• Feeling of loss of control during binge episodes
• Hiding food to eat in private
• Feelings of shame and guilt when eating
• Eating when not physically hungry
• Eating past the point of discomfort
• Eating alone

Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID)

ARFID, or Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder, is a recent eating disorder diagnosis that you may be unfamiliar with. It is frequent in children and teenagers, although it can also persist into maturity. ARFID is frequently intertwined with other psychiatric problems like as OCD or anxiety: many persons with ARFID are afraid of vomiting or having a severe allergic reaction to specific meals and hence avoid certain foods. It can also occur in conjunction with developmental disorders such as autism, and symptoms may include aversions to specific foods, mouthfeel, and tastes.

ARFID is not typically coupled with a losing weight aim, however weight loss is achievable when reducing food intake in this manner. The other difficulty is that it is frequently associated with anxiety and sadness, as well as poor nutrition as a result of avoiding foods that are essential to a healthy, nutritious diet.

Symptoms of Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID)

• inability to eat certain types or textures of food
• aversion to foods with a certain color, smell, or taste
• a lack of interest in food
• fears of choking, vomiting, nausea, or food poisoning
• a lack of energy due to poor nutrition
• cold intolerance
• gastrointestinal issues, including stomach pain or constipation
• dread and anxiety around mealtimes
• difficulty chewing or swallowing food
• avoiding social events that relate to food, such as dinner parties

Pica

There are no specific statistics on how often people have pica, however it is an uncommon eating disorder diagnosis. It entails consuming non-edible substances such as paints, papers, mud, chalk, or clay. etc.  It is usually linked to another mental health disease, such as schizophrenia, or an intellectual or developmental impairment. Pica does not, however, automatically imply that a person has a significant mental health disorder. Some women have acute pica-related urges during pregnancy, which may be caused by a lack of iron or another vitamin.

In terms of desires for non-food items, the warning symptoms of pica are rather obvious. Malnutrition may also be a factor. Pica indicates that the system is attempting to correct a nutritional shortage.

Signs and Symptoms of Pica

Eating non-food objects as a result of pica can cause a variety of stomach issues, including:

• Stomach Discomfort
• constipation or diarrhoea
• deficiencies, such as anaemia
• intestinal obstructions
• adverse effects from consuming harmful chemicals, such as lead in paint
• infections from consuming germs or parasites, such as dirt

If you are suffering from the health effects of pica, speaking with a doctor might be beneficial. They can advise you on the best course of action.

If you consume any of the following things on a frequent basis, you may get pica symptoms:

• chalk
• filth
• paint
• soap
• cloth
• hair
• thread
• wool
• soil
• talcum powder
• chewing gum

Orthorexia

While orthorexia is not yet an official eating disorder diagnosis, it frequently involves disordered eating disguised by a desire to eat “cleaner,” “healthily,” or “gluten free,” and this aim of eating very healthy can lead to an unhealthy connection with food. Orthorexia is also driven by a hazardous diet and a health culture. People with orthorexia, among other indications, are concerned about food quality, immerse themselves in food study, and exclude an expanding amount of food categories. Many people’s impulse may not even be skinniness, yet weight loss is certainly feasible with orthorexia.

It might be difficult to distinguish between a nutritious diet (meal preparing is an excellent habit, within limits) and a sickness. People suffering from orthorexia may spend hours (and money) deciding what food they will consume, even if they cannot afford to eat entirely organic. Keep a check on somebody you care about if they seem to be wasting a lot of energy worrying about menus or food ingredients and cutting out a variety of food categories, such as meat, dairy, gluten, carbohydrates, and sugar. It’s possible that they haven’t even recognised they’ve reached that point of worrying over their health and may benefit from expert assistance.

Signs and Symptoms of Orthorexia                 

• Have compulsions about the consequences of food on medical illnesses such as asthma, anxiety, allergies, or digestive disorders, as well as undiagnosed ailments
• Because you consider so many items appropriate to your diet, severely limit the sorts of food you eat.
• Use large doses of probiotics, herbal medicines, and other supplements known to be beneficial to the body.
• Have unreasonable worries regarding meal preparation, such as food washing procedures and utensil sterilisation
• Have strong emotional responses to eating, such as:
  • Feelings of fulfilment and contentment as a result of eating clean, nutritious, and pure
  • Guilt feelings when consuming foods that are not considered healthy or pure
• Exaggerated time wasted thinking about food and eating food
• Meal preparations in advance, emotions of regret and discontent when meals are not scheduled in advance
• Having negative, judgemental attitudes about people who do not adhere to healthy, clean diets
• Abstain from eating meals produced outside of your home kitchen since you will find it difficult to stick to your healthy eating plan.
• Refusing food produced or purchased by others
• Creating separation between friends and relatives who do not share your culinary values

How to Treat Eating Disorders

To heal and stay well, you must make adjustments in your attitude and behaviour in addition to diet and medical therapy. Psychological counselling is a crucial component of treatment for anybody suffering from an eating disorder. It allows you to figure out what causes a person’s eating problems and how to cope with them.

There are several forms of psychological therapies, but they all entail speaking with a therapist (a psychologist or psychiatrist). These therapies are meant to help you explore your thoughts, behaviours, and interactions so that you may make adjustments that will help you feel less upset and make daily life simpler.

Some of the most common psychological therapies for eating problems include:

• Family therapy (in which family members work as a team to directly regulate a child’s behaviour)
• Cognitive behavioural treatment (CBT)
• Psychotherapy for interpersonal relationships
• Psychodynamic psychotherapy

Family therapy is typically the best option for children and teens suffering from anorexia nervosa. If family counselling is not possible or has not been beneficial, other methods of psychological treatment are attempted.

If you are very underweight, you will need to begin physical recovery before beginning psychological treatment to ensure that you are strong enough and that your brain is functioning correctly. Whatever therapy you and your health-care team choose, three things will always be constant:

• You will have a significant impact on your own therapy.
• You’ll need to be patient and persistent.
• You must be determined to complete the treatment.