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Eating Disorders

By Akshinta Das

Introduction


Eating disorders are serious mental health conditions which are related to persistent eating responses as well as behaviors that negatively impact our health and ability to function effectively. The most common eating disorders are:

• Anorexia Nervosa

• Bulimia Nervosa

• Binge Eating

Several eating disorders focus a lot on weight, body shape and food, which leads to dangerous eating behaviors. Many of these behaviors can harm the body’s ability to acquire proper nutrition. These eating disorders can harm the heart, digestive system, bones, teeth and mouth, which can lead to other diseases.

Eating Disorders usually develop during the teen and young adult years, though they can develop at other ages as well. Along with treatment, healthy eating habits can help reduce eating disorders.


Anorexia Nervosa


Anorexia Nervosa, commonly known as Anorexia, is a potentially life threatening, dangerous, eating disorder that is characterized by the perception of an abnormal body weight, an intense fear of gaining weight, and a distorted perception of weight in general.

Symptoms

• Excessively limiting calories

• Using methods to lose weight

• Excessive exercising

• Restricted eating

• Extreme thinness

• Intense fear of gaining weight


• Bulimia Nervosa:


Bulimia is a serious, dangerous and life-threatening eating disorder. In this condition, you have recurring episodes of bingeing and purging which involves a feeling of lack of control over your eating. Many people with this condition restrict their eating, which leads to more binging and purging.

Usually in these episodes, you eat a huge amount of food in a short period of time, and then try to get rid of these calories by purging or vomiting using laxatives.


Symptoms

⦁ Sore throat and chronic inflammation

• Swollen salivary glands

• Tooth enamel deterioration

• Severe dehydration



  • Binge eating


When someone has this condition, they eat a lot of food (binge), and have a lack of control over their eating. You may eat quickly or overeat even when you are not hungry and continue to eat after you are full. After you binge, you may feel a sense of guilt or disgust. You lose the control over eating. Unlike bulimia, binge eating is not followed by purging or excessive exercise.

Symptoms

• Eating a large amount of food in a specific amount of time

• Eating when you are full or not hungry

• Eating quickly during binge episodes

• Eating alone to avoid embarrassment


Rumination disorder

Rumination disorder is repeatedly and persistently regurgitating food after eating, but it's not due to a medical condition or another eating disorder such as anorexia, bulimia or binge-eating disorder. Food is brought back up into the mouth without nausea or gagging, and regurgitation may not be intentional. Sometimes regurgitated food is rechewed and re-swallowed or spit out.

The disorder may result in malnutrition if the food is spit out or if the person eats significantly less to prevent the behaviour. The occurrence of rumination disorder may be more common in infancy or in people who have an intellectual disability.

Treatments And Therapies

People with eating disorders are at a higher risk of committing suicide. And they can often have other mental disorders such as (depression or anxiety) or problems with substance abuse. Complete recovery is possible.

• Individual, group or family psychotherapy

• Medical care and monitoring

• Nutritional counseling

• Medications




References

 
 
 

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