National Eating Disorder Awareness Week is a week that is used to bring eating disorders and how they impact people’s lives to light. It is an opportunity to bring awareness to help support the recovery of those who struggle with eating disorders, or help prevent them from happening. It can also be helpful to spread resources to those who are impacted. This post will go over some of the common eating disorders that exist, the dangers that they present, common reasons why eating disorders develop, signs of eating disorders, and treatments available.
Common Eating Disorders and Their Dangers:
Anorexia:
Anorexia is when there is an extreme restriction of food and panic surrounding weight gain. Those who have it typically have an obsession with their current weight, the food they consume, calories, dieting, exercising, and their body image. They also often have low body weight, brittle skin, nails, and hair, sensitivity to the cold, and increased depression and anxiety
Some of the Dangers of Anorexia Include:
- Brittle skin, nails, and hair.
- Negative effects on menstrual periods
- Loss of muscle
- Issues with the kidneys
- Fatigue/ Dizziness
- High anxiety
- Difficulties concentrating
- Irregular heartbeats/ heart damage
- Infertility
- Brain damage
- Organ failure
- Death
Bulimia:
Bulimia is when there is constant recurring binge eating that is followed by behaviors to compensate for the binge eating, such as self-inducedvomiting, over-exercising, using laxatives, and fasting. Those with Bulimia are typically concerned about body image and weight.
Some of the Dangers of Bulimia Include:
- Weakness and dizziness
- Yellowing and rotting of teeth
- Low blood pressure
- Inflamed and sore throat
- Acid reflux
- Intestinal distress
- Dehydration
- Negative changes to mood
Binge Eating:
Binge eating disorder is when there are recurring moments of binge eating. This typically involves eating on a larger, more rapid scale than is normal. People with binge eating disorder consume food quickly, and often past the point when they are already full, to the point of it being uncomfortable, causing their weight to fluctuate. They will also eat even when they are not hungry or already full, and can have habits of eating in secret and hiding food wrappers or containers to hide their binge eating.
Some of the Dangers of Bing Eating Disorder are:
- Obesity
- High cholesterol/ blood pressure
- Type 2 diabetes
- Sleep issues
- Gastrointestinal issues
Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder:
Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder is when a person’s eating behaviors are disturbed, which is not based on body image or the fear of gaining weight. People with this disorder can limit the variety of food that they intake to the point that they end up in a nutritional deficiency, which affects their daily lives.
Some of the Dangers of Restrictive Food Intake Disorder:
- Unhealthy weight loss
- Malnutrition
- Functional impairments
- Osteoporosis
- Fatigue
- Anemia
- Cardiac arrest
Common Causes of Eating Disorders:
- Trauma
- Anxiety
- Depression
- OCD
- Mental health issues
- Diet trends
- Social media
- Family history
- Bullying
- Stress
- Culture
Signs of an Eating Disorder:
- Beginning a diet that focuses on clean, low-carb, or rule-based eating
- Avoiding certain food groups
- Avoiding meals with the family or social eating
- Constant fixation on calorie content
- Using the bathroom or shower immediately after meals
- Constant stomach pain due to gastrointestinal issues
- Struggling with gaining weight
- Weightloss during childhood or adolescence
- Fainting and fatigue
- Overexercising
- Needing nutritional supplements for nutritional deficits
- Irritability
- Mood swings
- Restlessness
- Heightened anxiety
- Socially withdrawn
- Concerned about being judged by peers
- Exercising without joy
- Needing to exercise to “earn” food
Available treatments:
- Psychotherapy: Several types of psychotherapies can be used to treat an eating disorder, including ACT, CBT, CRT, and DBT. This can help with the psychological factors that can influence the development of eating disorders.
- Medical Monitoring: In severe cases, a hospital stay could be required to monitor eating habits, weight, and vitals during the recovery process. This can help with stabilization and help with weight gain if needed.
- Registered Nutritionists and Dietitians: A nutritionist can help give more of an education on eating disorders and help create a plan to ensure that healthy eating habits are developed. It is important to find a provider who has had training in eating disorders to ensure the best treatment plan.
- Medications: While medications can’t stop eating disorders alone, they can be an effective aid to treat underlying mental health issues that can be contributing to the eating disorder. It can also be helpful to consider supplements and vitamins with the guidance of a provider to ensure proper nutrition.
Resources:
- Eating Disorder Screening
- ANAD help line: 1-888-375-7767:
- Eating Disorder Hope Help Lines
Conclusion:
While there are a lot of challenges during the recovery process from eating disorders, it is an achievable goal. With the support of family, friends, and professional services, it is something that you can work on with others, so you don’t have to navigate it alone. It is important to spread education on eating disorders so that we can help prevent eating disorders from happening in the first place and provide resources for those who are already struggling with their eating habits. Bear Creek Counseling is happy to support those who might be struggling.
