The Most Common Eating Disorders You Must Know About
Food for thought!
Negative body image is something we believe is a part and parcel of being human. But on another level, unrealistic perceptions of our bodies can have major repercussions, with eating disorders being the most common one. Here are the most common eating disorders that result from body image issues.
Common Eating Disorders:
1. Bulimia
Bulimia is another eating disorder that involves bingeing on large quantities of food, within a short span of time, followed by purging because of the fear of weight gain. Purging may be induced through forced vomiting, excessive exercise, or the use of diuretics and laxatives. A constant feeling of loss of control persists for the bulimic during the binge-purge episodes.
Signs To Watch Out For:
1. Persistent weight fluctuation
2. Chronic dehydration
3. Peptic ulcers
4. Lack of control over eating
5. Eating in secrecy, to name a few
Treatment:
Lack of self esteem and distorted body image are the root causes of Bulimia. Hence, treatment involves breaking the cycle of negative thoughts and resolving emotional issues. Medical help and counselling or therapy play an equal role in this.
2. Anorexia
In simple terms, anorexia is self starvation. A psychological problem that is marked by extremely low body weight, high levels of weight loss, excessive anxiety about weight gain and a distorted self image. More common among women, anorexic people are fixated with the idea of a thin figure and consequently develop abnormal eating patterns.
Signs To Watch Out For:
1. Obsession with calorie and fat content in products
2. Chronic dieting despite being underweight
3. Weird eating habits like always eating alone, hiding food, etc.
4. Depression
5. Loss of hair, among others
Treatment:
Usually self-diagnosable, the condition needs to be treated by a medical professional to restore normal weight, as well as to deal with other serious problems that could have developed on account of abnormal eating habits, such as heart disease, etc. Therapy can help deal with associated depression and anxiety.
3. Night Eating Syndrome
Often confused with Binge Eating Disorder, Night Eating Syndrome is different, although it too is marked by the presence of binge eating episodes. The food intake occurs at night or in the evenings, but does not necessarily involve eating large portions of food. There is a feeling of loss of control and the looming presence of guilt for the same.
Signs To Watch Out For:
1. Eating even when not hungry
2. Eating in secrecy
3. Feelings of shame and remorse
4. Inability to control eating
5. Depression, among others
Treatment:
To successfully overcome the disorder, you need a combination of therapies like nutrition therapy, physiology, cognitive behavioral therapy, stress management, and interpersonal therapy, as well as dialectical behavioral therapy.
Eating disorders are often ignored until they begin to visibly affect health or cause severe psychological problems, which are usually inevitable, as eating disorders are among the most common of all mental health conditions. If you have any reason to believe that you or a loved one may suffer from an eating disorder, seek help as soon as possible.
4. Binge Eating Disorder
Also known as compulsive overeating, individuals suffering from this disorder seem to lack any control over their food intake, resulting in consuming copious amounts of food. Unprecedented weight loss or even obesity are consequent issues that can further encourage the cycle of compulsive eating. If this vicious cycle continues, the individual experiences constant feelings of guilt and disgust leading to problems of anxiety and depression</a>.
Signs To Watch Out For:
1. Eating even after being full
2. Inability to stop eating
3. Stress and anxiety are common
4. Hiding food and eating it alone later, etc
Treatment:
Seeking professional help from a therapist, nutritionist, as well as psychiatrist to deal with destructive eating behavior as well as the underlying issues is a must.
5. Orthorexia
Orthorexia involves a fixation with either eating only particular kinds of healthy foods or entirely avoid certain food groups, which can result in severe nutritional imbalances. They either see themselves as superior to those who eat other kinds of food or feel absolutely isolated.
Signs To Watch Out For:
1. Extremely limited food choices
2. Obsession with certain types of food that they perceive to be healthy
Treatment:
Orthorexia requires the combined efforts of a team of therapists, nutritionists, and physicians, among others, to work closely with the patient. The goal is to overcome the underlying issues, along with maintaining a healthy body.
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