This is an emotional and behavioral problem characterized by irregular eating patterns that center on weight and eating issues impairing the individual’s health. This typically affects the teens or young adulthood and with appropriate treatment, these conditions are treatable. The eating disorders can include the excessive or inadequate consumption of food. Some examples of eating disorders include anorexia nervosa, binge eating disorder and bulimia nervosa.
Anorexia nervosa
Individuals with this condition usually present fear of gaining weight and don’t maintain a healthy weight. They limit the amount of food intake and usually consider themselves as overweight even when they are underweight. Some of the symptoms of anorexia include extremely restricted eating, intense fear of gaining weight and extreme thinness. Other symptoms that can develop include osteoporosis, fatigue, brain damage, low blood pressure, lethargy, multi-organ failure and infertility.
Bulimia nervosa
This is a serious psychiatric illness characterized by the binge eating followed by forced vomiting or excessive exercise usually as the result of feelings of guilt and shame. Typically individuals with this condition fear of weight gain and are greatly concerned about their body size and shape. The health problems include the gastrointestinal conditions, swollen salivary glands, severe dehydration, electrolyte imbalance which can result in heart attack and decaying teeth. Usually, this condition is not detected for several years which make it hard for the individual to break the cycle.
Binge eating disorder
Individuals with binge eating disorder usually are unable to control the consumption of food and tend to be obese as the result. The binge eating is considered to be a distraction in order to prevent the individual from addressing the real cause of the problem. The symptoms associated with binge eating include eating fast during binge episode, eating alone, frequent dieting, taking food even when not hungry and consumption of large quantity of food in a specific period of time. They are also prone to developing associated complications such as cardiovascular disease.
Causes
This is actually a complex condition that can develop from a variety of triggers although the exact cause of eating disorder is not known. It is believed to be contributed by various environmental and psychological factors such as poor self-esteem, irregular hormone functions and stressful lifestyles changes. Additional risk factors include a low body mass index, psychiatric symptoms, social pressure for thinness and family social support deficits.
Treatment
The treatment is usually focused on addressing the underlying concerns of the individual and in restoring their health. The treatment may comprise a number of plans that are devised for the individual’s need. This can include individual or group psychotherapy, nutritionist and medications. It is estimated that one of the most effective forms of treatment includes some form of psychotherapy along with taking care of the medical and nutritional needs. Medications may involve antidepressants or mood stabilizers to treat the eating disorders and other conditions such as anxiety or depression.
References
https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/factors-may-contribute-eating-disorders
http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/treating-eating-disorder
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/eating-disorders/index.shtml?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss
http://www.eatingdisorders.org.au/eating-disorders/what-is-an-eating-disorder
