What are the main eating disorders?
Overview
Eating disorders are mental illnesses that affect 9% of the global population. They are only diagnosed by specialists, who have been a part of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder, since the last decade. Among teens, eating disorders are the second cause of death, preceded only by road accidents. Anyone could develop an eating disorder, no matter the weight, height, age, sex or ethnicity. You’d be surprised to find out that less than 6% of patients with eating disorders are underweight. Eating disorders are manifested as wrong behaviours towards food, driven by a strong obsession with body image and an overwhelming fear of weight gain.
Recurrent symptoms among people suffering from eating disorders are: reduced food consumption, binge eating, intense physical activity, self-induced vomiting, use of laxatives and diuretics, frequent weighing and body checking, obsession with food, loss of interest in social events where food is involved.
Types of eating disorders
- Anorexia nervosa is a mental illness that manifests when an individual restricts the amount of food or drinks consumed. Patients may develop rules around nutrition that feel like they have to follow, or they may compensate for the food eaten with exercise or purging. Low weight is a symptom of anorexia, though everyone could suffer from it regardless of their size and body measures.
- ARFID (Avoidant restrictive food intake disorder) manifests in people who restrict or avoid certain foods or food groups. This may happen because they are scared of the consequences of eating them, or because they dislike the consistency or taste. ARFID could influence one’s physical or mental health and negatively impact the life quality of those who suffer from it.
- Binge eating disorder is an illness that characterises people who ingest an excessively large quantity of food during a short period without feeling in control of their actions. During binge episodes, people may feel detached from their actions and do not perceive what they are doing. The condition may result in emotions of shame and discomfort, as well as negatively impacting one’s health, as the portions ingested could exceed the recommended quantities.
- Bulimia nervosa affects people who are stuck in a cycle of binges followed by actions that aim to compensate for the food eaten. These can include purging, taking laxatives or diuretics, excessive physical activity or fasting.
- Orthorexia, although not a recognized medical condition, alludes to one’s obsession with “healthy” or “pure” eating. This fixation could potentially limit an individual in conducting their social life freely, as well as negatively impacting one’s mental or physical health. Orthorexia patterns are, moreover, found in people suffering from other EDs.
- OSFED (Other specified feeding or eating disorder) is an umbrella term used to describe all people suffering from eating disorders that demonstrate atypical symptoms, such as not falling into certain weight boundaries or not following specific eating patterns.
- Pica is an eating disorder that involves the ingestion of substances that do not have a nutritional value / are not food, like ice, paper, soap, paint, chalk or plastic. Pica usually manifests in young children whose eating habits may endanger severely their well-being.
What causes an eating disorder?
Being a mental illness, it is difficult to define the specific causes of an eating disorder. In most cases, it’s a concomitance of environmental, genetic, emotional and psychological reasons. These may be the presence of a family member who had an eating disorder, past diets, excessive desire for perfection, dissatisfaction with one’s body image, presence of other mental disorders, stress caused by new situations, an unhealthy relationship with exercise, being a teen girl… There may also be triggering events, which contribute to the onset of the disease, such as bullying or incorrect comments about someone’s eating habits or body.
It is worth mentioning that eating disorders often have nothing about one’s body but are a reflection of the desire to control an aspect of someone’s life to compensate with the uncertainty the may be experiencing.
Statistics
Why did eating disorder cases rise during quarantine?
The COVID pandemic and subsequent quarantine resulted in an increase in cases of eating disorders, which grew by 30%. The precariousness of the situation, the restrictions and the rules have caused population stress and a perception control loss. People already suffering from eating disorders felt they had to respond to these changes with additional restrictions, which gave them the chance to control something in their lives. Being in lockdown forced people to stop working out, increasing their fear of weight gain. Many were locked in stressful family environments, and the extended availability of food didn’t help. Lastly, with more free time, even the use of social media increased significantly, making people compare themselves to others even more.
How to help someone with an eating disorder
If you doubt someone could be suffering from an eating disorder, don’t hesitate to urge them to ask for help from a professional. These are some tips on how to help someone in their recovery journey, though nothing can replace the work of a registered psychologist or nutritionist.
– Try to talk and explain to them why you’re worried. It could help them recognize their problem.
– Help them to find reasons to heal, so that they’ll find the motivation to change.
– Give them support during their recovery and therapy treatment.
– Don’t make comments about their body or their eating habits, and don’t start conversations about topics that could trigger them.
– Be a good example, someone to follow. Show them you’re eating correctly and that you have a good relationship with your body.
– Make meals enjoyable, by talking about something that is not related to food, distracting them from eating.
– Don’t judge them, try to put yourself in their shoes and comprehend how they are feeling.
– Learn more about eating disorders, research further information or ask specialists about them.
– Make yourself available: ask them how they are feeling and if they need something.
– Understand that it’s not your fault and you shouldn’t blame yourself. Instead of dwelling on what you might have done in the past, think about what you can do for them in the present.