Eating might seem to be a simple act, but the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that surround it can be complex. What do we eat? How much? How often? When? Where? With whom? The answers to these questions will determine if a person is eating in ways that help them to be healthy or eating in ways that cause them harm. If harm is the result, this could indicate that person is being affected by an eating disorder.
Eating Disorders Eating disorders are dangerous, but treatable, mental and physical illnesses. They change the ways that a person thinks and behaves in relation to food, eating, and how they feel about their body. Untreated, they can have serious, or even life-threatening, outcomes. Eating disorders can affect anyone, regardless of sex, gender, age, race/ethnicity, weight, body shape, culture, or religion.
Anorexia Nervosa is most often recognized by dramatic weight loss and an intense fear of weight gain or being fat. People may severely limit the foods they eat, believe they are much bigger than they really are, and worry a great deal about that belief. They may not understand or accept the seriousness of their illness.
Bulimia Nervosa is diagnosed when someone frequently binges (eating large amounts of food in a short period of time) and then purges (making themselves vomit, taking laxatives or diuretics). They often will try to “cancel out” the food they binge by fasting or exercising excessively. While someone is binging, they feel a loss of control over their eating. The way they feel about themselves as a person is often determined by the way they feel about their body shape and weight.
Binge Eating Disorder is when someone frequently binges, but doesn’t follow that with purging. They feel a loss of control, guilt, discomfort, and distress. This is the most common eating disorder in the United States.
Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) means that someone avoids foods because they’re not interested in eating or nor interested in food (because they dislike the way that it looks, smells, or feels), or because they’re worried that eating will be somehow unpleasant. This disorder is not fueled by fear of gaining weight or distress about body shape or size. It differs from being “picky.” Children with ARFID don’t consume enough calories to grow and develop properly, and adults can’t maintain basic bodily functions.
Orthorexia is not clinically recognized as an eating disorder, but awareness about its dangers is growing. A person with orthorexia is fixated on consuming only food that they believe to be “healthy”, “clean”, or “pure.” Their concern is so extreme that they do themselves harm by unnecessarily eliminating foods or food groups from their diet, become very upset if “safe” foods aren’t available, or spend hours a day worrying about what foods they or others might be serving or eating.
Eating disorders are not just about food, eating, weight, or body image. They are the result of a complex interaction between biological, social, and psychological factors. The threats they can pose are equally complicated. These disorders can cause permanent organ damage, have harmful cardiovascular and pulmonary effects, impair brain functioning, and cause metabolic and digestive problems. They can lead to emotional struggles, social isolation, substance abuse, and an increased risk of suicide.
To learn more about other eating disorders such as Pica, Rumination Disorder, or Laxative or Exercise Abuse, visit the National Eating Disorders Association. |
