Eating Disorders
What are Eating Disorders?
- abnormal eating behaviours, such as starving, over-eating or binge eating.
- other abnormal behaviours such as inducing vomiting, abuse of laxatives or diuretics, excessive exercising.
- extreme concerns with weight, shape and eating.
Eating disorders include:
Anorexia Nervosa (AN) where sufferers starve themselves and are terrified of weight gain. They find they will have a loss of sexual interest (men) or loss of periods (women). Some people with AN also binge and purge.
Bulimia Nervosa (BN) where sufferers binge-eat and then either induce vomiting, abuse laxatives or diuretics, exercise excessively, or starve in order to compensate for bingeing. Sufferers are very concerned about weight or shape, but stay within the normal weight range.
Binge Eating Disorder where sufferers binge eat, but do not carry out any compensatory behaviours. Their weight might increase to above the normal weight range.
Mood
Many, but not all people with eating disorders suffer from low or depressed mood. Most suffer from anxiety, particularly in relation to food and eating.
Thoughts
People with eating disorders often find they are preoccupied with thoughts about food, eating, weight and shape. This may mean that there is no opportunity to think about other problems such as difficulties in relationships or low self-esteem.
Biological changes
Behaviours such as starving, bingeing and vomiting or abuse of laxatives can lead to physical health problems such as disorders of the blood, gastric system, electrolyte (salt) balance and hence to kidney and heart problems. Some studies show that up to 1 in 5 sufferers of AN will die, due to one of the above problems, starvation or suicide. People who induce vomiting frequently are at particular risk of kidney or heart failure.
Causes
There is not one reason why a person develops and eating disorder. A wide range of factors may be relevant, such as problems in growing up and becoming independent, family problems, being teased about weight or shape, and low self-esteem. Although we cannot say that dieting causes eating disorders, most people who develop an eating disorder do so after starting to diet. Many people think that the value placed on thinness for women in Western culture is an important factor.
Treatments
A small number of people (usually those with severe AN) will need to be treated in hospital. Most people with eating disorders, however, will remain at home and can be helped by a series of regular appointments with a mental health professional such as a clinical psychologist or a community psychiatric nurse. A practice nurse or dietician may help people with milder eating disorders. Someone suffering with BN may recover after 4-6 months of therapy, whereas it may take 1-2 years for someone with AN.
