30 Million people suffer from an eating disorder. I know you may think this is a problem solely for women, but 10 million of the 30 Million are men.
In this post we are going to discuss:
- What is an eating disorder?
- The Types of Eating Disorders.
- What are the typical treatments for eating disorders?
What is an eating disorder?
Eating disorders are mental health issues. People like to place eating disorders on the back burner when they discuss mental health issues, but eating disorders have the highest mortality (death) rate of all mental health issues.
Eating disorders are mental health issues in which people experience disturbances in their eating habits. Someone suffering from an eating disorder usually becomes pre-occupied and obsessed with food and their body appearance.
The Types of Eating Disorders.
There are many eating disorders but we will focus on the main three; anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder. All 3 of these diseases are serious.
Anorexia nervosa (anorexia): is defined as a person weighing at least 15% or less of a normal person at the same size.
Some of the signs of anorexia are:
- Weight loss
- Fatigue weakness
- Bone showing through skin.
- Skin and hair changes (hair loss, yellow skin color).
- Induced vomiting.
- Excessive exercise
Bulimia nervosa:
People who suffer from bulimia typically take in large amounts of food and purge themselves. The purge can be induced through vomiting or laxatives.
The signs of bulimia are:
- Most patients with bulimia are normal weight.
- Callus knuckles from induced vomiting.
- Dental issues (acidic vomit).
- Poor body image
Binge eating:
Binge eating disorder is the eating of large quantities of food. People who have binge eating disorder feel like they lose control when eating. After they have these binge eating episodes they typically feel depressed and shame. These feelings can lead to purging. Binge eating disorder is the most common eating disorder in the world.
Signs of binge eating:
- Eat for relief
- Plan next meal while eating.
- Eating alone because of shame.
- Sense of feeling fat or obese.
- Uncontrolled consumption of food.
What are typical treatments for eating disorders?
The most significant treatment for these eating disorders are cognitive therapy. People who suffer from these disorders need to talk to a professional. They must identify the cause of their eating disorder.
They may need to talk to a dietician. A dietician can help them practice healthier eating habits.
If they suffer from depression as a comorbidity. An antidepressant may help alleviate the depression, which comes along with the eating disorder.
It is important to get professional help for these issues. They can become life threatening and cause problems psychologically and physically.
As always this is just for self educational purposes. If you or someone you know is suffering from any health problem please reach out to a health professional.
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