Here are signs that you or a loved one might have an eating disorder
February is National Eating Disorder Awareness and Screening month. Eating disorders are very serious health problems.
Anyone can have an eating disorder, regardless of gender, age, race or other categorizations. We do know that eating disorders are more likely to appear during puberty, and that rates are higher among women than they are among men.
Eating disorders can lead to fatal illness, including suicide. There are a variety of eating disorders, but all of them are associated with disturbances in both eating behavior, as well as in the thoughts and emotions related to eating.
According to the Mayo Clinic, “Most eating disorders involve focusing too much on your weight, body shape and food, leading to dangerous eating behaviors. These behaviors can significantly impact the body’s ability to get appropriate nutrition. Eating disorders can harm the heart, digestive system, bones, and teeth and mouth, and lead to other diseases.”
Ongoing research has determined that eating disorders are caused and impacted by a complex combination of things — some biological, some psychological, some societal, and some genetic. For example, ongoing gene research has identified that eating disorders can run in families.
Continued research is important not only because of the seriousness of these disorders, but because those with eating disorders also have a higher rate of other mental disorders as well as higher rates of medical complications and suicide.
While there are a variety of types of eating disorders, the most common are anorexia, bulimia, and binge-eating disorders.
Anorexia nervosa
This is a disorder in which someone sees themselves as overweight, even if they’re not. Sometimes people can even be severely underweight and still believe they weigh too much. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, these are some of the most common signs and symptoms of anorexia:
Extremely restricted eating
Extreme thinness (emaciation)
A relentless pursuit of thinness and unwillingness to maintain a normal or healthy weight
Intense fear of gaining weight
Distorted body image, a self-esteem that is heavily influenced by perceptions of body weight and shape, or a denial of the seriousness of low body weight
Bulimia and binge eating
Both bulimia and binge eating disorder have elements of what is referred to as binge eating. Binge eating is when a person frequently eats large amounts of food, and feel they do not have control over these events.
Binge eating is the most common eating disorder in the United States, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. It more frequently appears in teens and young adults but can develop at any time. It’s characterized by:
Eating unusually large amounts of food in a specific amount of time (e.g.; a 2-hour period).
Eating even when you’re full or not hungry.
Eating fast during the binge episode.
Eating alone or in secret to avoid embarrassment.
Feeling distressed, ashamed or guilty about your eating.
Frequently dieting, possibly without weight loss.
Bulimia is when a person binge eats but follows that behavior with one or more behaviors that are intended to counter-act the binge. That behavior might be vomiting, use of laxatives, or fasting, for example. Some symptoms of bulimia include:
Chronically inflamed and sore throat.
Swollen salivary glands in the neck and jaw.
Worn tooth enamel or decaying teeth (due to exposure to stomach acid).
Intestinal distress or irritation.
Severe dehydration and/or electrolyte imbalance, which can lead to stroke or heart attack.
Diagnosis of eating disorders begins with a physical exam by a health care provider. They may order lab tests or look for other causes for eating-related issues. There also will be a psychological evaluation by a mental health professional to find out more about the patient’s thoughts and feelings around eating, and the patient may be asked to do a self-assessment.
In Thurston County, we have a great resource in The Emily Program. The organization features an “Is it an eating disorder?” quiz on their website’s home page, which may be a good place to begin to determine whether eating-related issues require follow up with a doctor.
This National Eating Disorder Awareness month, consider your eating habits, and if you have concerns, either about yourself or a loved one, take the time to learn more and talk to your trusted health professional. Learn more about body image and mental health (geared towards women) through womenshealth.gov.
Together we can prevent eating disorders before they begin. Talk to your children about body positivity and images in the media, and avoid body shaming. Encourage and model healthy eating and exercise habits.
Eating disorders affect many people and are nothing to be ashamed of. We need to talk more openly about this pervasive problem to prevent stigma and isolation. Support is out there and treatment is available. Learn more about eating disorders through The Emily Program, and through: