The Link Between Mental Health And Eating Disorders

As many as 30 million people are struggling with an eating disorder in the US. But it is only when the eating disorder has progressed past a certain point do patients seek and get the professional help they need.

Too little, we realize that eating disorders are complex mental health problems that take a heavy psychological and emotional toll before they manifest on a physical level. 

A person struggling with an eating disorder sets unrealistic targets about their food intake, body and self image, and weight. The self-destructive path that they choose to achieve these unrealistic goals affects their behaviors, thoughts, and emotions, which has a knock-on effect on relationships with family and friends.

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Emotional Upheaval

Let’s take a look at the most common eating disorders: anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorders.

Take anorexia nervosa, for instance. People with this eating disorder have an intense fear of gaining weight, and they take extreme measures to prevent it through self-starvation. Some individuals set strict eating limits, while others consume large amounts of food and purge it through unhealthy methods.     

Anorexia messes with your emotions and can manifest in constant irritability, fluctuating moods, social withdrawal, and obsession with food and exercise.  

Likewise, individuals with bulimia nervosa struggle with low self-esteem linked to their body image. Despite being of average weight or just a bit overweight, their negative perception of their body may bring them to binge on large amounts of food then take measures to compensate through forced vomiting, laxative abuse, and intense exercise.

Similarly, people struggling with binge eating disorders (BED) experience significant distress after binging behavior. Unlike bulimics, they don’t take compensatory measures like purging, but the emotional upheaval may be as intense, especially since they feel they don’t have any control.

Eating And Psychological Disorders

There is no single cause in developing an eating disorder, but biological factors like genetics may increase the risk. 

External pressures also shape how a person perceives himself against the prevailing beauty standards reinforced by pop culture and social media.

These messages’ most prominent theme calls on women to aspire for slim, hourglass figures while pushing men to strive for muscular bodies to achieve success and happiness in life.  

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People with eating disorders work to achieve these unrealistic standards, which does them more harm than good. A well-meaning diet to shed extra weight may spiral into a full-blown eating disorder, developing into psychiatric disorders like depression or anxiety.  

There’s some evidence suggesting that severe malnutrition can cause physiological imbalances that negatively affect one’s mood and cause poor concentration.

But people suffering from eating disorders often have existing or co occurring disorders that make symptoms worse by amplifying the negative emotions associated with unhealthy eating habits. 

In addition to depression and anxiety disorders, people with eating disorders might have a borderline personality disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and substance use disorder. 

According to two separate studies, half of the patients diagnosed with binge eating disorder have a history of depression. Nearly a fourth (24%) of bipolar patients met the criteria for eating disorders. 

Likewise, people with anorexia are not exempt from depression and anxiety disorder, with tragic results. Studies show anorexics are 50 times more likely than the general population to die because of suicide. 

High Mortality Risks

The strong connection between nutrition and eating disorders increases the former’s mortality rate. A study published in 2012 concluded that all eating disorders have increased mortality risks.

Anorexia is recognized as a fatal mental illness with an estimated mortality rate of 10% as patients die due to starvation, metabolic collapse, substance abuse, and suicide. 

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People with eating disorders fail to receive timely treatment because they try to hide their condition due to feelings of guilt, shame, or embarrassment.

If left untreated, it can lead to serious medical complications like heart failure, osteoporosis, gastric rupture, pancreatitis, and diabetes.  

Treatment

The good news is eating disorders can be treated, and early diagnosis plays a big part in improving health outcomes. A variety of treatment options are available for eating disorders and mental health conditions that often co occur.

Given the close link between mental health issues and eating disorders, it’s essential to form a comprehensive treatment plan that addresses co-occurring disorders and involves a multidisciplinary team that might include a primary care provider, psychiatrist, dietician or nutritional counselor, and a social worker. 

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The treatment options will likely include psychotherapy, counseling, and a medical plan that addresses one’s nutritional needs. The doctor may also prescribe antidepressants and anti-anxiety medication as needed.   

Outpatient treatment works for some people with mild eating disorders, but severe cases might require inpatient care or hospitalization in a specialized facility.

Inpatient stays are usually followed by outpatient treatment and aftercare to adequately address the disorder’s underlying issues and reduce the risk of relapse. The same goes for the treatment of co occurring problems, such as substance abuse.

If you are struggling with psychological disorders, substance abuse, and  thoughts of self-harm, there’s help. You can contact organizations like Crisis Text Line.

Crisis Text Line provides free and confidential help and support 24/7. Just text HOME to 741741, and they will talk to you via SMS. Crisis Text Line help people living in the US, UK, Canada, and Ireland.

Final Thoughts 

Some people might dismiss eating disorders as a fad, a phase, or a choice, but they are real illnesses that require immediate medical intervention.

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to treating eating disorders, but early diagnosis increases the likelihood of reversing this disease’s health consequences. You are not alone, and you deserve to receive professional help.

Anorexia didn’t earn its reputation as the deadliest mental illness for no reason. It’s best to get professional help when disordered eating is already harming your productivity, functioning, and quality of life. 

FAQs

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Talking To Your Family About Your Eating Disorder

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Eating Disorder is a sensitive topic. Most people diagnosed with this find it difficult to strike a conversation about what they’re going through. They fear that when they open up, they may receive judgments from their friends and family. However, hiding your eating disorder may worsen your mental and physical health. It is crucial to reach out to your family members about your eating disorder to speed up your recovery.

Set A Time And Place To Talk

Choose a quiet place and right timing to talk about your eating disorder with your parents and other family members. There will be a meaningful conversation if they have their undivided attention and are in a positive mood. If you aren’t confident to tell your situation in front of everyone, you can talk to your parents or siblings separately.

An ideal time maybe during weekends, where everyone has their day-off. It is essential to have an uninterrupted conversation in a private place where nobody is rushed and fewer distractions.

Air Out Your Concerns

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Understandably, talking to your family members about an eating disorder is difficult. But you have to be honest and open about what you feel and experience. Tell them that you think you have an eating disorder, explain your unusual eating behaviors, and show what you’ve researched.

Talking about your eating disorder for the first time can be nerve-wracking. If you are not prepared to discuss in person, you can write them a letter or message them on any online platform. Although messages on these platforms may get misunderstood or misinterpreted, so be sure to be clear and concise with what you want to convey to your family members.

To help you get started, Jacquelyn Ekern, MS, LPC and Crystal Karges, MS, RDN suggest, “Phrases that might be helpful to share with them include ‘I feel sad and scared about a health problem I am struggling with,’ or ‘I have tried to overcome this on my own but feel that I need help,’ or even ‘I am struggling with an eating disorder and would like your support and guidance to find treatment and overcome this challenge. Will you please help me?'” 

Prepare For Anything

Your parents’ reactions will vary. Some may get frightened, shocked, angry, or confused with all the information you told them. But most parents are supportive of their pursuit of the improvement of their mental and physical health because they only want the best for their children.

Expect that you will receive an emotional response from your parents and know that their feelings are valid and normal. Don’t blame yourself if they lashed out on you as their emotions are not necessary for your healing process. Give yourself some positive reinforcement that you are brave enough to open this sensitive topic to your parents and acknowledge that you want to feel better with your condition. It may take time for them to digest everything, but they will slowly accept it through time.

Educate And Seek Professional Help

Parents play a significant role in your recovery from an eating disorder. Some parents may feel guilty, and they blamed themselves. While you sit down and talk to them, educate them about eating disorders to better understand your situation. Tell them that your eating disorder can be treated.

You may also want to have a list of treatment centers handy. Discuss with your parents the treatment centers you looked up and consider some options in looking for the best treatment center. Here are some things you and your family may want to consider:

  • Length of stay in the treatment center;
  • Kinds of insurance accepted;
  • Treatment center’s philosophy;
  • Treatment methods offered;
  • Location of the treatment center;
  • Amenities; and
  • Payment options

Find A Specialist

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Aside from considering a treatment center, find a qualified eating disorder specialist who will oversee your treatment. Usually, treatments for this type of condition begin at the outpatient level, and most patients respond successfully to this level. The specialist will diagnose which type of eating disorder you have and will inform you of the types of therapy you will undergo based on your condition.

There are different types of Eating disorder treatments. Discuss with your specialist the underlying issues that should be prioritized, and the level of eating disorder treatment needed. Some helpful therapies include:

  • Art Therapy;
  • Dance/Movement Therapy;
  • Dialectical Behavioral Therapy;
  • Family Therapy; and
  • Medical Nutrition Therapy

Combat Eating Disorder With Your Family’s Support

An eating disorder can have long-term consequences and complications if not immediately treated. Confronting the eating disorder and admitting that you need help is the first step towards recovery.

However, you don’t have to go through this alone. Opening up to your family members about your situation, and getting support from them makes everything better. You’re one step closer to overcoming your eating disorder. It may not be easy for them to understand at first, but their unconditional love and support will always remain.

 

 

Lockdown: When I Discovered That My Sister Had An Eating Disorder

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There was something wrong with my sister. I could feel it, but I just didn’t know what it was yet. So, when classes were suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she was forced to stay with me since dorms were also on lockdown. That’s when I saw the problem. My sister has an eating disorder. She was suffering from bulimia nervosa. This disorder is dangerous, and it can be fatal if not appropriately addressed. I don’t want her to die, and as any sister would do, I intervened and helped her in the best way I could.

Continue reading “Lockdown: When I Discovered That My Sister Had An Eating Disorder”

How Attending An Eating Disorder Conference Could Help You

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Experts gathered together in the 2019 Eating Disorder Conference held at Drumlins, Syracuse New York last October. The conference featured various topics that gave its audience a better understanding of eating disorders and how to deal with it appropriately. But why would you want to pay for the registration and attend an entire day of lectures? Here are three reasons why:

1. Various Topics Discussed By Experts

 

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Conferences invite people who are experts in the field to share their knowledge. Often, these experts discuss topics that are products of years of their hard work—listening to what their lectures would impart valuable information in a few minutes. Experts might touch on issues that deal with your condition or experience. If you have questions, these experts are the best people to answer them.

2. You Will Be Amongst Your Peers

Do not feel intimidated by conferences. Instead, be comforted by the thought that your peers surround you. Attendees of conferences share the same interests. They could be experts, part of the academe, students, and merely curious people. Learning like this does not only occur in lectures. You could discover new things and understand your condition better by conversing with others and sharing your story.

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3. Conferences Open New Opportunities

Participants in conferences may come from different fields in your topic of interest. The event would allow you to socialize with them while learning new things. It will enable you to explore further possibilities and maybe point you to a direction you have been uncertain of. You may discover new areas of study, an opportunity for research, or meet someone who shares the same experiences.

Conferences gather people to learn together. It is a chance to share your views, experiences, and learnings over the years. Having an eating disorder may be challenging to deal with alone, but attending conferences would make you realize that there is a community that supports you. No matter what your purpose in attending a conference is, it is for sure that upon leaving the venue, you will always bring home new knowledge with you, and that could never be a bad thing.

Why Lockdown Is Good For Binge Eaters

I am a former binge eater. I was diagnosed with this eating disorder at 15 years old. I used to be able to down three 2-L bottles of root beer and five party-sized pizzas in one sitting.

My parents thought at first that I was just too hungry after coming home from softball practice. However, they put their feet down when they realized that I was eating the same amount of food even on days when I had nothing to do. That was when they took me to a child psychologist, and we all found out that I had a binge-eating disorder.

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At the time, I held my ground and insisted that I was unaware of the issue. All I said was, “I love food. Perhaps I couldn’t control my love for food.” But deep down, I had suspicions that my binge-eating habits stemmed from stress. It was the early 90s, after all, and everyone had a specific picture in mind of what a cool kid looked like. There was no way for me to be seen in that manner, so I ate my feelings (literally).

Now that I am no longer a binge eater, though, I help binge-eating kids to get over it. I facilitate group therapy for them during the weekend, and it is apparent how their social interaction works in their favor.

Unfortunately, all group activities have stopped since the state governor has asked everyone to avoid leaving the house. The coronavirus is still wreaking havoc all over the world, and the lockdown is the safest preventative measure.

I can still meet the kids but only via Zoom or Skype. We cannot hang out anymore, as we have typically done before. It saddens me as much as the children, but I think the lockdown is suitable for young binge eaters.

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You Cannot Sneak Out To Pig Out

When I was trying to overcome the binge-eating disorder, I was not the most effortless child to rehabilitate. My desire to overeat was too intense, to the extent that I would pretend to go to my friend’s house to hang out. The truth, however, was that I would walk to the nearest McDonald’s and buy as many burgers as possible.

Thanks to the lockdown, the young binge eaters cannot follow my previous example. No child below the age of 18 is supposed to be seen out of their house, so no one can sneak out. Hence, they need to make do with what’s in the pantry.

Your Parents Can Watch What You Eat

The ultimate challenge for the parents is to make the binge-eating child’s relationship with food healthy again. It is not enough to order the kids to go on a diet because it can trigger their rebellious side. Hurt feelings can pave the way for other eating disorders, you know.

One vital thing you can do is to watch what your child eats. Reduce the number of servings they can get little by little, and explain this plan very well. This technique may not work if they feel like you are working behind their back.

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There Are Many Indoor Activities To Keep Your Mind Off Excessive Eating

The lockdown is also ideal for kids who want to curb their binge-eating habits because you can try many indoor activities with the family. For instance, you may do a reading relay, build a massive puzzle, or paint a specific object and see who has recreated it best.

If you notice, such activities are not too physically strenuous. The reason is that exhaustion can make anyone hungry. Your goal is to get distracted from hunger pangs, not to end up entertaining it.

Final Thoughts

I wish I can say that binge-eating disorder is less challenging to beat than other eating disorders. It has taken me five years to see put my spoon and fork down when I am full. Despite that, the rehabilitation may speed up due to the lockdown, considering you don’t have sources of temptation everywhere.

Good luck!

Early Signs Of Eating Disorders In Children

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The Type of Eating Disorder Conference 2019 cultivates the continued development and training for future eating disorder clinicians and researchers. It aims to spark more in-depth discussion and reflection on the subject of eating disorders in the next generation. Information regarding eating disorders is essential as identifying early symptoms can lead to early treatment—especially when dealing with children who may not be able to express their emotions directly.

Eating disorders in children present differently in the cases of older adults. Therefore, parents have to remain vigilant and observe unusual behaviors in their children’s eating habits. Eating disorders can have significant harm to physical health and growth, so how can we identify the signs of eating disorders in children?

Avoidance Of Eating Meals With Family Members

Family meals support healthy eating habits in children. However, children experiencing the difficulties of living with an eating disorder may avoid it regularly. They may insist on having already eaten with their friends or feeling full all the time. Signs that parents have to take note of also are their children’s excessive concern about meal preparation, repeatedly reading food labels and fixation with portion sizes.

Missing Food In Your Home

Children with bulimia or binge eating disorder perform their binging when no one is around due to feeling shameful or guilt. They may hide food in their rooms and consume it quickly. Parents may not recognize the cause of their child’s weight gain immediately. Other signs may include vomiting after eating, usage of laxatives, or excessive bowel movements.

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Children Being Hyperactive Or Feelings Of Restlessness

Parents may recognize hyperactivity in their children as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Syndrome (ADHD). But this is also one of the signs of eating disorders developing in kids. It may not come in the form of exercising, like in older adults. They may do excessive moving without a specific goal. Parents may introduce yoga to their children, which is a type of fitness that can also boost their self-esteem. 

Extreme Worry On Their Appearance

When children fret too much about their physical appearance or weight themselves extensively, these habits can be early signs of eating disorders. Children who have eating disorders have issues with their self-esteem and become very self-conscious. They may avoid social interaction or wear baggy clothes to hide their body to other people. Children may also feel irritable or withdrawn. 

People With Eating Disorders Need Immediate Help

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My sister dragged me to the 2017 Eating Disorder Conference, and it was a turning point in my life. She is an eating disorder specialist, and I wanted to be a therapist, as well. I just did not know what field I wanted to be in at that time, and so she booked me a spot in their conference. She did it not just because she knows I wanted a career in this field. My sister knows that one of my best friends is struggling with bulimia and that I feel so helpless about it.

Continue reading “People With Eating Disorders Need Immediate Help”

How to Overcome Pica Eating Disorder

The 2018 Sedona Health and Nutrition Conference was held for health care providers to discuss and identify general and specific approaches to the incorporation of nutritional intervention in medical practice. The conference aims to recognize the links between dietary choices and illnesses, such as eating disorders.

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In the case of the less recognized and understood eating disorder such as Pica, an individual or his family may not know the behavior as a disorder. As it is not motivated by the desire to change one’s appearance, it is considered a feeding disorder more than a classic eating disorder. Pica is especially challenging to detect as the person may be aware and worried about their eating patterns but may be embarrassed to seek help. The first step to overcoming Pica is to understand the condition and the available treatment options.

 

What is Pica?

Pica is a compulsive feeding disorder that causes people to eat non-food items that do not contain a significant nutritional value for at least one month. These non-food items and substances ingested may vary with age and availability, but they are usually:

  • Hair
  • Dirt and sand
  • Paper
  • Plastic
  • Paint chips
  • Cloth
  • Soap
  • String
  • Metal
  • Stone
  • Cigarette butt 
  • Chalk

It can affect children, adolescents, adults of any genders, as well as pregnant people. Pica often occurs alongside mental health disorders. It is associated with impaired functioning, such as schizophrenia, intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorder, excoriation disorder, and hair-pulling disorder.

Treatment of Pica

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The diagnosis for Pica is usually made from the clinical history of the patient. Hence, the patient needs to be honest with their doctor about the substances that they eat. 

A lack of nutrition and eating disorders are strongly connected, so the first line of treatment for people diagnosed with Pica is to correct any mineral or nutritional deficiencies caused by the disorder. Surgery may also be performed to remove substances from the patient’s digestive tract or to treat other injuries caused by the digestion of non-food items. The doctor may refer the patient for psychological evaluation and behavioral interventions. 

After the results, the patient may be prescribed with medications, psychotherapy, or a combination of both. These treatments will help the patient develop coping skills and strategies to deal with the impulses of eating non-food items. Along with these treatments, the awareness of and support by their loved ones can help set off a Pica patient towards healing.

 

Psychiatry Experts’ Tips On How To Avoid Anorexia Relapse

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Have you stopped working out excessively or fasting for days?

That’s a great thing! It entails that you are in the process of recovering from anorexia nervosa, an eating disorder. Extreme dieting and exercising are a couple of indications that you have this illness, as you perhaps already know. The fact that you managed to let go of the reins can only mean that you’re ready to make peace with your body.

Eating disorders in people at higher weights are commonly misdiagnosed, leading to delayed treatment and more dire prognoses. — Alexis Conason Psy.D.

The problem is, your willingness to cull the symptoms of anorexia may not suffice to ensure that the illness won’t creep back in your life. It may not happen after a few months, but future circumstances can push you to go down that rocky road again if you have an unstable anchor.

So, find out the tips on how to avoid anorexia relapse from psychiatry experts below.

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Identify The Causes

As the person who experiences the eating disorder, you surely know the reason(s) why you acquired anorexia at the back of your mind. It isn’t the time to feign ignorance about the subject since it’s never easy to fight any disease when you don’t know what you’re facing.

In case it feels hard to divulge the causes even to your family or a mental health professional, you can start enumerating them on your own. Write your reasons down so that you won’t forget what pulled you towards the dark path in the first place. Then, you can prevent them next time.

Misconceptions about anorexia abound. One of these is that anorexia happens almost exclusively to women and girls. — Tom Wooldridge, PsyD, ABPP, CEDS

Stop Minding Criticisms

Anorexia and various eating disorders originate mostly from the truth that you allow negative comments to get to you. Someone says you have chubby arms even if you’re size 6, for instance, and you see that as a reason to be in the gym for hours every day. Or, when others talk about how your regular meals make your cheeks full, it may have an adverse impact on your mental state too.

What psychiatrist experts suggest to avoid going through that phase again is to block off criticisms entirely. Don’t pay attention to acquaintances or relatives who think you look better when super skinny. Limit the time you dedicate to browsing social media as well so that you lessen your chances of being lured to read mean messages.

Talk To Your Loved Ones

The most stable anchors you will ever find are within your inner circle. They can be your parents, boyfriend, girlfriend, or best friends. Only, you need to have the courage to voice out your woes to them. That way, they’ll have an idea of how to help you stay in recovery mode.

Lead A Healthy Life

The best solution to anorexia, of course, is living healthily. You can work out and maintain a diet plan, yet make sure that everything stays in moderation. If you exert physical effort without eating anything even just once, then your system will go out of whack.

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Besides the stuff mentioned above, the ultimate secret to avoiding anorexia relapse is tosee the beauty of life. Doesn’t it feelincredible to be able to do things without worrying about what others will think of you? It’s also great to try new dishes and relax your mind and body without needing to weigh yourself in often.

As I know personally and professionally, the symptoms may be similar but the causality is unique to each individual. — Lauren Grunebaum L.C.S.W.

You ideally know these by now, so it’s merely a matter of ensuring you remember that you don’t forget them to avoid anorexia relapse. Good luck!

The Effects Of Eating Disorder To Your Body

Eating Disorder. Do you love to eat? Do you know what counts as an eating disorder? How does an eating disorder develop? Can eating disorders disturb personality traits? An eating disorder enables individuals to take drastic measures to conform to their idea of beauty. In the case of anorexia, patients may work out till their system drops and not take certain foods or non-food substances for as long as possible. With binging, on the other hand, the person chows down various meals in one sitting as if somebody will clear them away at any time.

Drugs can lead your life to bad things.
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All About The Eating Disorder

However, regardless of the type of eating disorder, health consequences harm the patient’s mind and body. It isn’t unlikely to develop an ulcer and various health conditions due to these mental health conditions. So, It’ll be incredible if you can talk a loved one out of their eating behaviors.

If I asked you to picture someone with an eating disorder, what comes to mind? — Jennifer Rollin MSW, LCSW-C

 

Eating disorders are serious. Its term is a group of conditions that involve either excessive overeating (binge eating disorder) or inadequate amount of food eaten, extreme concerns about body weight or shape, or a combination of these behaviors. The most common ones are anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating.

People with anorexia nervosa have severe restrictive food intake problems. They limit their calories, skip meals and avoid healthy eating, which leads to significant weight loss. People with bulimia nervosa alternate with compensatory behaviors such as forced vomiting, abusing laxatives, or exercising excessively.

Efforts to reduce your weight, to the point of becoming dangerously underweight, can cause severe health problems, sometimes to the point of deadly self-starvation.

Other eating disorder symptoms or medical complications include pica (eating non-food items), brittle hair, weak tooth enamel, obsessive focus on eating, rumination disorder (repeatedly regurgitating food), and avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) which is an eating or feeding disorder that is characterized by a persistent failure to meet appropriate nutritional value and/or energy needs.

People are developing eating disorders as a result of numerous factors, including genetic predisposition, culture, family relationships, and personal history of dieting. They develop an avoidant restrictive food intake due to intense fear of weight gain.

Treatment Counseling Help With Eating Disorder

Professional counseling can come in on cases of mental health problems when he or she is fully ready. It matters to encourage people with food issues and different cultural practices to get better, even at home. Your support and motivation could affect people with an eating disorder. Below are several hints on how to encourage people with the health condition:

Much dieting can cause an eating disorder
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Many people who don’t “look like they have problematic eating habits” based on their weight, gender, or skin color are not identified as having an eating disorder by medical professionals. — Alexis Conason

Disorder: What Is More To Eating Disorder?

What Does Eating Disorder Do To A Person?

Feeding disorders may stay unsolvable for as long as possible if you have no idea about what it is and what the mental health condition does to someone.  You may even do something inappropriate by assuming that drastic moves will push them toward a recovery path.

Therefore, our advice is to learn about every problematic eating habit known to man. It will be especially helpful if your problematic eating behaviors remain a mystery.  Volumes of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) of the American Psychiatric Association are excellent sources of such information. You can also learn more about these problematic night-eating syndrome habits from blogs and health-related websites.

Eating disorders are mental illnesses that involve the sufferer having a distorted body mass index and an unhealthy obsession with food, normal weight, and body shape. They’re different from picky eating. Common eating disorders include Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, Binge Eating Disorder, Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), Pica, and Rumination Disorder.

Higher risk factors for the health condition include low self-esteem, a history of dieting, a fear of gaining weight, mental health illness, and an excessive need to exercise. Individuals in early adulthood, young adulthood, or even early childhood are particularly at increased risk of developing an eating disorder due to society’s expectations of physical appearance.

Physical Signs And Interventions For People With Eating Disorders

With some knowledge, you may now acquire the patient’s perception. In particular, ask him or her how they feel about themselves. Do they feel satisfied with their appearance? Are they happy whenever they see their reflection in the mirror? Negative answers, of course, indicate that there’s something wrong. But you also need to consider that they may lie about being alright to lessen your worries. Thus, it’s vital to read their actions and realize the symptoms of the problem or warning signs to understand what they’re going through.

The condition can have serious physical and psychological symptoms. People with the condition often experience low blood pressure, abdominal pain, severe dehydration, and electrolyte imbalances. Unlike anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa is characterized by recurrent episodes of binge eating and purging problems (inducing vomiting or abusing laxatives). People with bulimia nervosa often have an intense fear of gaining weight, although they may be at a healthy weight or even slightly overweight. There are also other neurobiological factors at play tied to emotional reactivity and impulsivity that could lead to binging and purging behaviors.

Watch Your Words

It can get frustrating to make your loved ones notice that they are beautiful as is, yet that doesn’t give you the freedom to be insensitive. Spewing harsh statements won’t help people with their disorders get better. Words like ‘fat’ or ‘heavyweight’ will hit the patient like solid rocks and force them to work on their weight harder than ever.

If your goal is to enable them to overcome the condition, you should be more careful with your words. Always think before you utter anything, mainly if it’s about body image. It may prevent weight gain.

Criticize No One’s Figure To Prevent Them From Resorting To Tube Feeding Of Cynical Ideas.

A girl covering her face while someone is using her as an example
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Sometimes attitudes and behaviors emerge in response to the overwhelming despair and hopelessness that accompanies watching a loved one starving herself/himself. — Judy Scheel Ph.D., L.C.S.W., CEDS

Cheer Them Up

Problematic eating behavior is just as challenging as any other ailment. Patients with problematic food inatke patterns may want to get rid of their bad habits, too – it’s just that they feel as if they’re alone in this battle. For that reason, always give them a boost of confidence.

Final Thoughts: In A Nutshell

Seek treatment early. Compliment single treatment options for problematic eating habits. Don’t stop telling the individual as well that they are more than enough. Although they may not initially believe it, your constant reminders can hopefully make a significant difference soon and convince them to lose weight.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Qualifies As A Problematic Eating Habit?

A problematic eating habit qualifies as a health disorder that may require treatment when it negatively impacts one’s health and well-being.

What Are Five Signs That Someone May Have Problematic Eating Habits?

Five signs that someone may have problematic eating habits, which can impact their mental health, include binge eating, a preoccupation with food, eating in secret, avoiding social situations involving food, and experiencing guilt or shame related to eating, which may indicate a possible binge eating disorder.

What Are The Names Of Eating Disorders?

The names of eating disorders include anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, which are often associated with weight loss.

What Is Depressed Eating Called?

Depressed eating, where a person consumes large amounts of food to cope with emotional issues, is often called “binge eating” and can be linked to concerns about body image and excessive amounts of food consumption.

What to say to someone who opens up about an eating disorder?

When someone opens up about eating disorders, it’s important to respond with empathy and offer support.

What Are The Most Serious Problematic Eating Habits?

Who Is Most Likely To Have Problematic Eating Habits?

What Does Diabulimia Mean?

How much is a binge eater?

What triggers a binge?

How many calories is overeating?

What are three things you would ask someone who has an eating disorder?

Why should we talk about eating disorders?

How do you comfort someone who can’t eat?

How do you act around people with The condition?