EATING DISORDERS (1)

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EATING DISORDERS
​ ~ Ashika Sara Alex
11-C
INTRODUCTION
An eating disorder is a mental
disorder defined by abnormal
eating habits that negatively
affect a person's physical
and/or mental health.They
include binge eating disorder,
where people eat a large
amount in a short period of time; anorexia nervosa, where
people eat very little due to a fear of gaining weight and thus
have a low body weight; bulimia nervosa, where people eat a
lot and then try to rid themselves of the food; pica, where
people eat non-food items; rumination syndrome, where people

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regurgitate food; avoidant/ restrictive food intake disorder
(ARFID), where people have a reduced and selective food
intake due to some psychological reasons ; and a group of
other specified feeding​ ​or eating disorders. Anxiety disorders​ ​ ,
depression and substance abuse are common among people
with eating disorders. These disorders do not include obesity.
The causes of eating disorders
are not clear, although both
biological and environmental
factors appear to play a role.
Eating disorders affect about
12 percent of
dancers.Cultural idealization
of thinness is believed to contribute to some eating disorders.
Individuals who have experienced sexual abuse are also more
likely to develop eating disorders. Some disorders such as pica
and rumination disorder occur more often in people with

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intellectual disabilities.​ ​ Only one eating disorder can be
diagnosed at a given time.
Treatment can be effective for many eating disorders.
Treatment varies by disorder and may involve counselling,
dietary advice, reducing excessive exercise and the reduction
of efforts to eliminate food. Medications may be used to help
with some of the associated symptoms. Hospitalization may be
needed in more serious cases.​ ​ About 70% of people with
anorexia and 50% of people with bulimia recover within five
years.​ ​ Recovery from binge eating disorder is less clear and
estimated at 20% to 60%.​ ​ Both anorexia and bulimia
increase the risk of death.

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TYPES OF EATING DISORDERS
1. Anorexia Nervosa
It generally develops during adolescence
or young adulthood and tends to affect
more women than men . ​People with
anorexia generally view themselves as
overweight, even if they’re dangerously
underweight. They tend to constantly
monitor their weight, avoid eating certain
types of foods, and severely restrict their calories.
Common symptoms of Anorexia Nervosa include :
❖ being considerably underweight compared with people
of similar age and height

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❖ very restricted eating patterns
❖ an intense fear of gaining weight or persistent
behaviors to avoid gaining weight, despite being
underweight
❖ a relentless pursuit of thinness and unwillingness to
maintain a healthy weight
❖ a heavy influence of body weight or perceived body
shape on self-esteem
❖ a distorted body image, including denial of being
seriously underweight
Obsessive-compulsive symptoms
are also often present. For
instance, many people with
anorexia are often preoccupied

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with constant thoughts about food, and some may obsessively
collect recipes or hoard food. Such individuals may also have
difficulty eating in public and exhibit a strong desire to
control their environment, limiting their ability to be
spontaneous.
​Anorexia is officially categorized into two subtypes — the
restricting type and the binge eating and purging type .
Individuals with the restricting type lose weight solely
through dieting, fasting, or excessive exercise. Individuals
with the binge eating and purging type may binge on large
amounts of food or eat very little. In both cases, after they
eat, they purge using activities like vomiting, taking laxatives
or diuretics, or exercising excessively.

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Anorexia can be very damaging to the body. Over time,
individuals living with it may experience the thinning of their
bones, infertility, brittle hair and nails, and the growth of a
layer of fine hair all over their body .In severe cases,
anorexia can result in heart, brain, or multi-organ failure
and death.
2. BULIMIA NERVOSA
Like anorexia, bulimia tends to
develop during adolescence and early
adulthood and appears to be less
common among men than women .
People with bulimia frequently eat unusually large amounts of
food in a specific period of time. Each binge eating episode
usually continues until the person becomes painfully full.

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During a binge, the person usually feels that they cannot
stop eating or control how much they are eating. Binges can
happen with any type of food but most commonly occur with
foods the individual would normally avoid. Individuals with
bulimia then attempt to purge to compensate for the calories
consumed and relieve gut discomfort.Common purging
behaviors include forced vomiting, fasting, laxatives, diuretics,
enemas, and excessive exercise. Symptoms may appear very
similar to those of the binge eating or purging subtypes of
anorexia nervosa. However, individuals with bulimia usually
maintain a relatively normal weight, rather than becoming
underweight.
Common symptoms of Bulimia Nervosa include:
❖ Recurrent episodes of binge eating with a feeling
of lack of control.

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❖ Recurrent episodes of inappropriate purging
behaviors to prevent weight gain
❖ A self-esteem overly influenced by body shape and
weight
❖ A fear of gaining weight, despite having a normal
weight.
Side effects of bulimia may include an inflamed and sore
throat, swollen salivary glands,
worn tooth enamel, tooth decay,
acid reflux, irritation of the gut,
severe dehydration, and hormonal
disturbances . In severe cases,
bulimia can also create an
imbalance in levels of electrolytes, such as sodium, potassium,
and calcium. This can cause a stroke or heart attack.

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3. BINGE EATING DISORDER
It typically begins during
adolescence and early adulthood,
although it can develop later on.
Individuals with this disorder have
symptoms similar to those of bulimia or the binge eating
subtype of anorexia. For instance, they typically eat unusually
large amounts of food in relatively short periods of time and
feel a lack of control during binges. People with binge eating
disorder do not restrict calories or use purging behaviors,
such as vomiting or excessive exercise, to compensate for their
binges.
Common symptoms of Binge Eating Disorder include :

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❖ Eating large amounts of foods rapidly, in secret and
until uncomfortably full, despite not feeling hungry.
❖ Feeling a lack of control during episodes of binge
eating.
❖ Feelings of distress, such as shame, disgust, or guilt,
when thinking about the binge eating behavior.
❖ No use of purging behaviors, such as calorie
restriction, vomiting, excessive exercise, or laxative or
diuretic use, to compensate for the binging.
People with binge eating disorder often
have overweight or obesity. This may
increase their risk of medical
complications linked to excess weight,
such as heart disease, stroke, and type
2 diabetes .

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4. PICA
Individuals with pica crave
non-food substances, such as ice,
dirt, soil, chalk, soap, paper, hair,
cloth, wool, pebbles, laundry
detergent, or cornstarch .Pica can
occur in adults, as well as children and adolescents.
That said, this disorder is most frequently observed in
children, pregnant women, and
individuals with mental
disabilities.Individuals with
pica may be at an increased
risk of poisoning, infections, gut injuries, and nutritional
deficiencies. Depending on the substances ingested, pica

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may be fatal. ​However, to be considered pica, the eating of
non-food substances must not be a normal part of someone’s
culture or religion. In addition, it must not be considered a
socially acceptable practice by a person’s peers.
5. RUMINATION DISORDER
It describes a condition in which a
person regurgitates food they have
previously chewed and swallowed,
re-chews it, and then either re-swallows
it or spits it out .This rumination
typically
occurs within the first 30
minutes after a meal. Unlike

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medical conditions like reflux, it’s voluntary .This disorder
can develop during infancy, childhood, or adulthood. In
infants, it tends to develop between 3–12 months of age
and often disappears on its own. Children and adults
with the condition usually require therapy to resolve it.
If not resolved in infants, rumination disorder can
result in weight loss and severe malnutrition that can be
fatal. Adults with this disorder may restrict the amount
of food they eat, especially in public. This may lead them
to lose weight and become underweight .
6. AVOIDANT OR RESTRICTIVE FOOD
INTAKE DISORDER
The term replaces what was known as
a “feeding disorder of infancy and

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early childhood,” a diagnosis previously reserved for children
under 7 years old. Although ARFID generally develops during
infancy or early childhood, it can persist into adulthood.
What’s more, it’s equally common among men and women.
Individuals with this disorder experience disturbed eating
either due to a lack of interest in eating or distaste for
certain smells, tastes, colors, textures, or temperatures.
Common symptoms of ARFID include :
❖ Avoidance or restriction of food intake that
prevents the person from eating sufficient calories
or nutrients.
❖ Eating habits that interfere with normal social
functions, such as eating with others.
❖ Weight loss or poor development for age and
height.

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❖ Nutrient deficiencies or dependence on
supplements or tube feeding.
It’s important to note that ARFID goes beyond
normal behaviors, such as picky eating in
toddlers or lower food intake in older
adults. Moreover, it does not include the
avoidance or restriction of foods due to
lack of availability or religious or cultural practices.
7. ​Other Eating Disorders
In addition to the six eating disorders above, less-known or
less common eating disorders also exist. These generally fall
under one of three categories:

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❖ Purging disorder: Individuals with
purging disorder often use purging
behaviors, such as vomiting,
laxatives, diuretics, or excessive
exercising, to control their weight or
shape. However, they do not binge.
❖ Night eating syndrome:
Individuals with this syndrome
frequently eat excessively,
often after awakening from
sleep.
❖ Other specified feeding or eating disorder (OSFED).
While not found in the DSM-5, this includes any other
conditions that have
symptoms similar to those of
an eating disorder but don’t

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fit into any of the categories above.One disorder that
may currently fall under OSFED is orthorexia. Although
increasingly mentioned in the media and scientific
studies, orthorexia has yet to be recognized as a
separate eating disorder by the current DSM.
Individuals with orthorexia tend to have an obsessive
focus on healthy eating, to an extent that disrupts their
daily lives. For instance, the affected person may
eliminate entire food groups, fearing they’re unhealthy.
This can lead to malnutrition, severe weight loss,
difficulty eating outside the home, and emotional
distress. Individuals with orthorexia rarely focus on
losing weight. Instead, their self-worth, identity, or
satisfaction is dependent upon how well they comply with
their self-imposed diet rules .

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CAUSES
Experts believe that eating disorders may be caused by a
variety of factors. One of these is genetics. Twin and
adoption studies involving twins who were separated at birth
and adopted by different families provide some evidence that
eating disorders may be hereditary. This type of research
has generally shown that if one twin develops an eating
disorder, the other has a 50% likelihood of developing one too.
Personality traits are another cause. In particular,
neuroticism, perfectionism, and impulsivity are three
personality traits often linked to a higher risk of developing
an eating disorder .Other potential causes include perceived
pressures to be thin, cultural preferences for thinness, and
exposure to media promoting such ideals.

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PREVENTION
❖ Emotional Bites: a simple way to discuss emotional eating
is to ask children about why they might eat besides
being hungry. Talk about more effective ways to cope
with emotions, emphasizing the value of sharing feelings
with a trusted adult.
❖ Say No to Teasing: another concept is to emphasize
that it is wrong to say hurtful things about other
people's body sizes.
❖ Body Talk: emphasize the importance of listening to
one's body. That is, eating when you are hungry (not

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starving) and stopping when you are satisfied (not
stuffed). Children intuitively grasp these concepts.
❖ Fitness Comes in All Sizes: educate children about the
genetics of body size and the normal changes occurring
in the body. Discuss their fears and hopes about
growing bigger. Focus on fitness and a balanced diet.
TREATMENT
Treatment varies according to type
and severity of eating disorder, and
usually more than one treatment
option is utilized. Family doctors
play an important role in early
treatment of people with eating disorders by encouraging
those who are also reluctant to see a psychiatrist.
Treatment can take place in a variety of different settings

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such as community programs, hospitals, day programs, and
groups. The American Psychiatric Association (APA)
recommends a team approach to treatment of eating
disorders. The members of the team are usually a
psychiatrist, therapist, and registered dietitian, but other
clinicians may be included.
Some examples are:
● Interpersonal psychotherapy​ (IPT)
● Cognitive Emotional Behaviour Therapy​ (CEBT)
● Art therapy
● Nutrition counseling​ ​ and ​Medical nutrition therapy​...

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Conclusion
We should try our best to take care of
our body, and start loving our bodies
and stop listening to society. Society is
always going to body shame you no
matter how you look. We have to start
promoting and spread awareness on all these eating
disorders, so that people understand the severity of
these disorders and the type of health issues and mental
issues this brings on to
kids, adults and various
people. Society should
accept people for who
they are, not for how

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they look, and for this, we have to teach them moral
values on how to respect people and thus it might also
reduce the number of people affected with eating
disorders.
THANK YOU
……………………………………………………….

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