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Apr 19, 2024 · Hormone imbalances, resulting in menstrual disturbances or lack of menstruation for females and a reduction in testosterone for males. Slow or irregular heart rhythms, low blood pressure or anemia ...
- Overview
- What is an eating disorder?
- What are the signs of an eating disorder?
- What causes eating disorders?
- Types of eating disorders
- 1. Anorexia nervosa
- 2. Bulimia nervosa
- 3. Binge eating disorder
- 4. Pica
- 5. Rumination disorder
There are many types of eating disorders. Some common ones include anorexia nervosa, binge eating disorder, bulemia nervosa, and pica. While each type involves an extreme focus on food, their symptoms vary.
Although the term “eating” is in the name, eating disorders are about more than food. They’re complex mental health conditions that often require the intervention of medical and psychological experts to alter their course.
These disorders are described in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition (DSM-5) (1).
In the United States alone, an estimated 28 million Americans have or have had an eating disorder at some point in their life (2).
Eating disorders are a range of psychological conditions that cause unhealthy eating habits to develop. They might start with an obsession with food, body weight, or body shape (3).
In severe cases, eating disorders can cause serious health consequences and may even result in death if left untreated. In fact, eating disorders are among the deadliest mental illnesses, second to opioid overdose (4).
People with eating disorders can have a variety of symptoms. Common symptoms include severe restriction of food, food binges, and purging behaviors like vomiting or overexercising.
Although eating disorders can affect people of any gender at any life stage, they’re increasingly common in men and gender nonconforming people. These populations often seek treatment at lower rates or may not report their eating disorder symptoms at all (5, 6).
Different types of eating disorders have different symptoms, but each condition involves an extreme focus on issues related to food and eating, and some involve an extreme focus on weight.
This preoccupation with food and weight may make it hard to focus on other aspects of life (3).
Mental and behavioral signs may include (7):
•dramatic weight loss
•concern about eating in public
•preoccupation with weight, food, calories, fat grams, or dieting
Experts believe that a variety of factors may contribute to eating disorders.
One of these is genetics. People who have a sibling or parent with an eating disorder seem to be at an increased risk of developing one (3).
Personality traits are another factor. In particular, neuroticism, perfectionism, and impulsivity are three personality traits often linked to a higher risk of developing an eating disorder, according to a 2015 research review (8).
Other potential causes include perceived pressures to be thin, cultural preferences for thinness, and exposure to media promoting these ideals (8).
More recently, experts have proposed that differences in brain structure and biology may also play a role in the development of eating disorders. In particular, levels of the brain messaging chemicals serotonin and dopamine may be factors (9).
However, more studies are needed before strong conclusions can be made.
Eating disorders are a group of related conditions involving extreme food and weight issues, but each disorder has unique symptoms and diagnosis criteria. Here are six of the most common eating disorders and their symptoms.
Anorexia nervosa is likely the most well-known eating disorder.
It generally develops during adolescence or young adulthood and tends to affect more women than men (10).
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 calorie intake.
Common symptoms of anorexia nervosa include (1):
•very restricted eating patterns
•intense fear of gaining weight or persistent behaviors to avoid gaining weight, despite being underweight
Bulimia nervosa is another well-known eating disorder.
Like anorexia, bulimia tends to develop during adolescence and early adulthood and appears to be less common among men than women (10).
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. 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 usually avoid.
Individuals with bulimia then attempt to purge to compensate for the calories consumed and to relieve gut discomfort.
Binge eating disorder is the most prevalent form of eating disorder and one of the most common chronic illnesses among adolescents (12).
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 (12).
Common symptoms of binge eating disorder include (11):
Pica is an eating disorder that involves eating things that are not considered food and that do not provide nutritional value (14).
Individuals with pica crave non-food substances such as ice, dirt, soil, chalk, soap, paper, hair, cloth, wool, pebbles, laundry detergent, or cornstarch (11).
Pica can occur in adults, children, and adolescents.
It is most frequently seen in individuals with conditions that affect daily functioning, including intellectual disabilities, developmental conditions such as autism spectrum disorder, and mental health conditions such as schizophrenia (14).
Individuals with pica may be at an increased risk of poisoning, infections, gut injuries, and nutritional deficiencies. Depending on the substances ingested, pica may be fatal.
However, for the condition to be considered pica, the eating of non-food substances must not be a typical part of someone’s culture or religion. In addition, it must not be considered a socially acceptable practice by a person’s peers.
Rumination disorder is another newly recognized eating 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 (15).
This rumination typically occurs within the first 30 minutes after a meal (16).
This disorder can develop during infancy, childhood, or adulthood. In infants, it tends to develop between 3 and 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 (16).
Nov 14, 2021 · Physical exercise. Mindfulness. Overeaters anonyomous (OA) Surgery. Nutritional approaches (high-protein, low-carb, keto, abstinence-based, etc.) Research shows they all have the potential to work ...
Feb 26, 2024 · In people with anorexia, malnutrition and weight loss can cause the heart muscle to shrink and the heart rate to slow, a condition known as bradycardia in which the heart rate is less than 60 beats per minute at rest. Anorexia also can cause other abnormal heart rhythms.
Sep 19, 2022 · This describes a pathological obsession with eating “clean” or “healthy” food. ... groups could cause malnutrition and extreme weight loss. ... because breaking their food rules can cause ...
Jun 1, 2023 · Those with anorexia severely restrict their food intake, often eliminating entire food groups and adhering to strict food rules. There are two types of anorexia: restricting subtype and binge-purge subtype. The former is defined purely by food restriction, while the latter is defined by restriction followed by episodes of binge eating and purging.
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with weight loss, body weight or shape, and controlling their food intake. These may be signs of an eating disorder. Eating disorders are not a choice. These disorders can adversely affect a person’s physical and mental health, and in some cases, they can be life-threatening. With treatment, however, people can recover from eating disorders.
