Eating Disorders: Are They Real?

        Eating disorders are a particular type of mental illness that affect the mind, the body, and a person's eating habits. As with most mental disorders, there is controversy over their existence and whether or not they are 'real' illnesses. While not everyone doubts the effect these conditions can have on a person, there are enough people who do that it's become a notable debate. Today, we'll be looking at the evidence proving how real eating disorders are and the opinions supporting why they aren't something to worry about.

        But first, what exactly is an eating disorder? Psychologists are saying they're bio-psycho-social diseases. This means they're caused by biological, psychological, and social factors. Some of the more common causes, though not all of them, are genetics, low self-esteem, pressure to be thin, a history of sexual abuse, abusive relationships or growing up in an abusive household, poverty, and other mood or mental disorders. Some of the illnesses that can lead to eating disorders are anxiety, depression, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Addiction is another factor that can lead to or be caused by an eating disorder.

        One of the most common opinions you can find is that eating disorders aren't real because they're 'new' diseases. However, research has proven that to not be true. Back in 1100, women would starve themselves to express their love of God, the first known evidence there is of eating disorders in the past. Then in 1689, English physician Richard Morton described the symptoms of Anorexia in a condition he called "Wasting Disease". If it weren't for Sir William Gull in 1873, it never would have been changed to Anorexia Nervosa. It was around this time in history that Anorexia stopped being based so much on folklore and theology.

        The 1900's is when things started to really take off; starting with "Parentectomy" - a practice in which parents were separated from their children who had disordered eating habits. Following after that, in 1903, Doctor Pierre Janet noticed symptoms of Bulimia Nervosa in his patients. However, it wasn't until the 1940's that psychoanalysis influenced the way professionals thought about eating disorders. This lead to professionals noticing a link between Anorexia Nervosa and sexual abuse, which lead to them taking on more patients who showed signs of eating disorders. Unfortunately, in 1983, Anorexia and Bulimia rose in coincidence with the highly influential book "Eating Disorders: Obesity, Anorexia Nervosa, and The Person Within". Following this in the 1970s and '80s, Bulimia itself rose rapidly in the United States, France, and Germany. It was in 1979 that Gerard Russell noted the differences between Anorexia Nervosa and Anorexia Bulimia and their health risks in an article titled "Bulimia Nervosa: An Ominous Variant of Anorexia Nervosa". After this, in 1980, The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders added a section for eating disorders. It was also during this time that celebrities started opening up about their personal struggles. One of the highest influences was Karen Carpenter's death in 1983. She passed away due to heart failure that may have been linked to Anorexia, which increased awareness to the public eye.

        It wasn't until 1987 that Bulimia was listed as it's own disorder for the first time. Binge-Eating Disorder, first described in 1959 by Doctor Albert Stunkard, was listed as a feature of Bulimia. Some years later, in 1994, The American Psychiatric Association mentioned binge-eating again as a part of EDNOS, short for Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified. Binge-Eating Disorder wasn't recognised as it's own illness until 2013. Treatment for it became available and covered by insurance.

        Besides their history, there are a few more reasons people don't think eating disorders are real illnesses. Common opinions around it is that they're easy to avoid, don't have actual symptoms or serious effects, or 'aren't that bad'. There's a common belief that you can pick up and drop an eating disorder at the blink of an eye. This is where the idea that those suffering with an eating disorder are selfish or out for attention comes from. These opinions lead to other, more harmful opinions such as the one Davis M.J. Aurini states in his article "Why You Should Never Date a Girl With an Eating Disorder". In it, he describes those with eating disorders as "toxic, destructive, - ultimately - pathetic". This thought, along with the one that sufferers are monsters looking to ruin everyone else, are both popular, stigmatising, and not usually based on fact. There is no proof suggesting that those with an eating disorder are bad people that want to push their disorder onto others. It's only an idea that comes from a lack of education and awareness.

        The idea that eating disorders are easy to avoid is one that makes sense when you don't know how prevalent they are. As it was previously mentioned, eating disorders are typically things you have no control over - such as other mental conditions or genetics. Most of the people who develop one of these disorders don't even realise they're ill. On top of this, they're the third most common chronic illness among adolescents. Every one in twenty people will struggle with an eating disorder. That averages up to twenty million women and ten million, making an estimate of thirty million sufferers within the United States alone. That means fifty percent of all United States citizens will know a person with an eating disorder or will develop one themselves.

        The symptoms of an eating disorder vary based on the person and which disorder they have. Anorexia Nervosa is most known for starvation, while Bulimia Nervosa is known for forced vomiting or Binge-Eating Disorder for binge eating. However, each of these disorders, and more, are more complicated than that. Actually, most eating disorders end up overlooked because of the symptoms. Sometimes they're even deemed "normal" and "okay". A good example of this is frequently checking one's body for physical flaws. It's something that most people, especially teenagers do, but it can quickly turn into an obsession over weight and body appearance. Common symptoms and warning signs that most eating disorders share are an obsession with calories, diets, exercise, body shape, body size, weight, and having complete control over what and how they eat. It's not uncommon for those with an eating disorder to eat a small amount of food, cut out whole food groups, or refuse to eat food they recently considered their favourite. Other symptoms of an eating disorder include skipping meals, binge eating late in the evening, withdrawing from family and friends, refusing to eat in front of others, paying an unusual amount of attention to other people's bodies, having a fixation with food or cooking, having extreme mood swings, switching between not eating enough and over-eating, abusing appetite suppressants, and frequently calling themselves fat.

        If the symptoms continue untreated, these behaviours can have a negative impact on the person. Their weight might drop or raise inconsistently, extremely, and at an abnormal rate. Physical illnesses may become more difficult to fight off, leaving them sick longer. Stomach cramps, non-specific gastrointestinal complaints, atypical laboratory findings, muscle weakness, and poor wound healing may start to become present. Many people with an eating disorder experience consistent dizziness, fainting, difficulty concentrating, sleeping problems, anemia, dental problems, abnormal tiredness, easier irritability, and lanugo - which is thin, soft hair begins to grow all around the body to keep it warm. This is typically in response to anemia which can develop with these kinds of disorders. To be further specific, those with Anorexia Nervosa will usually struggle with dry skin, dry and brittle hair, and brittle nails. Those who struggle with Compulsive Exercise Disorder may have cold and mottled hands and feet. They're feet may swell up frequently and they might have problems being cold. Orthorexia can cause yellow skin. Those with Bulimia are likely to have cut and calluses on their fingers, swelling around their salivary glands, and cavities or discolouration of the teeth. For women, irregularities in their menstrual cycle, infertility, and loss of libido are also possible effects of any eating disorder.

        In cases where the disorder has been prevalent for an extensive amount of time, the side effects can become long-term, extreme, and even life-threatening. Muscle weakness can progress into muscle loss, including in the heart which increases the chances of a heart attack. Heart disease, pancreatitis, early-onset osteoporosis, high blood pressure, diabetes, kidney failure, irreversible bone loss, severe dehydration, self-injury, suicide, and death brought on by these conditions are also risks. Death in relation to eating disorders is very common, with twenty percent of those who go untreated dying. Studies show that Anorexia Nervosa has the highest mortality rate of any other mental illness, with sufferers being five times more likely to die than those without Anorexia. Those with Bulimia are 3.9% more likely to die than their peers without an eating disorder, while EDNOS is ahead at 5.2%. Approximately ten percent of all people with an eating disorder, treated or untreated, die. An estimated fifty percent of these deaths, every one in five, is the result of a suicide.

        Nobody asks or sets out to develop an eating disorder. They can develop from anything, and sometimes it seems like they've developed from nothing. It isn't a choice or conscious decision. What is a choice is how you look at or treat those who are suffering. You can either choose to educate yourself on eating disorders and offer support, or you can stick to the opinion that people with an eating disorder are stupid, selfish beings who only care about being looked at. That choice is up to you, just as the choice of recovery is up to anyone suffering.

SOURCES:

The National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA) - nationaleatingdisorders.org

The National Institute of Mental Health - nimh.nih.gov

Mental Health America - mentalhealthamerica.net

Eating Recovery Center - eatingrecoverycenter.com

U.S. News - health.usnews.com

The Emily Program - emilyprogram.com

Burke - myburke.org

The Center for Eating Disorders at Sheppard Pratt - eatingdisorder.org

Eating Disorder Hope - eatingdisorderhope.com

Everyday Health - everydayhealth.com

Stares at the World - staresattheworld.com