Eating Disorders

Eating disorders are categorized by a pathological means of either restricting food or over indulgence in food that becomes a persistent behavioral pattern. These behaviors tend to have negative emotions and thoughts surrounding food. The cause is still unknown and being debated and researched. In 2006 when I took my first Psychology course the one line that stood out to me is that Psychology is empirical. That means it has to be observed and regarding Psychology, it is ever changing. There has been some studies on the basis of eating disorders that genetics do play a link. This is not very much elaborated on, yet there is a direct correlation when observing twin studies.

There are many different types of eating disorders. The one most talked about is Anorexia Nervosa. People with this disorder tend to restrict food. It usually starts off with being on a diet. It becomes pathological when the person starts lacking adequate nutrition. Muscles may atrophy, hair becomes thinner-lanugo like in babies-hormones are under functioning as their require lipids. Women will have amenorrhea and bone density drops. In severe cases, people who are in their early 20's may experience osteoporosis. People with this disorder may have a serious disordered view of their appearance. Often this illness starts with people restricting a small amount of food in efforts to lose a few pounds. Then it may become an obsession. Some Psychiatrists think it may be an obsessive compulsive like disorder. This theory is nuanced as many other professionals state it is more of a psychotic illness.

The new normal with social media has driven the numbers of people experiencing an eating disorder. This drives up another theory for the prevalence of eating disorders. Experts have weighed in on the impact of low self-esteem and peer pressure on a potential cause of eating disorders. I have talked in previous articles about people who face emotional neglect or have narcissist parents tend to become perfectionists. It is stated that there is a higher rate of eating disorders with overly controlling parents. With the Covid pandemic forcing teenagers out of the classroom and into online learning, we saw a large surge in the rates of eating disorders amongst teens. How do controlling parents and the Covid situation relate? Control. Often young people feel little control over their lives and feel if they have little to no control over their life, then they control something of theirs. Food intake seems to be one of the best and easiest things to control. Sometimes using food as a control factor leads to disordered eating patterns, other times, an eating disorder. Disordered eating is not pathological and usually does not need more intervention than therapy.

Eating disorders are often hard to diagnose early on, especially if going by the way someone looks. Most people with eating disorders hide their behavior. While there are more than one type of eating disorder, they are all treated similarly. Anorexia nervosa where people tend to be underweight are often treated with antipsychotic medication. One drug used often is Olanzapine which has a side effect of weight gain. Cognitive Behavior Therapy is the most used therapy for eating disorders. The tools this therapy brings assists people in identifying the root cause for their eating disorder. Dialectic Behavior Therapy is also used, with its primary strength being allowing individuals to take more control of their lives through repeating phrases and empowering themselves and learning to reward themselves for any achievements.

Eating disorders, primarily Anorexia Nervosa mainly affect teenage girls. It can affect people later on in life but it is less likely to affect a person after 40. Men too are affected and it can be increasingly hard to diagnose and treat men with the condition. I mentioned in one of my articles about the Sandy Hook shooter that he had a very bad case of Anorexia Nervosa and the lack of people seeing the warning signs of his deterioration could have prevented the tragedy. Like any ailment, seeking assistance when it is early on is the best key to success.

Other eating disorders:

Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder-This is often the type of self-harm that is overlooked. People restrict food as a punishment thinking they are not worthy. It can also be avoiding or restricting foods that caused previous trauma. I will admit this-I do not eat peaches due to the texture of an actual peach. I despise the feeling the fuzz gives me. I will eat canned peaches and enjoy that taste. People with autism/autism spectrum disorders tend to fall in this category should they develop an eating disorder. Often though this only remains disordered eating and does not become pathological.

Bulimia Nervosa-excessive eating and then purging either via laxatives or induced vomiting. This can cause teeth to degrade due to the acidity of vomit. This like Anorexia Nervosa is often associated with lack of control.

Binge Eating Disorder-excessing eating without purging. This is often due to feeling of depression and rejecting the body. This can be attributed to the Psychological term-Learned Helplessness. They have given up on their personal battle to lose weight and become emotional eaters and binge. Due to the obesity that may ensue, they are high risk for mortality.

Key points:

Disordered eating differs from an eating disorder as it is not pathological and does not require a medical intervention

Early detection is key

Do not criticize a person who has an eating disorder. Show empathy regardless if you understand it or not. People with eating disorders are vulnerable, and if you suspect someone, try to be there and help them in their recovery.

Thanks for reading