Eating Disorders: All You need to know

Eating disorders are serious mental, emotional, physical disturbances that can affect people of all genders, ages, body types and weights.

These disorders mainly involve disordered eating behaviour. This might mean restricting food intake, eating very large quantities of food in one sitting, compensating for the calories that have been consumed through purging, fasting or excessive exercise, or a combination of all these behaviours.

Usually, eating disorders start in the teenage years, when individuals become more concerned about the changes that occur in their bodies as a result of puberty. However, this does not prevent young children or even adults from developing these disorders as well!

It is important to remember that eating disorders are not just about food. Instead, the disordered eating behaviour might be a coping mechanism or a way for the sufferer to feel in control.

Why Do People Get Eating Disorders?

Research does not suggest any specific reason behind an eating disorder but the combination of internal and external factors.

Internal factors depend on certain personality traits of individuals that make them more prone and predisposed to developing an eating disorder. These traits include the pursuit of perfectionism, a black of white state of mind, rigid thinking, a lack of self-esteem and self-confidence…

External factors, on the other hand, are considered triggers since they set off the eating disorder. These factors include childhood trauma, sexual assault, toxic relationships, parental divorce or exposure to damaging social media posts…

Indeed, with the massive traffic of uncensored posts on social networks, recent generations are negatively affected when it comes to the way they perceive themselves, especially their bodies and eating habits. This can cause them to go to extremes and rely on unhealthy eating behaviours such as food restriction, starvation and deprivation, self-induced vomiting, or excessive exercise.

All of these are symptoms of eating disorders and threaten not only an individual’s body but also their mental health, emotional state and general wellbeing.

What Are The Types of Eating Disorders?

Eating disorders are divided into 2 categories: the common types (Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa and Binge Eating Disorder) which are known and widely prevalent in the population, and the uncommon types (Orthorexia, Bigorexia, OSFED, ARFID, Pica…) which tend to be somehow marginalized.

Anorexia usually involves severely restricting food intake, which leads individuals to reach a very low weight and BMI (underweight).

Bulimia involves cycles of binging and purging. This means the person will eat large amounts of food in one go (binge) and then engage in behaviours to compensate for the food eaten (purge): such as self-induced vomiting, fasting, misusing laxatives, or exercising excessively.

Binge Eating Disorder involves binging, but not engaging in purging behaviours related to bulimia. Binges are often carried out in secret due to feelings like shame and guilt.

Orthorexia involves an obsession with proper or healthy eating. Being aware of the nutritional quality of the food you eat is not a problem in and of itself. However, people with orthorexia become so fixated on healthy eating that it actually damages their own well-being and mental state.

Bigorexia is defined as a body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) that triggers a preoccupation with the idea that one’s body is not muscular enough, therefore leading individuals to exercise compulsively and engage in harmful behaviours (misuse of steroids, substances, long training hours, heavy lifting…)

The Warning Signs:

All of the types mentioned have their specific symptoms, but also share some common signs that can help individuals stay alert for the presence of an eating disorder in themselves or in their loved ones. These signs are:

- Severe restriction of food intake

- Drastic weight loss/weight gain

- Intense fear of gaining weight

- Feeling out of control around food

- Distorted body image (see your body larger / smaller than it really is)

- Binge eating (eating a large quantity of food in a short time setting)

- Feeling guilty, ashamed and regrettable after eating

- Purging

Are Eating Disorders Treatable?

The good news is that eating disorders are treatable. The earlier the behaviours are addressed, the better the chances of a full and successful recovery.

Eating disorders require the care of a qualified professional with expertise in the treatment of eating disorders. The most effective treatment involves psychotherapy, combined with special attention to medical and nutritional needs.

The first step in treatment is getting a diagnosis from an eating disorder specialist who is eligible to assess an individual's eating behaviours and detect the type of the eating disorder, its frequency and severity. After the diagnosis, the therapist will refer the patient to a nutritionist, doctor or psychiatrist if necessary.

Treatment for eating disorders should primarily include psychotherapeutic counselling because unless they take therapy sessions, people struggling with eating disorders will not be able to understand the factors that contribute to or maintain their condition and learn to overcome it.

Last but not least, full recovery from an eating disorder is possible!

People with eating disorders are encouraged to acknowledge their draining condition and decide to make a change - to improve their relationship with food, their body and themselves. They are also required to see the right therapist – one that is specialized in eating disorders- and to commit to the treatment plan offered to them.

Joanna Jleilaty- Eating Disorder Specialist