And yet, eating disorders are profoundly misunderstood. Misconceptions about everything from symptoms to treatment make it difficult to navigate an eating disorder or support someone you love as they do so. Anees Bahji shares what is— and isn’t— true about eating disorders.
There are four types of eating disorders that are recognized in the DSM-5: anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and eating disorder not otherwise specified (NOS). Anorexia nervosa is characterized by extreme food restriction and excessive weight loss, accompanied by the fear of being fat.
A feeding disorder involves a child's or an adult's refusal to eat certain food groups, textures, solids, or liquids for a period of at least one month, which causes them to not gain or maintain enough weight or grow naturally.
It's also common for people with anorexia to be reserved and not discuss their thoughts about food or body image, making it difficult for others to notice symptoms. No single test can identify the disorder, as many factors need to be considered to make a formal diagnosis.
Genetic Factors However, twin study research, which can isolate the role of genetics, has confirmed that approximately 40% to 60% of the risk for anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder arises from genetic influence.
Eating disorders usually develop because of a combination of psychological, genetic and social factors. Learning about these issues helps friends and family members to gain a better understanding of why their loved one developed bulimia nervosa, anorexia nervosa, or some other eating disorder.
In other words, eating disorders are often biologically inherited and tend to run in families. Recent research suggests that inherited biological and genetic factors contribute approximately 56% of the risk for developing an eating disorder.
Teenage girls and young women are more likely than teenage boys and young men to have anorexia or bulimia, but males can have eating disorders, too. Although eating disorders can occur across a broad age range, they often develop in the teens and early 20s.
Binge eating disorder is the most common eating disorder in the U.S., according to the National Eating Disorders Association. It's characterized by episodes of eating large amounts of food, often quickly and to the point of discomfort.
Whether the eating disorder sufferer is unaware that there is a problem, they are afraid or ashamed to seek help, or they are ambivalent about giving up eating disorder behaviors, many sufferers find it difficult to seek help for their eating disorder.
Because the effects of malnutrition can be devastating to the body's ability to function properly, proper screening is crucial to accurately identify malnourished patients. Early nutritional intervention is the key to best outcomes for patients suffering from malnutrition.
Anorexia nervosa has the highest mortality rate of all mental illnesses. Some patients struggle in silence for years before seeking treatment. One California woman has lived with a severe form of the disease for more than a decade, according to reports by ABC news and Buzzfeed.
The psychological problems that people can experience include: negative thinking, low self-esteem, perfectionism and obsessions. Despite the difficulties eating disorders cause, it can be difficult for someone to want to get better. People can feel that obsessive behaviour, for example, helps them to cope with anxiety.
The role of genetics in eating disorders has been a subject of research for decades. Studies of families and twins have confirmed that eating disorders run in families because of shared genetic factors.
Socio-cultural factors are one of the important variables involved in development of anorexia nervosa. The prevalence of the illness has shown a definite increase in last few decades.