The Development of Eating Disorders

Around 10,200 people die each year as a direct result of an eating disorder; which means one death every 52 minutes. What are eating disorders, and why are the deaths caused by them at such alarming numbers?

Eating disorders are serious mental conditions related to abnormal eating patterns that negatively affect one’s physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. While at first glance, eating disorders may not seem serious, it is among the deadliest mental illnesses; second, to be precise, after opioid overdose. Some of the most common eating disorders are anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge-eating disorder and rumination syndrome. Eating disorders can affect people of different age groups but are most prevalent in adolescents and young women.

Symptoms that may indicate the onset of an eating disorder are missing meals often, adopting an overly restrictive and vegetarian diet, withdrawal from social activities, overemphasis on a healthy diet, constant complaining and worrying about looking too fat, excessive exercising, eating more food than normal, using diet supplements or laxatives for weight loss, among several others.

Common eating disorders:

Anorexia nervosa: This is probably the most well-known eating disorder. People with anorexia believe that they are overweight, even if they are actually underweight. They constantly check their weight, follow very restricted eating patterns and have a constant intense fear of gaining weight. This disorder can be very harmful to one’s body. Individuals suffering from this can experience dangerous thinning of the body, infertility, brittling of hair and nails and growth of fine hair all over the body. It can also affect the heart and the brain and can even cause death.

Bulimia nervosa: Similar to anorexia, bulimia also sets in during adolescence. Individuals with bulimia tend to consume large amounts of food, until they are painfully full. They often have the sense that they do not have control over how much they are eating and tend to binge on food items they usually restrict themselves from. This binging on food is often followed by guilt or fear of adding on extra calories causing them to vomit or adopt other ways of purging such as fasting or taking laxatives as a way of compensating for the calorie gain. Their self-esteem is heavily dependent on their body shape and weight. Side effects of bulimia include swollen salivary glands, sore throat, acid reflux, extreme dehydration; and in severe cases, a stroke or heart attack.

Binge-eating disorder: The symptoms of this disorder are similar to that of bulimia. They binge on unusually large amounts of food but however, do not use purging behaviour to compensate for the calorie gain. They also experience a lack of control over this binge-eating behaviour. They experience feelings of shame and guilt thinking about themselves binge-eating. People with binge-eating disorder tend to be obese or overweight, which leads to other health complications like heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.

Causes:

Some of the major causes of eating disorders are:

Genetic factors: While eating disorders do not span over generations, clear links of the passing of genetic disorders have been found. If an individual is a first degree relative to someone who had an eating disorder in the past or currently has one, the person is 7-12 times more likely to develop an eating disorder as well. Family studies have inferred that eating disorders aggregate within families. However, such studies have found it hard to separate genetic factors from environmental ones. Very often, along with the actual disorder, comorbidities such as anxiety and depression can pass from one generation to the next.
Environmental factors: Environmental factors can play a huge role in the development of an eating disorder. The individual could face societal pressure to look a certain way, causing them to indulge in fad diets and over-intense workouts. Lower self-esteem which is a result of how people react to an individual and body dissatisfaction can also contribute. Traumatic experiences from the past, such as sexual abuse or neglect can almost triple the chances of one developing these disorders. Social isolation can lead to feelings of loneliness among teenagers which can result in them using food and binge-eating as a coping mechanism. Family and societal expectations, bullying, peer pressure, as well as training for sports performances, play a major role here as well.
Psychological factors: Individuals with eating disorders often have other emotional problems that may add to the disorder. Neuroticism, perfectionism and impulsivity are three major personality traits that are linked to an increased risk of eating disorders.
Sociocultural factors: The prevalence of eating disorders vary across cultures. In countries with adequate and abundant availability of food, there seems to be an obsession with the slim body shape. Whereas, in countries with food scarcity, the ideal body shape is considered to be healthy and plump; indicating that the ideal shape is usually the one that’s harder to achieve. The societal portrayal of beauty standards is another factor and the media is often blamed for this. Media tends to over glorify slimness and often force viewers into attempting to become skinny. The glorification of slimness and the derogation of fatness and the expectations that come along with it targets females more than males. Statistics prove this sex-linked difference showing that eating disorders are 10 times more prevalent in females than in males.

How can eating disorders be treated before they get out of hand? Here are some steps to follow:

Consult a mental health professional or dietitian. Getting professional help is vital in the treatment of any disorder. Regular consultation and communication with this person can help one plan their path to recovery better.
Psychological therapy- This is an essential step in the process of recovery. This can help the individual normalize their eating patterns, reach a healthy weight, unlearn unhealthy habits, acquire new problem-solving skills, develop healthy coping mechanisms and improve overall mood. This can be Cognitive- Behavioural Therapy, Family-based therapy or group cognitive behavioural therapy.
Nutrition education- This involves connecting with dietitians who help you understand your eating disorders and create healthy eating plans for you to follow. They also help you take steps to avoid dieting or bingeing.

Eating disorders are more severe than they appear to be and require treatment. It is important to approach a healthcare professional if you have an eating disorder or know someone who does.

References:

Eating Disorder Statistics. General & Diversity Stats: ANAD. (2020, November 16). Retrieved November 20, 2020, from https://anad.org/education-and-awareness/about-eating-disorders/eating-disorders-statistics/

Eating disorder treatment: Know your options. (2017, July 14). Retrieved November 20, 2020, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/eating-disorders/in-depth/eating-disorder-treatment/art-20046234