Eating disorders are complex mental health problems that have a number of underlying causes which can include, neurochemical changes, genetics, lack of confidence or self-esteem, perfectionist personality trait, problems such as bullying, or difficulties with school work can all be triggers for the condition.
Eating disorders are mental health problems where someone experiences issues with their body weight and shape, and engages in behaviour which will disturb their everyday diet and attitude towards food, for example controlling the amount of food they eat Eating problems are not just about food. They can be about difficult things and painful feelings, which you may be finding hard to express, face or resolve. Focusing on food can be a way of disguising these problems, even from yourself.
Food plays an important part in our lives and most of us will spend time thinking about what we eat. Sometimes we may try to eat more healthily, have cravings, eat more than usual or lose our appetite. Changing your eating habits every now and again is normal. You might find that other people focus a lot on the effect eating But if food and eating feels like it’s problems can have on your body, taking over your life then it may or that they only think you have a become a problem. problem if your body looks different to how they think it should be.
An eating disorder is when you have an unhealthy attitude to food, which can take over your life and make you ill.
It’s also possible to have problems with eating and keep them hidden – sometimes for very long time. You might not even be sure that your issues with food and eating are a ‘problem’, as it may feel like just part of your everyday life. Some people don’t seek help because they think their problem is not serious enough or they are not ‘good enough’ at their eating problem.
It can involve eating too much or too little, or becoming obsessed with your weight and body shape. If your relationship with food and eating is affecting your life, it is ok to seek help. It doesn’t matter how much you weigh or what your body looks like.
People who have bulimia go through periods where they eat a lot of food in a very short amount of time (binge eating) and then make themselves sick, use laxatives (medication to help them poo) or do excessive exercise, or a combination of these, to try to stop themselves gaining weight. Men and women of any age can get bulimia, but it’s most common in young women and typically starts in the mid to late teens. Bulimia can eventually lead to physical problems associated with not getting the right nutrients, vomiting a lot, or overusing laxatives. Possible complications include: feeling tired and weak dental problems – stomach acid from persistent vomiting can damage tooth enamel and also cause bad breath, a sore throat, or even tears in the lining of the throat irregular or absent periods dry skin and hair.
CAUSES: You may be more likely to get an eating disorder if: you or a member of your family has a history of eating disorders, depression, or alcohol or drug addiction. you have been criticised for your eating habits, body shape or weight. you’re overly concerned with being slim, particularly if you also feel pressure from society or your job (for example, ballet dancers, jockeys, models or athletes). you have anxiety, low self-esteem, an obsessive personality, or are a perfectionist you have been sexually abused. Physical signs and symptoms of this eating disorder are: Constant weight fluctuations Electrolyte imbalances
The main symptom of binge eating disorder is eating very large amounts of food in a short time, often in an outof-control way. But symptoms may also include: Binge eating disorder involves regularly eating large portions of food all at once until you feel uncomfortably full, and then often upset or guilty. Binges are often planned in advance and the person may buy “special” binge foods. Men and women of any age can get binge eating disorder, but it typically starts in the late teens or early 20s. It can be very hard to admit you have a problem and to ask for help. It may make things easier if you
eating very fast during a binge eating until you feel uncomfortably full eating when you’re not hungry eating alone or secretly
We don’t know exactly what causes binge eating disorder and other eating disorders. You may be more likely to get an eating disorder if: you or a member of your family has a history of eating disorders, depression, or alcohol or drug addiction you have been criticised for your eating habits, body shape or weight
you are overly concerned with being slim, particularly if you also feel presfeeling depressed, guilty, ashamed or disgusted after binge sure from society or your job – for example, ballet eating dancers, jockeys, models or athletes People who regularly eat in this way may have binge eating disyou have anxiety, low order. self-esteem, an obsessive personality or are a The main treatments for binge perfectionist eating are: you have been sexually guided self-help programmes – abused involves working through a book about binge eating and having Antidepressants should sessions with a therapist to supnot be offered as the only port you treatment for binge eating a type of talking therapy called disorder. cognitive behavioural therapy
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People who have anorexia try to keep their weight as low as possible by not eating enough food or exercising too much, or both. This can make them very ill because they start to starve. They often have a distorted image of their bodies, thinking they are fat even when they are underweight. Men and women of any age can get anorexia, but it’s most common in young women and typically starts in the mid-teens. if you’re under 18, your weight and height being lower than expected for your age if you’re an adult, having an unusually low body mass index (BMI) missing meals, eating very little or avoiding eating any foods you see as fattening believing you are fat when you are a healthy weight or underweight taking medication to reduce your hunger (appetite suppressants) your periods stopping (in women who have not reached menopause) or not starting (in younger women and girls) physical problems, such as feeling lightheaded or dizzy, hair loss or dry skin Some people with anorexia may also make themselves sick, do an extreme amount of exercise, or use medication to help them poo (laxatives) or to make them pee (diuretics) to try to stop themselves gaining weight from any food they do eat.
FEAR OF FOOD The condition commonly involves emotional challenges, an unrealistic body image, and an exaggerated fear of becoming overweight or obese. It often begins during the teenage years or early adulthood, but it can begin in the preteen years. It is the third most common chronic illness among teens. Eating disorders affect some 30 million men and women in the United States. Both men and women can develop anorexia, but it is 10 times more common in females. Nearly 1 in every 100 American women will experience anorexia at some time. Anorexia nervosa is different from anorexia, which means a loss of appetite or inability to eat. Anorexia nervosa is a complex condition, but the main sign is usually severe weight loss. The person may also talk about being overweight, although objective measures, such as BMI, show that this is not true.
In today’s culture, social media has begun to dominate even more of our lives, and its influence can quickly turn negative, according to a new study that focuses specifically on the effects of Instagram.
“Selfies, self-image, self-esteem and the “self” is very much at the heart of social media today. I spend a lot of time urging people with eating disorders to be more critical of the bloggers they look at, because they are promoting their lifestyles on social media Macquarie University and the and are often sponsored by the University of New South Wales products they are using. They both researched the relationship are not their readers’ “friends”, between time spent on Instagram although the photo and video and body image. The study exam- updates multiple times of the day ined 350 Australian and American may make it feel like it. women. The finding of the study revealed that even 30 minutes on Many celebrities and “vloggers” the social media app can “make use social media sites to prowomen fixate negatively on their mote their food choices, exercise weight and appearance,” accord- regimes and toned bodies. For ing to The New York Post. Addipeople struggling with low self-estionally, the participants displayed teem and body confidence, the dissatisfaction about their own constant timeline of body and bodies after looking at “fitspo” food-related posts may cause images and idolized celebrities. heightened levels of stress and anxiety around what they While these results come as no perceive as the surprise, it can still be difficult to “perfect lifestyle”. see how much those photos directly affect us. It is Those who are perfectionist important to be mindful that and anxious, with low selfwhat is portrayed on social esteem, may adhere media is not necessarily true. to the diet to an Not only does it negatively extraordinary degree affect our mental health, but it and develop also perpetrates the unrealistic a disorder. body standard that society presents.
Constantly scrolling through “perfect” photos from friends, celebrities and models can leave you feeling very negatively about yourself. It’s human nature to compare yourself to others, and to feel envious or jealous of what someone else has. With the rise of social media, it becomes so much easier to do so. Not only do we face everyone we physically encounter during the day, but we also face the entire world, as they present themselves on social media.
Eating disorders are complex mental illnesses. Anyone, no matter what their age, gender, or background, can develop one. Some examples of eating disorders include bulimia, binge eating disorder, and anorexia. There’s no single cause and people might not have all symptoms for any one eating disorder.
Many people are diagnosed with “other specified feeding or eating disorder” (OSFED), which means that their symptoms don’t exactly match what doWctors check for to diagnose binge eating disorder, anorexia, or bulimia, but doesn’t mean that it’s not still very serious. It’s also possible for someone’s symptoms, and therefore their diagnosis, to change over time. For example, someone could have anorexia, but their symptoms could later change so that a diagnosis of bulimia would be more appropriate. If you’re worried about someone then it’s important to encourage them to seek treatment as quickly as possible to ensure the best chance of recovery. But beyond that, there’s a lot you can do to support someone with an eating disorder, no matter what your relationship with them. Remember that each person is different and will need different things.
Keep conversation neutral, avoiding discussion of food or weight. You could have the television or radio on to help distract them and to draw attention away from them. Be aware that people with restrictive eating disorders may need to physically adjust to eating more, as well as mentally adjusting. Start slowly and be wary of pressuring them. You may need to offer encouragement to help them start eating, and further encouragement throughout the meal. Be firm but acknowledge that this is a big effort for them. After a meal, suggest doing something together, like watching a film, to take their mind off possible compensatory behaviours such as purging or exercising, or off the idea of bingeing. If you live with them, plan to eat together. Arrange with them and anyone else who will be present what time you’ll Wbe eating, what you’ll be having, and portion sizes. Meals should be balanced, with a range of foods and sensible portions, taking into consideration the dietary needs of everyone else at the table as well as the person with the eating disorder.
Could you have an eating disorder? Your circumstances, feelings, and symptoms may be very different to what you’ve seen or read about, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have an eating disorder. If you think you might be having problems with your eating or feel that difficult feelings or situations are making you change your eating habits or feel differently about food, you could have an eating disorder or be developing one. Eating disorders can be a way of coping with feelings or situations that are making the person unhappy, angry, depressed, stressed, or anxious. They are not the fault of the person suffering, and no one chooses to have an eating disorder. Sometimes people worry about talking to someone because they feel their eating disorder isn’t serious enough, they don’t want to worry people or waste their time, or because they feel guilty, embarrassed or ashamed.
If you haven’t had reason to know much about eating disorders previously, it may be that your understanding of them is based on the way they’re shown in the media, for example. This often portrays a particular type of story in terms of who gets eating disorders, what causes them, and what the symptoms are. This doesn’t necessarily reflect the full spectrum of eating disorders and people who can develop them.
Studies suggest around a quarter of people with eating disorders are male. In 2015, 15% of the calls to our Helpline were about someone aged 40 or over. 80-85% of people with But no matter whether your eateating disorders are not ing difficulties began recently, you’ve been struggling for a while, underweight. or you were treated for an eatStereotypes about who ing disorder in the past that you think might be coming back, you gets eating disorders might make them even deserve to have your concerns acknowledged respectfully, to be harder to spot among taken seriously and to be support- older people, men and ed in the same way as if you were boys, and ethnic and cultural minority groups affected by any other illness.
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