eating

 

What is eating disorder?

Eating disorder  are behavioural problems characterised by significant and ongoing disturbances in eating behaviours and related upsetting thoughts and emotions. They may have very serious conditions that impair social, psychological, and physical function. Bulimia nervosa, anorexia nervosa binge eating disorder, avoidant restricted food intake disorder, other specified feeding and eating disorder, pica and rumination disorder are a few examples of eating disorders. When all eating disorders are considered, they can affect up to 5% of people and are most common in adolescence and early adulthood. A few, particularly bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa, are more prevalent in women, but they can all happen to anyone at any age. Eating disorders are frequently linked to obsessions with food, weight, or shape as well as anxiety related to eating or the results of consuming particular foods. dietary restrictions or avoiding particular foods, binge eating, purging through vomiting or abusing laxatives, or compulsive exercise are all behaviours linked to eating disorders. These actions may become compelled in ways that resemble addiction.

Types Of Eating Disorder

1. Anorexia Nervosa

 Anorexia Nervosa is self-starvation and weight loss leading to low weight for height and age are characteristics of anorexia nervosa. Other than opioid use disorder, anorexia has the greatest mortality rate of any mental diagnosis. It can also be a highly dangerous condition. An adult with anorexia nervosa typically has a body mass index (BMI) ≤ 18.5 (a measure of weight for height). An extreme fear of gaining weight or getting fat drives the behaviour of dieters with anorexia nervosa. Even while some anorexics claim they want to gain weight and are striving to do so, their actions do not support this claim. For instance, they might only consume a modest number of low-calorie foods and engage in strenuous activity. Some people who suffer from anorexia nervosa also occasionally binge eat and purge by vomiting or abusing laxatives.

There are two types of Anorexia Nervosa which is both the binge-eating or purging type, in which people also engage in intermittent binge eating and purging behaviours, and the restrictive kind, in which people lose weight primarily by dieting, fasting, or excessive exercise. Example of Anorexia Nervosa symptoms is menstrual periods stop, dehydration-related dizziness or fainting, brittle hair or nails, cold intolerance, muscle weakness and wasting, severe constipation, bloating, and fullness after meals, stress fractures from compulsive exercise, bone loss leading to osteopenia or osteoporosis (thinning of the bones), depression, irritability, anxiety, poor concentration, and fatigue are all signs of intermittent binge eating.  

Ways to overcome Anorexia Nervosa is to helping patients with anorexia nervosa normalise their eating and weight-control behaviours and regain their weight is a key component of treatment. An essential part of the therapy strategy is the medical assessment and management of any co-existing medical or psychiatric problems. The nutritional strategy should emphasise teaching people to overcome their fear of eating and to practise ingesting a variety of foods with a variety of calorie densities at regularly spaced meals. The most effective treatments for adolescents, young adults, and emerging adults entail assisting parents in supporting and supervising their children's meals. Although addressing body dissatisfaction is equally as important as addressing weight and eating habits, it frequently takes longer to make changes.

2. Bulimia Nervosa

Bulimia Nervosa is  dieting or sticking to low-calorie "safe foods" is frequently alternated with bingeing on high-calorie, "forbidden," foods. The term "binge eating" refers to consuming a lot of food in a short amount of time while feeling as though one has no control over what or how much they are eating. Binge behaviour is typically covert and accompanied by feelings of humiliation or shame. Binges can be very enormous, and food is frequently consumed quickly and past the point of fullness, causing nausea and discomfort. Every week at least one binge occurs, usually followed by "compensatory behaviours" meant to avoid weight gain. These could consist of excessive activity, compulsive eating, vomiting, or fasting. People with bulimia nervosa like those who have anorexia nervosa are too obsessed with concerns of food, weight or shape which negatively affects and disproportionately impacts their sense of worth. 

Somewhat underweight, average weight, overweight, or even obese people can have bulimia nervosa. However, if they are significantly underweight, they are thought to have bulimia nervosa rather than anorexia nervosa, which is characterised by binge-eating and purging. Because they do not appear to be underweight and because their behaviours are concealed, others who are close to them might not be aware that a person has bulimia nervosa. There are a number of indicators that someone may have bulimia nervosa are Chronic sore throat, swelling of the salivary glands in the cheeks, dental decay caused by erosion of tooth enamel by stomach acid, heartburn, gastroesophageal reflux, misuse of laxatives or diet pills, recurrent unexplained diarrhoea, misuse of diuretics (water pills), and feeling dizzy or faint from excessive purging behaviour are all signs of purging behaviour.

Ways to overcome Bulimia Nervosa is, the most effective treatment for bulimia nervosa is outpatient cognitive behavioural therapy. It aids patients in managing thoughts and sensations that feed the condition and normalising their eating habits. Decreased desires to overeat and vomit can also be achieved with the aid of antidepressants, such as fluoxetine. Treatment for young individuals with bulimia nervosa may also benefit from eating disorder-focused family-based care, which entails educating carers on how to help a teenager or young adult normalise their eating pattern.

3. Binge Eating Disorder

People with binge eating disorder suffer episodes of binge eating in which they consume huge amounts of food in a short period of time, feel as though they have no control over their eating, and are distressed by the behaviour. This is similar to bulimia nervosa. But unlike those who have bulimia nervosa, they don't frequently resort to compensatory behaviours like fasting, exercising, or abusing laxatives to get rid of the food. Obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular conditions can all develop as a result of binge eating disorder. 

In order to be diagnosed with binge eating disorder, a person must have frequent binges (at least once per week for three months), feel out of control, and exhibit three or more of the symptoms listed below such as eating more quickly than usual, stuffing oneself to discomfort, eating a lot alone because one feels ashamed of how much they are eating, feeling disgusted with themselves, unhappy, or feeling extremely guilty after a binge.

Ways to overcome Binge Eating Disorder is cognitive behavioural treatment for binge eating may be delivered individually or in groups. Additionally effective treatments include lisdexamfetamine, various antidepressants and interpersonal therapy.

4.  Other  Specified Feeding and Eating Disorder

Other Specified Feeding Eating Disorder is covers eating disorders or eating behaviour abnormalities that cause distress and interfere with family, social, or occupational function but do not fall under any of the other headings listed above. In some circumstances, this is due to the behavior's frequency falling short of the diagnostic cut off for example, the frequency of binges in bulimia or binge eating disorder or the anorexia nervosa diagnosis' weight criterion not being reached.

"Atypical anorexia nervosa" is a specific example of another feeding and eating disorder. This group of people includes those who may have lost a significant amount of weight and whose behaviours, obsession with weight or shape issues, and fear of being fat are consistent with anorexia nervosa, but who are not yet considered underweight based on their BMI because their starting weight was above average.

Even though they may appear to be normal or above average weight, people with atypical anorexia nervosa who lose a lot of weight quickly by participating in intense weight control behaviours may still be at a high risk of developing medical issues. This is because the rate of weight loss is associated to medical difficulties.

Ways to overcome Other Specified Feeding Eating Disorder is one of the most effective therapies for bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder and OSFED is cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) particularly in those who have symptom patterns with bulimia and BED.

5. Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID)

Avoidant Restrictive Fodd Intake Disorder (ARFID)  is a recently identified eating disorder characterised by high pickiness and chronic failure to achieve nutritional demands as a result of disturbed eating. Food avoidance or a small food repertoire in ARFID may be brought on by one or more of the following, such as low interest in eating and having a low appetite,extreme aversion to some meals based on their sensory qualities, such as texture, look, colour, or fragrance. Apprehension or worry about the effects of eating, such as choking fears, nausea, vomiting, constipation, allergic reactions,  a substantial negative incident, such as a choking episode or food poisoning, followed by an increase in the number of foods avoided may trigger the disorder. To be diagnosed with ARFID, one or more of the following must be present, including substantial nutritional deficiency, significant weight loss, or failure of children to gain weight as expected. the necessity of using a feeding tube or oral nutritional supplements to maintain adequate nutrition intake a hindrance to social interaction, such as the difficulty to eat with others.

The effects on mental and physical health as well as the degree of starvation can be comparable to those seen in those who have anorexia nervosa. ARFID differs from anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa in that people with it do not obsess over their weight or physical appearance. A diagnosis of avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder is not always warranted, despite the fact that people with autism spectrum condition frequently exhibit rigid eating habits and sensory sensitivity.

Ways to overcome Avoidant Restrictive Fodd Intake Disorder is ARFID treatment comprises an individualised approach and may involve a number of specialists, including as a registered dietitian nutritionist, a mental health professional and so on.

6. Pica Disorder

Pica Disorder is an eating disorder in which a person consumes items that have little nutritional value on a regular basis. The behaviour is serious enough to require clinical treatment and has persisted for at least one month. The typical items that are consumed can include paper, paint chips, soap, fabric, hair, string, chalk, metal, stones, charcoal or coal or clay depending on age and accessibility. Most people with pica don't have a generalised dislike of food. 

The behaviour is not consistent with culturally accepted norms and is out of proportion to the individual's developmental stage. Pica can start in childhood, adolescence, or maturity, however it most frequently starts in childhood. Children under the age of 2 are not diagnosed. For youngsters under the age of two, putting little things in their mouth is a typical stage of development. Pica can affect generally ordinarily developing youngsters, although it frequently co-occurs with intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder. Intestinal obstructions or harmful consequences from items eaten, such as lead in paint chips are risks for someone with pica.

Ways to overcome Pica Disorder is testing for nutritional deficiencies and if necessary treating them are part of the treatment for pica. Redirecting the person away from the non-food things and rewarding them for putting aside or avoiding non-food items are two behaviour therapist that may be used to treat pica.

7. Rumination Disorder

After eating, people with rumination problem frequently bring their food back up into their mouths, re-chew it, and then either swallow it whole again, spit it out, or both. Infancy, childhood, adolescence, or maturity are all possible onset years for rumination disorder. The behaviour must be repeated for at least a month in order to be diagnosed. Not result from a digestive or medical issue, not be a component of one of the other behavioural eating disorders mentioned above, or

Rumination can also occur in other mental diseases, such as intellectual disability. However, for a diagnosis to be made, the severity must be great enough to require distinct professional care.

Ways to overcome Rumination Disorder is Rumination syndrome cannot be adequately treated by any currently known medications. Learning how to eat and digest food properly again is the greatest method to stop it. Training in diaphragmatic breathing is necessary for this. This is typically taught by a behavioural psychologist and it is simple to learn.