THE BIG PICTURE OF EATING DISORDERS

What is eating disorders?

Eating disorders are mental illnesses that cause serious disturbances in someone’s everyday diet. It happens when a person eating extremely small amounts of food or severely overeating. Another reason to abnormal eating patterns are distress and concern about body weight or shape. These disorders frequently come together with other mental illnesses such as depression, substance abuse, or anxiety disorders. Eating disorders often appear during adolescence or young adulthood, but they can develop during childhood or later in adulthood as well. Women and girls are much more likely than males to develop an eating disorder, but men and boys account for an estimated 5% to 15% of patients with anorexia or bulimia and an estimated 35% of those with binge-eating disorder. Eating disorders are real, treatable medical illnesses with complex underlying psychological and biological causes. As mentioned before, they comes with other psychiatric disorders such as depression, substance abuse, or anxiety disorders, but there's more, they also raise the risk of an early death. People with anorexia nervosa are 18 times more likely to die early compared with people of similar age in the general population.

Types of Eating Disorders

The three most common eating disorders are Anorexia Nervosa (self-starvation), Bulimia Nervosa (binge-purge), and Binge Eating Disorder (bingeing).

1. Anorexia Nervosa (Self-starvation)

"Anorexia" actually means absence of appetite. It can be associated with

 medical conditions that causes a loss of appetite. Anorexia nervosa involves a 

psychological reluctance to food that leads to a state of starvation. Patients 

with this condition are often called as anorexia restrictors. Anorexia restrictors 

reduce their weight by severe, heavy dieting.


Symptoms :

- At least 15% to as much as 60% of normal body weight is lost.

- Intense fear of weight gain.

- Extreme concern with body weight and shape.

- Lost of menstrual periods. (for female)



Effects :

- Slow heart rate and low blood pressure.

- Reduction in bone density

- Muscle loss

- Severe dehydration


2. Bulimia Nervosa (Binge-purge)


Bulimia Nervosa can be explained as an eating-purging cycle, round and round. 

Bulimia includes eating big amount of food in short periods of time, then getting

rid of the food and calories through vomiting, laxative abuse, or 
 
over-exercising. Even though both (with Anorexia Nervosa) are serious 

problems, This disorder gives additional pressure to an undernourished body, 

which makes it more dangerous.


Symptoms :

- Repeating eating-purging cycle.

- Self-induced purging

- Frequent dieting


Effects :

- Electrolyte imbalance (caused by dehydration, loss of potassium, sodium, and
 
chloride)

- Potential for gastric rupture

- Tooth decay or staining from stomach acid released while vomiting.

- Peptic ulcers and pancreatitis.


3. Binge Eating Disorder (Bingeing)


For this one, you can say that this is an opposite from two types that was 

mentioned before. It is characterized primarily by periods of uncontrolled,

impulsive, or continous eating beyond the point of feeling comfortably full.

Without vomiting, these people often have feelings of shame or self-hatred

after eating. That's why patients with this condition may struggle with anxiety, 

depression, and loneliness.


Symptoms :

- Consumes 5,000 - 15,000 calories in one sitting.

- 3 meals per day plus a lot of snacks.


Effects :

- High blood pressure.
.
- High cholesterol levels.

- Heart disease as a result of elevated triglyceride levels.

- Type II diabetes mellitus.

- Gallblader disease.


Eating Disorders Not Otherwise Specified (EDNOS) have recently emerged 

because many people may have other eating problems. EDNOS can include

some combination of the signs and symptoms of 3 types mentioned above. 

Despite these behaviors may not be clinically considered as a full syndrome 

eating disorder, they can still be dangerous.

What causes eating disorders?

There is no single cause for eating disorders. Although concerns of body weight 

and shape are said to be the main cause, the actual cause of eating disorders 

appears to involve many factors, such as genetic factors, biological factor, and 

cultural factor.



1. Genetic Factor
 
Apparently, Anorexia is 8 times more possible to effect someone who have

relatives with the disorder. Study of twins show they have an indication to share

the same disorder symptoms. Researchers have identified specific 

chromosomes which may be associated with bulimia and anorexia.



2. Biologic Factor

HPA (Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal) axis may be important in eating disorders.

 This complex system originates in the following regions of brain :

- Hypothalamus - a small structure that plays a role in controlling behaviors 

such as eating, sexual behavior, and sleeping, and regulates body temperature, 

hunger and thirst, and secretion of hormones.

- Pituitary Gland - involved in controlling thyroid functions, the adrenal glands, 

growth, and sexual maturation.

- Amygdala - associated with regulation and control of major emotional 

activities including anxiety, depression, aggression and affection.

HPA system releases certain neurotransmitters that regulate stress, mood and

appetite. They are serotonin which involves with well-being, anxiety, and 
 
appetite; norepinephrine which is stress hormone; and dopamine which 

involved with reward-seeking behavior. The imbalance amount of serotonin an 

dopamine may explain why people with anorexia do not experience a sense of 

satisfaction from food.


3. Cultural Factor

People often glorify "thinness" as "perfect body". The media also plays a role in 

promoting unrealistic expectations for body image and a distorted cultural drive 

for thinness. While at the same time, cheap and high-caloric foods are 

aggressively marketed.


by : C. Tanata


References:

- Do Something. 2013. Background on Eating Disorders. [online] Available at: http://www.dosomething.org/actnow/tipsandtools/background-eating-disorders [Accessed: 10 Nov 2013].

- Mandal, A. 2013. What is an Eating Disorder?. [online] Available at: http://www.news-medical.net/health/What-is-an-Eating-Disorder.aspx [Accessed: 10 Nov 2013].

- Simon, H. 2013. Eating Disorders. [online] Available at: http://umm.edu/health/medical/reports/articles/eating-disorders [Accessed: 10 Nov 2013].

*This post is strictly unofficial. For educational purposes only and is based on student opinion and research. Not for any other uses.