Eating disorders are psychiatric conditions that impair a person’s physical and mental health and diminish overall quality of life, affecting relationships, professional, and personal development. This typically means that the body does not receive enough calories to function properly or involves regular excessive eating.
Approximately 8% of women and 2% of men will experience an eating disorder in their lifetime. The most well-known eating disorders are anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. However, binge eating disorder, where a person feels the urge to regularly overeat, is also widely recognized as a distinct disorder.
The mortality rate among people with eating disorders is higher than among those with other mental illnesses. One in five diagnosed individuals dies due to physical complications or eating disorder-related suicide.
Physical signs of eating disorders:
Anorexia nervosa is when someone maintains a low body weight as a result of obsessive thinking. They drastically restrict their food intake and diet. Here are the beliefs and behaviors characteristic of anorexia:
Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by repeated episodes of binge eating, excessive concern about body weight, and attempts to control it through extreme measures. Here are the beliefs and behaviors characteristic of bulimia:
Binge eating disorder may involve:
No eating disorder has a single cause. It is often not understood why everyday voluntary activities such as eating become a disorder for some people but not for others.
A disturbed relationship with food and emotional fragility are characteristics of all eating disorders. Eating disorders usually begin subtly, with a person eating slightly more or less food than usual. The desire to eat more or less becomes increasingly compelling until it can become the focal point of the person’s existence.
Part of it is due to biology, as the regulation of appetite and food intake is a very complex process. Many hormones in the brain and body signal hunger and satiety.
Evidence also suggests that eating disorders have genetic and familial roots. Culture also plays a significant role, as people, especially women, are pressured to meet beauty ideals largely defined by weight.
Other influencing factors may be caused by stress, social difficulties, loneliness, depression, trauma, or dieting.
People with eating disorders may take a long time—sometimes years or decades—before deciding to seek help. When they do, there are various options available to help them recover.
People with eating disorders often receive outpatient treatment, but in severe cases, hospitalization may be necessary. Treatment involves the assistance of a doctor, psychologist, and nutritionist who address different aspects of the disorder. Treatment methods for any type of eating disorder include a version of cognitive-behavioral therapy tailored for eating disorders, collaboration with the family, and family therapy.
Depending on the cause of the eating disorder, various body-based or somatic practices can be supportive and helpful.