Eating Disorders and Types
Eating disorders are mental health challenges involving complex relationships with food and unrealistic body image. People of all ages and gender can develop an eating disorder, and the symptoms can vary from person to person.
Eating disorders are usually related to emotional struggles and can be a mechanism people use to cope with daily life challenges. Some people with eating disorders, such as bulimia nervosa, display binge eating and purging behaviours such as self-induced vomiting, excessive exercise or laxative misuse.
There are several types of eating disorders that occur with different symptoms and challenges.
The most common types of eating disorders include:
- Anorexia Nervosa
- Bulimia Nervosa
- Binge Eating Disorder
- Rumination Disorder
- Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder
Each type of eating disorder requires an individual and unique approach that includes appropriate treatment and lifestyle plans.
The Physical Impact
When left untreated, eating disorders can seriously affect an individual’s physical and psychological health. Having an eating disorder for an extended period can lead to malnutrition, hormonal imbalance, cardiovascular disease and a weakened immune system.
These disorders often manifest in weight fluctuation affecting bone health, skin quality, and overall vitality. In severe cases, organ damage and failure can occur, emphasising the critical importance of early intervention and comprehensive medical care.
Eating Disorders and Osteoporosis
Eating disorders at a young age increase the risk of developing osteoporosis later in life. Osteoporosis is a health condition in which your bones become weak and brittle. Healthy nutrition is essential for bone growth and development and for preventing issues later on. This is particularly important for physically active kids, adolescents and teenagers. Notably, between the age of nine to 15, our body creates 80% of the bone density necessary for a healthy skeletal system in the lifetime.
Poor eating habits can interfere with the bone-building process, and people with eating disorders may have a lower threshold of bone mass.
Eating Disorders and Cardiovascular Complications
Eating disorders include unhealthy food and exercise behaviours that can cause severe damage to our bodies. If left untreated, eating disorders can lead to malnourishment that directly impacts the normal function of the body and brain. Therefore, cardiovascular complications are common health challenges associated with any eating disorder.
Heart failure is often caused by eating disorders. The lack of nutrients for an extended period affects the heart’s regular electrical activity. This imbalance affects the natural heart rate, and malnutrition can reduce the heart’s muscle mass, resulting in a slower heartbeat and less blood per beat.
If left untreated, these consequences can be fatal.
Eating Disorders and Hormonal Imbalances
Eating disorders such as bulimia nervosa, anorexia nervosa or binge eating disorder can impact an individual’s hormonal balance, leading to a range of psychological and physical health issues. Unhealthy eating habits can directly impact your hormones that control metabolism, fertility and pregnancy.
Frequent and severe fluctuations in weight, along with excessive exercise, have a substantial impact on the normal hormone levels in the body. For example, people with anorexia nervosa diet excessively, leading to severe weight loss. With bulimia nervosa, people undergo extreme changes in eating habits, including uncontrollable overeating followed by purging.
Therefore, eating disorders can affect our:
- Overall growth and development
- Bone growth
- Puberty
- Fertility
- Sugar and appetite regulation
- Level of alertness
Eating Disorders and Obesity
Eating disorders are mental health challenges that affect people’s eating habits, often resulting from dissatisfaction with their body image and unhealthy coping behaviours in stressful situations or mental health challenges like anxiety and depression.
Obesity is linked to consuming more calories than you burn through physical activity during the day. Being overweight has become a common problem due to sedentary lifestyles and working desk jobs. Just like eating disorders, obesity can affect a person of any age and gender. Additionally, overweight people may also struggle with mental health challenges, mood swings, and eating disorders.
There is a close relationship between binge eating disorder and obesity. For example, binge eating disorder is associated with consuming large amounts of food in a short time. This can lead to gaining weight and eventually to obesity if left untreated.
The Psychological Impact
Eating disorders have profound psychological impacts on individuals, affecting their thoughts, emotions, behaviours, and overall well-being. Each eating disorder presents unique psychological challenges where mood and anxiety disorders are most prevalent.
However, there are some common psychological impacts across all eating disorders, and we will discuss each respectively.
Eating Disorders and Depression
Depression, or major depressive disorder, is one of the most common mental health challenges that co-occur with eating disorders. Numbers show that between 50% to 75% of people struggling with eating disorders also cope with symptoms of depression.
While there is no single cause of an eating disorder, depressive symptoms and behaviours can contribute to developing an eating disorder. People with eating disorders and depression also share a number of symptoms, including low self-esteem, which is a common cause for both conditions.
Additionally, people with depression experience frequent appetite fluctuations, which can lead to developing unhealthy eating habits and relationships with food.
Eating Disorders and Anxiety
Anxiety disorders can affect a person’s relationship, school and job performance and general well-being. There is a close and mutual relationship between anxiety and eating disorders. While anxiety disorders can contribute to developing an eating disorder, eating disorders can also cause anxiety about self-image, weight gain, and social pressures.
Eating Disorders and OCD
Like eating disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental health challenge associated with chronic obsessions and compulsions. Therefore, distinguishing between the two can sometimes be difficult.
In many cases, OCD symptoms may look similar to eating disorder symptoms, and healthcare professionals need to make a careful assessment to determine what is causing the symptoms. For example, a medical expert needs to address whether binge eating is a compulsion or an eating disorder.
It is common for an individual to experience both of these mental health challenges at the same time.
Eating Disorders and Isolation
Eating disorders involve a profound link with individual triggers such as low self-esteem, fear of weight gain, and isolation. Isolation and low self-esteem can lead to unhealthy relationships with food, and eating disorders often cause feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness, and isolation. This can further lead to disconnection from oneself and others, creating an inner world of loneliness and isolation.
Eating Disorders and Self-Harm
In many cases, self-harm behaviours often co-occur with eating disorder behaviours. Both appear as a coping mechanism when a person feels overwhelmed by intense emotions, events, memories or experiences.
Cutting, scratching, burning and hair pulling are the most common types of self-injury behaviours. While self-harm in the case of eating disorders includes induced vomiting, laxative misuse, excessive exercise, and binge eating followed by restriction or eating until the level of discomfort or pain.
Trauma’s Impact on Eating Behaviours
Trauma can significantly impact a person’s eating behaviours and relationship with food. Trauma refers to distressing events or experiences that overwhelm a person’s ability to cope, often leading to feelings of fear, helplessness, or a loss of control. This trauma can result from various experiences, including:
- Physical abuse
- Emotional abuse
- Sexual assault
- Accidents
- Natural disasters
- Combat
- Loss of a loved one
- Life-threatening situations
Surveys have shown that people who have experienced trauma are more prone to developing eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, or binge eating disorder.
After experiencing a traumatic event, a person may use food restriction or binging behaviours to hide feelings of shame, fear, and hopelessness. Eating disorders are often coping mechanisms to maintain control while distancing from pain.
Eating Disorders Caused by PTSD
Studies show a close relationship between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and eating disorders. Based on the results, almost 75% of women receiving residential treatment for eating disorders confirm to have experienced some form of trauma in the past. As much as 50% of these women report a history of PTSD. In addition, analysis shows a strong correlation between binge eating disorder and PTSD.
Seeking Treatment and Support
Addressing the impact of trauma on eating behaviours requires a holistic approach that includes a range of treatment options that can help individuals process their traumatic experiences and develop healthier coping mechanisms.
Common treatment options include:
- Psychological therapy
- Trauma-focused therapy
- Cognitive-behavioural therapy
- Nutritional counselling
Support from medical professionals can also be crucial to ensure individuals meet their nutritional needs and engage in balanced eating habits, overcoming their challenges and improving their quality of life.
Eating Disorders Support with Unique Community Services
At Unquie Community Service, we design intentional strategies and implement effective coping mechanisms to foster self-confidence and self-awareness, understanding each person’s triggers, behaviours, and complex emotional and physical needs.
The treatment journey requires patience, understanding and acceptance. Our clinicians’ expertise emphasises elevating a person’s independence and self-reliance to empower the individual to live a happy and meaningful life.
We provide person-centred care to every individual we support.
To learn more about eating disorder support, contact us today.
