Eating Disorders
What is an Eating Disorder? What are the different types of eating disorders?
An eating disorder is a behavioral condition caused by drastic, extreme and constant disturbance in eating behaviors that are associated with stress related thoughts and emotions. Eating disorders are very common and dangerous. If they go one for long enough, they can lead to fatal conditions and even result in death. There are different types of eating disorders found in various people that can be caused by different situations like obsessions with food, body weight, and body shape but the most common reason is stress related. The first type of eating disorder is known as Anorexia nervosa. Anorexia is caused by people being obsessed with their body image and thinking that they are overweight even if they are dangerously skinny. In result, they avoid certain types of food, watch calories, and sometimes do not eat at all. Another form of an eating disorders is Bulimia Nervosa. This eating disorder is caused by obsessive eating when distracted and then the person feeling guilty afterward and overwork themselves to get rid of the food by excessively exercising or forcing themselves to vomit forcefully. The next kind is Binge eating disorder which is believed to be the most common type of eating disorder especially in the United States. This disorder includes eating excessive amounts of food even when not experiencing hunger out of poor boredom or just for the sake of it. The next type of eating disorder is known as Pica which occurs when one eats abnormal things that are not considered food such as dirt, chalk, soap, paper, hair, cloth, wool, pebbles, laundry detergent, or cornstarch. The fifth common type of eating disorder goes by the name of Rumination disorder which is when one vomits their food and then rechews it and then continues to spit it out so they just taste the food and do not actually intake its calories. The last type of common eating disorder is avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder which is a new type of disorder recently discovered and is associated with people , commonly infants and children under 7 who are disturbed with the look, smell, tastes, temperatures and/or texture of the food.
When did Eating Disorders start getting noticed?
Eating disorders were very rare until the recent 20th century though they were not completely non-existent either. In 1689, an English Physician, Richard Morton noticed what he referred to as a “nervous consumption” in both a girl and a boy and this case was later named to be the first known case of anorexia. He noticed that they both were reluctant to eat and were abnormally skinny compared to others their age. The next cases after this were reported about 200 years later in 1873 by another English Physician, Sir William Gull. There was not many more such reported cases throughout the next couple decades until the 20th century came and brought along a surprisingly drastic increase in the amount of disorders being detected in all kinds of age groups. In 1873, a French physician, Ernest Charles Lasegue published known descriptions of those struggling with anorexia in attempt to diagnose them easier. More types of eating disorders were discovered overtime including bulimia which was the next eating disorder to be discovered. This was discovered in 1979 by an English Physicist, Gerald Russell. He believed that Bulimia was associated with religion and disagreed with all of the information about the disorder today. Among earlier cases of this disorder, in 1903, a young girl displayed dietary restriction, fear of fatness, and episodes of binge eating. Though at the time is was not noticed as one, binge eating also became a disorder that is common today. It was first known as “Night eating syndrome” but then later was changed because it was found not only to be nocturnal. It was common in this disorder that one would consume large amounts of food unnecessarily and then feel guilty about it later while in bulimia, one would.
The Facts about the Diagnosis History
People often mistake Anorexia as the first known eating disorder but another one that was not recognized as an eating disorder was religious starving and it is still not treated as an eating disorder by many today. Religious starving disorder is caused by starvation in attempt to gain acceptance from god and attain blessings. People often became obsessed with gaining this from those they worship and went too far when it came to fasting. Anorexia and Bulimia are the most common types of eating disorders therefore the most serious as well. In early history, scientists did not see these disorders as such a big issue and therefore categorized it in the first edition of The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder (DMS-I) for infants and childhood which included other disorders such as disorder of sleep, speech disturbance, and specific learning disturbance. However, because the cases increased so much for these two types of eating disorders, they were given their own section and moved out of the infancy section because they became so common in other age groups. After a few years, Binge Eating disorders joined them in their own section because while the society advanced and grew, the disorder did too until it became common among all types of age groups, especially teenagers and young adults. The rest of the disorders remained in the infancy section because the majority of cases were only found in that certain age group. One would think that the amount of eating disorders would decrease as new ways to treat them come out, but the number found has only increased over time and a lot of it has to do with the mindset of people and what they think it important opposed to people in olden times and their problems. Back then, life was about survival and now it is about appearance what other will think of oneself.
What is the Issue?
Eating disorders are a big problem that the society faces today. Each of the eating disorders comes with their own endless list of negative symptoms and absolutely no positive ones. Some symptoms of anorexia are thin and weak bones, dry and yellowish skin, low iron levels and weak muscles, low blood pressure, slowed breathing and pulse, drop in body temperature resulting one to always feel cold, lack of energy, constipation, fragile nails and hair, and for girls and women, irregular periods or not having them at all. Some of the symptoms of bulimia are sore throats, heartburn, swollen glands in the neck and under the jaw, pain in the stomach and intestine, very sensitive teeth and decay in tooth enamel, kidney failure, and dehydration. Some of the symptoms of binge eating disorders are developing type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart problems, and digestive problems. These are only few of the other problems caused by eating disorders. These problems that they cause can lead to much bigger problems which in some cases can be fatal. Eating disorders are caused by mental anxiety and stress which comes from many different places. People with eating disorders often do not realize that they have them or by the time they do, they are used to it and are not able to stop. Eating disorders are surrounded by the idea of body image and feeling confident except it does quite the opposite. An eating disorder convinces those dealing with them that they are not perfect the way they are or that they are to fat and convinces them that they need to lose weight even when they are fine. It depresses people because they are never satisfied and feel hopeless and like they are never good enough. Those dealing with overeating often feel the need to overwork themselves where there is healthy ways to lose weight or they feel like they are unable to stop eating and feel guilty afterwards. They must be treated before going to far and cause other issues.
Is their a solution?
There is no obvious solution on how to cure eating disorders but there is new research in attempt of solving it everyday and new medicines that are coming out to help out those struggling. There are many programs available to those dealing with all kinds of eating disorders and there is also a national helpline with many people ready to talk and provide support at anytime. Medical researches are working everyday with new patients and observing so that they can help and offer better treatments to them. There are multiple resources available to those struggling but the biggest thing is reaching out for help. If the community is more aware about the issue and knows how to detect it, a lot of eating disorders can be avoided easily and if detected at early stages be easier to treat. Treatments of eating disorders include therapy, diet plans, and medications. In therapy, therapists provide support and act as a shoulder to those in need to talking to someone and they track progress and make sure that they are feeling better because often people dealing with an eating disorder have weak mental health. The second includes diet plans which help patients to stay organized and stay healthy. Another thing provided for attempts to help treat eating disorders are medications. These medications include antidepressants and weight loss pills along with other newer medications that are being produced everyday. Another solution towards the reduction of eating disorders is offering healthier foods as a community. Unhealthy foods are often cheaper and more accessible which is one of the main reasons that people go for them and are unable to stop eating them because of certain addicting chemicals that they include. Another thing the community can do is support others and be kind so people feel confident in themselves.
Is There a Better Understanding Around Neuroscience and Genetics?
According to Walden Eating Disorders, “In a novel study, researchers took stem cells from anorexia patients and converted them into brain cells, ultimately comparing them to cells taken from participants without anorexia. Through this, the researchers identified a specific gene, TACR1 (tachykinin 1 receptor), that appears to contribute to anorexia development. TACR1 had previously been associated with psychiatric conditions, especially anxiety disorders, but this was the first time it was associated with anorexia.” This means that anorexia can not always be caused by someone but can have something to go with genetics and neuroscience where a specific gene causes someone to have Anorexia. Knowing this, doctors and health line researches can find out how to get rid of the cell, how to treat it, or how to keep it dormant maybe by finding out what causes it to trigger in the first place. This research also leads to other questions about other eating disorders and if they are also like Anorexia meaning they also have something to do with genetics and not only caused by the people themselves, both mistakenly and on purpose. Research has also showed that certain substances have caused eating disorders like drugs and medicine. Neuroscience plays a major role in them because it is all about the way the brain thinks. An experiment was done on mice where they were isolated from others, and them being social animals, they stopped eating because they were unhappy and stressed. Similarly, the human brain thinks this way. A majority of the patients claim that not eating was never about being thin but more about not being hungry in the first place. When one is consumed with such strong other negative emotions, their brain is so focused on that, that it is not able to focus on other things like basic needs such as food to satisfy hunger. They are distracted.
Is there new hope for treating binge eating disorders?
Research shows that there have been multiple medications dropped in attempt to help treat eating disorders along with recommendation for taking antidepressants and attending therapy to those struggling. There are a lot of new type of medications that keep being released that help with weight control and hunger. These can also be dangerous though because if someone were to want to lose weight because they felt fat even though they were not, they might take them obsessively in attempt to lose weight. The best way to deal with such issues are to start a healthy diet. Obviously, once in a while someone craves something unhealthy but yummy and that is normal but it is becoming an everyday, every meal kind of thing which is not good. Processed and unhealthy foods cause one to be hungrier and want more while also making them gain a lot of weight while healthy foods help with the health and make one stronger but also fill them up. Many people do not want to eat healthy because it is too expensive or because they think it tastes bad but things like fruits are both good and healthy at the same time. When it comes to healthy foods being more expensive, I think that that is one of the things that the health line should work on improving because if they do, they are guaranteed to see results. People are often to choose the cheaper thing and almost 99% of the time, the cheaper thing is processed or unhealthy. It is just as important to focus on treating binge eating disorders as it is to help come up with ways to avoid them in the first place. One other thing in the advancement of treating binge eating disorders is integrative therapy which has shown results in only three-six months without any follow ups or anything such like that.
Eating Disorders have skyrocketed over the ongoing pandemic, especially in teens.
While being trapped at home during the pandemic, a lot of people were faced with stress and anxiety. Teens were unable to meet people and interact with them and were also forced to watch large amounts of screen time due to boredom and not being able to go outside. While doing this, teenagers did not realize that they were also eating more and not exercising. That was one way that research showed. Teenagers were munching and stocking up on snacks while being distracted on the screen and did not realize how much they were actually consuming. This happened in other age groups as well but mostly teenagers. In older age groups, the increased eating during the pandemic was caused more by increase of stress. The other way that research showed in which eating disorders grew was that teenagers were eating less. A big impact of this was social media. Teenagers were not seeing people in person and were living their living virtually. It is easy to fool people online and photoshop and therefore a lot of the teenagers thought that what they were seeing was real and were intimated and thought that they were also expected to have such bodies. This happened in young adults as well but once again, the increase of eating disorders during the pandemic was most seen in teenagers. According to health officials, the demand for treatment for eating disorders increased by double during the pandemic because more and more people were experiencing them. There are also a lot of social media platforms that promote being skinny and eating less and sometimes one does not even realize. Many big modeling agencies portray similar messages through the type of model and stereotypes of how they need to be which is also causing such disorders.
The Society’s Impact on Eating Disorders
One of the main motives in eating disorders is body image and stress. Both of these issues come from one common thing and that is the society and their judgement. It comes from insecurities and stereotypes. It comes from perfect images and expectations that is almost impossible to satisfy. The society always finds something negative in someone no matter who and how perfect they are and the only thing that one can do is choose to ignore it and have self confidence. If the way one looked did not have such a big impact on one’s life and the quality of it, eating disorders would probably be reduced by a lot. Many of the people dealing with eating disorders just want to fit in and have the “perfect” body so they do not eat or they do and throw it up. The society does not realize that it is promoting starving without realizing it. It is making others feel bad about themselves and is leading to such increased cases. All the models are lean and skinny and those are who most of the people look up to which is one of the main sources of these insecurities. In over eating disorders, that is caused by stress which also comes from others. Whether it is worrying about if one’s boss will fire them or if it is a relationship with another person. Bigger than Eating Disorders having an impact on the Society, the question should be asked the other way which is what impact does the society have on eating disorders. The day that everyone starts to accept each other for who they are and people start to realize that they are perfect they way they are and that they need to calm down because everything will be okay, the world will almost be rid of all problems. Another big thing in the society is social media which now, especially while technology is getting more advanced is the main source of the problem. There is both good and bad about it. People can help spread awareness and reach out to others in need and educate people about testing disorders but at the same time people are say negative things or be influenced by others and fake pictures.
The impact of Eating Disorders on the Economy
Another important thing to consider when looking at Eating disorders is the impact that it has on business. The first things is that evidence proves that the annual healthcare costs $2000 more to those dealing with eating disorders compared to the general population. Along with having to pay more, research also shows that those with eating disorders tend to do less well and get paid less. They also have a low employment rate and losing jobs are also a big reason that these disorders are formed in the first place. Most people are reluctant to get treatment because it can be expensive and they are already struggling with money issues. It is harder for those with eating disorders to get jobs because their disorders cause them to perform poorly compared to what they are fully capable of and they are also distracted by it because it is a big issue that they are dealing with. It also makes people unhappy and unsatisfied which causes them to become obsessed with certain things and causes them to have negative attitudes which later depicts in their work. Eating disorders also cause people to close up and not want to interact with others which is very important in order to be successful. It closes them up from the world and makes them not want to do anything. It makes them feel terrible. It seems as if there really is no solution to solving this endless circle of problems because it is a lose-lose situation. I think the best thing to do is to offer programs for those dealing with such illnesses that give them a chance to get back up on their feet and provide them support until they are ready to fly on their own again. Worrying about bills for treatment and finding a job for money is an unnecessary stress that should not be added on top of someone already dealing with an eating disorder because it can only lead to bigger problems in the future.
Product and Uses:
Therapy: Having an eating disorder is a really hard thing to go through and it is even harder to get over it which is why it is important to not be alone and having someone who understands or someone just there to listen while one is on such an important journey to help themselves recover. There are a lot of resources available for people who are suffering and that need someone to guide them and help them on what to do and where to start and talk to them on a personal level.
National Eating Disorders Association Helpline: The National Eating Disorders Association offers a helpline where they offer support and information on how to treat eating disorders and just are a shoulder for those who need to talk.
Healthy Food Diet Plans: Eating disorders are caused by unhealthy eating habits whether it is excessive eating or not eating enough. It is important to have a healthy and balanced diet and there are many programs there to support this and help one through this journey. It is always good to have an organized schedule and plan ahead.
Food: There are all kinds of Eating Disorders that are caused by different reasons but they all have one thing in common and that is food. Whether they are caused by eating too much and eating unhealthy or if it is caused by not eating enough and feeling bad about certain consumption of food. Food is THE product and is part of an everyday thing in everyone’s life and it is important to have a healthy meal. For eating disorders associated with eating to much, it is often because of the type of food and chemicals in it that make one not be able to stop eating it. It is a chemical that addicts them to keep reaching into that bag of chips or taking that one last cookie. If such foods were limited or even just completely eliminated then these disorders would be easier to avoid because they would be replaced with healthier foods that fills one up and makes them feel good and not hungrier after eating it. For those disorders associated with people not eating, it is more about the mindset than the actual food. People who do not eat get so used to the habit of not eating that they start to never feel hungry and are completely used to not eating anything at all. Infact, eating makes them feel worse because their body is not used to it. Going back to the topic of unhealthy foods, they also make people feel icky and gross afterwards and make them feel sick and nauseous because that is what to much of fomjjkl,kl,,od does and then some people go on to force themselves to throw up their food which is another type of an eating disorder which is very dangerous. Some people do it so much, that they get used to doing it that they convince themselves that it is a normal thing and start to think that if they do it after every meal then they can eat and be skinny at the same time. This is not correct though, and in reality is just extremely dangerous and a way of avoidance.
How common are eating disorders? Are some more common than others? Have the amount of eating disorders increased or decreased over time?
About 20 million women and 10 million men in just the United States alone have had or have an eating disorder at some point of their lives. 9% of the United States population is affected by these disorders which is the same as about 30 million Americans. Research has found that eating disorders are way more common in female than they are in males. A recent study conducted on eating disorders discovered that 91.3% of the reported cases for these disorders were female while only the remaining 8.7% were men. It is also proven that young people in between the ages of 15 and 24 that struggle with anorexia have 10 times the risk of dying compared to others of that age without anorexia. Most of the athletes that suffer from eating disorders are women but the male athletes are also at risk. They tend to emphasize their diet, appearance, size, and weight and overwork themselves by over exercising or starving themselves. In female athletes, disordered eating occurs at estimates up to 62%. Up to 40% of overweight girls and 37% of overweight boys are teased about their weight by peers or family members causing them to develop eating disorders. Even being surrounded and not being the one who is teased has an impact on the way the brain thinks and force oneself that they need to not eat and develop a disorder. Some other facts about eating disorders are that less than 6% of people with eating disorders are medically diagnosed as “underweight.”, 28–74% of risk for eating disorders is through genetic hereditary, eating disorders are among the deadliest mental illnesses, second only to opioid overdose, 10,200 deaths each year are the direct result of an eating disorder — that’s one death every 52 minutes, about 26% of people with eating disorders attempt suicide, and the economic cost of eating disorders is $64.7 billion every year.
Is the treatment effective for everyone and how can it be made more personalized?
Treatments for Eating Disorders are offered through different programs that support and guide those struggling with the issue and provide support to them on a personal level. Most of the treatment is standard and does not vary much for different patients. Research is being done on patients referred to outliers who do not respond to treatment as usual and are wired a little differently. A future advancement being tested for a better renewed version of Acceptance and Action Questionnaire for Weight related issues (AAQW-r) which is an assessment that helps measure experiential avoidance. New program routes and plans are being developed in attempt to help the future of eating disorders and making sure that more people including the outliers respond to the treatment. Research suggests that therapists talk to patients individually with what they feel they are struggling with to come up with more effective pathways that works the best for them. This is because people recovering from eating disorders are likely to be recovering from other illnesses such as depression, panic attacks, anxiety promoted mental illnesses, and the issues caused by the symptoms of dealing with the disorders themselves. Because of this, it is important for treatments and programs to take all of these things into account and not only focus on one thing. This is what makes it hard since everyone is going through something different and there are so many ways in which the programs can go if they were to be personalized for each individual person. If a treatment that is relatable and meets everyone in the middle or a few treatments that have the main idea then it will work out better and that is what health officials are trying to figure out. How to make the programs effective to all.
What are the future medicines being produced to help treat eating disorders?
Research has also shown that while other illnesses can be treated with medication, eating disorders has not been very successful and is unresponsive. Special pills and medication to help eating disorders are being produced everyday in attempt to change this. The most recent medication that has been released is targeted for those struggling with binge eating disorders and it is a weight controlling pill. This approach is causing more harm than good though. Those struggling with binge eating disorders treat the pill as an excuse to continue there unhealthy eating habits and think that as long as they are treating themselves with the pills they can continue what they are doing. For those with other eating disorders using this medication such as bulimia, they tend to think that they are gaining weight after every little thing they eat which can cause them to misuse the medication. The mindset of one with Bulimia is that they need to lose weight after eating something like an apple which is not true and so they take five pills to lose the weight instead. This medication can be very dangerous if not controlled and researches are looking at healthier options that are more controlled. Offering healthier foods is a huge start and big thing the community can work together to provide. Medication is still being approved by the FDA for anorexia but at the moment the only medication for it are anti-depressants. For other eating disorders, there is neuromonitoring to find relations between the two and come up with medication to prevent it. Eating disorders normally do not recommend being treated with pills unless supervision with nutritional therapy and psychotherapy.
How will the future research of Eating Disorders change our world?
People will be happier. With eating disorders, people are more likely at risk for suicidal thoughts and other big complications along with issues with mental health. With future advancements, the numbers of eating disorders is likely to go down and that is saying a lot because they are very high right now. People with eating disorders are often rude and unhappy with themselves and others and therefore cause negativity. With them reducing, there is much less negativity and more people will be happy in themselves the way they are. Eating disorders are all caused by a common way of thinking that forces them to be unhappy and not satisfied by themselves and once one is released from that, they find themselves much happier and better version of themselves. The more positivity in the world, the better it is to live in and it is much better to surround oneself with happy people and those who are confident in themselves because it makes one want to be themselves too and that behavior has an impact on them. Research is still years away from completely riding the world of eating disorders altogether but it has come a long way with treatments and programs and a lot of help available to those who need it. If advancements stay in this direction, it will not be long until more people can say that they have survived through an eating disorders or that they have never dealt with them in the first place. All research suggests that if one asks a recovered eating disorder patient, they will admit that they are way happier now than they were before even if they were skinnier. It is important to help boost confidence as well and make others feel like they matter and that is also a huge advancement that the society has to take together because other people have a huge impact.
Something to think about.
How can we as a society work together to rid the increase of eating disorders and how can we help those struggling with them?
