People of all ages, races and ethnicities, weights, and genders can have eating problems. It is possible for people who seem healthy, like athletes, to have eating problems and be very sick. Eating disorder sufferers can be underweight, the right weight, or too heavy.
Eating disorders are mental health conditions that cause people to have serious and long-lasting problems with their eating habits, along with upsetting thoughts and feelings. They can be very important conditions that make it hard to do things physically, mentally, and socially.
Most people who have eating disorders feel like they don’t have enough power over other parts of their lives. A false and misleading sense of control is formed based on eating and habits like purging and/or exercising too much.
It is thought that 8.60% of women and 4.07% of men will have an eating problem at some point in their lives.
Making more people aware of eating disorders can help stop them, help them get help early, and help them get care early. Also, learning more about eating disorders can help you understand how hard it is for people who are dealing with them and reduce the stigma that surrounds these mental illnesses. Bulimia nervosa is one common eating disease.
Insomnia can happen to people of any age, gender, race, and size, shape, or weight. The mental, emotional, and physical signs of an eating problem are different for each person and each type. Cognitive therapy, medication, and other treatments may all be used together in treatment.
What is a problem with eating?
An eating problem is a serious and complicated mental illness that can hurt both your physical and mental health. People who have eating problems have bad feelings about food, their weight, or how they look. There are different kinds of eating disorders, such as anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder.
You can get help for eating problems. People who don’t get help for their eating issues may have problems that could kill them.
How common are problems with eating?
20 million girls and women in the U.S. and 10 million boys and men have an eating problem.
Genetics, brain biology, psychology, cultural and social norms, and mental health problems are just some of the complicated things that can lead to eating disorders.
What different kinds of eating problems are there?
An eating problem can be different from one another. There are people who may have more than one kind of eating problem. Some types are:
Food and calorie restrictions are very strict for people with anorexia nervosa, sometimes to the point of death. Being too thin can happen to anyone. It’s when you want to lose weight all the time and won’t eat the right amount of food for your body type and level of exercise.
It is known that people who have bulimia nervosa binge eat a lot of food in a short amount of time, or think they did. After eating, they may force themselves to get rid of the calories by throwing up, taking laxatives, or working out too much.
Binge eating disorder (BED): People with this disease feel like they have to eat all the time. They either eat a lot of food quickly or think they have eaten a lot of food quickly. But once they’ve binged, they don’t get rid of the food or work off the calories by exercising. Instead, they may feel shame, sorrow, guilt, or depression, and they may be too full to move.
Who might be at risk for the disorder?
Anyone of any age can get an eating problem. They effect people of all sexes, races, and cultures. It’s not true that girls and women are more likely to have eating problems. Both boys and men are at risk. You may be more likely to develop an eating problem if you have any of the following:
There may be a history of eating disorders, addiction, or other mental health problems like sadness in the family.
A past of any kind of trauma, including physical, emotional, or sexual?
- Have had worry, depression, or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in the past.
- Dieting in the past.
- Among other things,
- Up to one-fourth of women with Type 1 diabetes also have an eating problem.
- Being involved in activities that stress having a slim body, like modeling, dancing, swimming, wrestling, and running.
- Major changes in your life, like moving, starting a new school or job, etc.
- Perfectionism is a trait.
- Signs and Reasons
What makes eating problems happen?
Disorders of eating are caused by a mix of genes, the environment, and social factors. When other parts of their lives are hard to handle, some people with eating disorders may go to great lengths to limit the amount of food they eat or the types of food they eat. An bad way to deal with painful emotions or feelings is to become obsessed with food. So, eating disorders aren’t really about food; they’re about finding good ways to deal with your feelings.
What are the signs of an eating disorder?
It’s not always easy to tell if someone has an eating problem by looking at them. No matter what size or weight you are, you can have an eating problem. People with eating disorders often have changes in how they think about or feel about food that don’t show up in their weight or size.
Different types of eating disorders have different signs. An eating problem can look a lot like dieting, which can make it hard to spot. Or, someone who is dealing with an eating issue might not want to talk about their eating problems. If you or someone you care about has an eating problem, you might notice these changes:
- Mood changes.
- Tiredness, passing out, or feeling dizzy.
- Less hair or hair loss.
- Taking frequent bathroom breaks after meals.
- Weight changes or big weight losses that you can’t explain.
- Too much sweating or hot flashes.
These other changes could happen:
Eating alone or not wanting to eat with other people.
Pulling away from friends or social events.
Putting food away or hiding it.
Getting too focused on food, energy, working out, or losing weight.
Habits related to food, like chewing for longer than necessary or eating alone.
How is someone with an eating problem found?
Doctors and mental health professionals are the ones who can identify eating disorders. Your primary care doctor may talk to you about your symptoms, check you out physically, and order blood tests. A psychologist or psychiatrist, or another mental health professional, does a psychological evaluation to find out more about your eating habits and views.
A diagnosis is made with the help of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) from the American Psychiatric Association. The DSM lists the signs and symptoms of each kind of eating problem. You don’t have to have all of these signs to be diagnosed with an eating problem. And even if you don’t have an eating disorder that’s on the DSM, you might still need help with problems that involve food.
How to Manage and Treat
The only psychiatric condition that is more likely to kill someone is opioid use disorder.
Cutting calories very low, throwing up, or doing a lot of intense exercise can be bad for your health. If you don’t get help for your eating disorder, you could have major problems like
- heart failure, arrhythmia, and other issues with the heart.
- GERD, which stands for gastroesophageal reflux disease, is acid reflux.
- Having trouble with your gut.
- Hypotension means low blood pressure.
- Organ collapse and damage to the brain.
- The loss of teeth and osteoporosis.
- Very thirsty and unable to go to the bathroom.
- Periods stopped (amenorrhea) and impotence set in.
- Stroke.
How do you deal with or treat eating disorders?
There are different ways to treat eating disorders based on the type and your needs. You can talk to a professional about food problems even if you don’t have a recognized eating disorder. Some treatments are:
Psychotherapy: A mental health worker can help you figure out which type of therapy will work best for you. Cognitive behavioral treatment (CBT) helps a lot of people who have eating disorders get better. This kind of treatment helps you figure out and change the wrong ways of thinking that control your feelings and actions.
What is the Maudsley approach? This type of family therapy helps parents whose teens have anorexia. Parents help their kids learn better eating habits by watching what they eat.
Medicines: Some people with eating disorders also have other health problems, like depression or worry. Taking antidepressants or other medicines can help with these problems. This makes you feel better about yourself and food.
Nutrition counseling: A qualified dietitian who has studied eating disorders can help you change the way you eat and make meal plans that are good for you. They can also give you advice on how to shop for groceries, plan meals, and cook them.
All of these professionals working together to get a full treatment that takes care of the physical, mental, and behavioral parts is often the best way to go about treatment.
How can I keep from getting a food disorder?
If someone in your family has an eating disorder, knowing the signs is a good way to find out about it early. Getting help right away can break bad eating habits before they get harder to break. You can also lower your chances of getting an eating disorder by getting help for issues like OCD, sadness, or anxiety.
Show your family how to be a good person by eating healthy food and not saying things about food like “good or bad.” Also, don’t diet, talk about diets, or say bad things about your body.
People with eating problems who get help often get better and go on to live healthy lives. It is better to find a problem early and begin treatment right away.
Care comes in different ways, such as:
Outpatient therapy means talking once a week.
Therapy several times a week as part of intensive outpatient care.
Getting rehab while you are hospitalized.
You and your primary care doctor will work together to choose the best level of care for you.
People with eating issues can get life-threatening problems if they don’t get help. Health and mental health care may need to be given to some people in a hospital or treatment center.
When should I see a doctor?
You should get in touch with your doctor if you have an eating problem and:
- Find that the way you feel about food is making you unhappy.
- Find that your relationship with food is making it hard for you to do the things you need to do.
- Feel pain in your chest, shortness of breath, or irregular heartbeats.
- Feel dizzy or pass out.
- Feel a terrible sore throat or acid reflux.
- Slur your words or have trouble seeing.
7 Facts You Should Know About Eating Disorders
- These are very bad mental illnesses
- They’re not just diseases in women.
- They take over your life.
- People who have eating problems find it harder to eat.
- There is no way for people with eating problems to “get over it.”
- These are very bad problems that could kill you.
Not wanting to eat or not being interested in it. A lot of weight loss. You might have an upset stomach, gut pain, or other stomach problems for no known reason. A small selection of preferred foods that gets even smaller over time (“picky eating” that gets worse over time)
People who work in models and fashion often have bulimia. As was already said, at least 25% of models say they have done things to make themselves vomit [2]. In spite of this, there are many ways that people can purge, such as exercising too much or using laxatives or diuretics.
According to research, about 46% of people with anorexia fully heal, 33% get better, and 20% stay sick for a long time. Similar studies on bulimia show that 45% of people get better completely, 27% get better a lot, and 23% suffer permanently.
Having a problem with food
Life can be hard for someone with an eating problem, even if they have a strong support system and a treatment team. You can handle things even better if you have the right tools.
If you have an eating problem, these things might help:
Take care of yourself. Watch TV or play with your pet are some things you might enjoy. Taking care of yourself in any way that works for you can help lower stress, sadness, and anxiety.
Talk to other people about what you’re going through. If you tell people you trust and care about about your eating problem, they will be better able to help you. This person could be a close friend, family member, or someone from a support group. You can feel less alone and separated when you reach out.
Happy that you’re better. Give yourself a reward every time you make progress in your healing. It can be hard to get better from an eating problem, so be proud of yourself.
Giving someone with an eating problem help
You can talk to someone about their eating disorder and support them to get help in a number of ways.
There are a lot of people with eating problems who don’t get help on their own. Their worry or shame about getting help may get in the way. They might not always be aware that the way they act is bad.
It can be hard to talk to a loved one about your worries. Before you talk to them, it might help to:
Find out more about eating problems. Get correct information to help you talk to your loved one.
Don’t use methods that are too easy. It’s not about “willpower” to get better from an eating problem. Telling someone to “stop bingeing” or “just eat” is not helpful.
Don’t pass judgment. Let the person you care about know that they shouldn’t feel bad about having an eating problem. Remind them that they can get better.
It can be hard to help someone you think has an eating problem, especially if they don’t want to get help. This NEDA guide can help you learn more about how to be helpful.
What kinds and signs
The signs of each eating disorder are different, but a lot of people will have more than one type of eating disorder symptoms. The disease you have and how it makes you feel will be unique to you.
Having an eating problem can hurt your mind and body. They can also have a big effect on how you act.
Some common eating problems are:
- With anorexia nervosa. One sign of anorexia is limiting the amount of food you eat.
- Brain-based bulimia. People with bulimia eat a lot of food and then purge to get rid of it.
- BED stands for binge eating disorder. People who have BED eat a lot and feel like they can’t stop.
- ARFID stands for avoidant restricted food intake disorder. People in ARFID limit the amount and kinds of food they eat, but they don’t worry about their weight or how they look.
- Pixa. People with this eating problem eat things like dirt or paint that aren’t food.
- Disorder of ruminating. It takes people with this condition one month to regurgitate their food, which means they chew, swallow, or spit it out again.
- OSFED stands for “other specified feeding or eating disorder.” This label is given to someone who shows signs of an eating problem but doesn’t fully fit one of the other categories.
- Symptoms of mental illness
- A lot of the time, people who have eating problems can’t stop thinking about food, weight, and how they look. This can be very hard on your emotions and mind.
The following are some mental signs of an eating disorder:
- a lot about food, weight, and how they look
- feeling down
- being worried, angry, sorry, or embarrassed
- Having a “flat” or lack of emotions
- Mood changes
- Misconceptions about your body, like thinking you look bigger than you are
- Signs and symptoms
- Eating problems can have a big effect on your health. Your health and body can be affected by big changes in how you eat, purge, and do other things.
Some physical signs of an eating problem are:
- changes in weight, like going up or down or going up and down
- All the time being cold
- Loss of hair
- feeling dizzy, passing out, or lightheaded
- If you keep throwing up, the area around your chin will swell up.
- Vomiting can damage or change the color of your teeth and cause cavities.
- Not going to the bathroom often, gut pain, cramps, or constipation
- exhaustion and not getting enough nutrients
- These and other physical signs can be caused by eating problems, but not everyone will have them. Eating problems and their signs are different for each person.
Symptoms of behavior
When someone has an eating problem, they often do certain things. People often keep their food and body image habits to themselves. People who do these things may feel more alone or sorry over time.
Behavioral signs may include
wearing clothes that are too big or too many layers
Eating alone a lot and avoids meals with other people or in public
always dieting
If you have rigid ideas about food, your body, or your weight, like thinking that some things are good or bad,
being away from other people
What causes and raises the risk
Scientists are still trying to figure out what causes eating disorders. It’s important to remember that eating disorders aren’t just a matter of “vanity.” They’re a serious mental illness.
A lot of people deal with upsetting feelings and events by engaging in eating problem behaviors.
Some things, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), can make someone more likely to develop an eating disorder:
- Genetics of. People are more likely to develop an eating disorder if they have a family history of them or other mental health problems.
- Things in the environment. People may feel like they have to meet unrealistic standards if they grew up in a society that links a certain body type with success or happiness.
- Things related to psychology. People who are self-conscious or don’t like how they look may be more likely to get it. Having a mental illness, like worry, can also make someone more likely to get sick.
- Just because you have one or more of these risk factors doesn’t mean you’ll get an eating problem.
