February 21st starts the National Eating Disorders Awareness Week. We want to help spread the word and let everyone know there is help and hope for everyone affected by an eating disorder. This is more important today than ever before. Recent research shows over 10,000 people die each year due to an eating disorder. Also, eating disorders are found in people of all backgrounds, ages, gender, and interests.
Around 30 million males, females, athletes, veterans, children, young adults, people with disabilities, and more will experience an eating disorder in their lifetime. Below are some other alarming statistics that show treatment needs to be a priority:
- Anorexia has the highest mortality rate of all mental illnesses
- Eating disorders affect men and women. Statistics show one million men and ten million women have an eating disorder at any given time
- Very few adults, usually less than ten percent, seek treatment for their eating disorder
- Over 13% of athletes have an eating disorder
- Of kids aged nine to eleven, 46% reported being on a diet often
National Eating Disorders Awareness Week
We want to help spread the word and let everyone know there is help and hope for everyone affected by an eating disorder. This is more important today than ever before. Recent research shows over 10,000 people die each year due to an eating disorder. Also, eating disorders are found in people of all backgrounds, ages, gender, and interests.
What Are Eating Disorders?
Eating disorders are mental health and medical conditions that involve distorted thinking that leads to unhealthy eating behaviors. Eating disorders can prevent the body from getting its nutrition to thrive. If left untreated, they can lead to organ damage and failure.
Eating disorders have less to do with food than they do with thoughts and feelings of being out of control, anxious, low self-esteem, and an obsession with body image or weight.
Eating disorders are not a choice. There are several different types of eating disorders, but the most common eating disorders are anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder.
Anorexia
Someone with anorexia will often obsess over their weight, even when they are underweight. They are insecure about how they look and think they are much larger than they are. They also obsess and may constantly count calories and fat.
Anorexics, because of their lack of nutrition, may have very low energy. They prefer to withdraw from society and isolate themselves, even from friends and family. Some anorexics choose to exercise excessively to try and lose additional weight.
Bulimia
Bulimia has similar characteristics, like the obsession with their weight and their food intake. However, bulimics do not starve themselves as anorexics do. Instead, they spend a period of binge eating. They are unable to stop eating.
After binging, they will start to feel guilty for their actions. This is when they begin obsessing about removing that same food from their bodies. Some sufferers choose to make themselves vomit, while others use laxatives to clean their systems.
They become caught in a cycle of binging and purging. The more they do this, the worse their health becomes. Purging brings up the food, as well as acids from the stomach. These acids can wreak havoc on the esophagus, teeth, gums, and more.
Binge-eating disorder
Binge-eating disorder is on the rise. It consists of someone overeating foods high in sugar and fats, junk food. Someone with this disorder eats and eats until they feel sick. They may sneak food or hide food they can eat when not around others. They often eat even when they are not hungry.
This eating disorder leads to obesity, Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, metabolic syndrome, and heart disease.
Other Eating Disorders
There are many more eating disorders listed as mental health disorders in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM-5), including:
- Orthorexia
- Muscle dysmorphia
- OSFED (Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder)
- Compulsive Overeating
- Prader Willi Syndrome
- Pregnancy Anorexia
- Alcoholism Anorexia
- Diabulimia
- Rumination Disorder
- Pica
- Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder
- Night Eating Syndrome
Eating Disorder Treatment
Eating disorder treatment may involve several approaches, including dialectal therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and certain medications that have shown success in helping to overcome eating disorders.
Because eating disorders affect the whole family, treatment should include family therapy. Some people may need long-term inpatient treatment to ensure the right amount and types of treatments are given. Others may benefit from intensive outpatient programs, mindfulness-based therapies, and self-care. If other issues like an alcohol or substance use disorder exist, they must be treated simultaneously. Dual diagnosis care is recommended.
If a person with an eating disorder is pregnant or has a medical condition, it’s crucial they continue to care for their current needs.
Typically, treatment for an eating disorder happens in stages. Treating life-threatening conditions must be a priority, whether physical or psychological. Stopping the eating disorder behaviors and entering therapy to relearn positive eating and nutritional habits and change thinking patterns that lead to unhealthy decisions. Continued maintenance care is necessary to ensure a relapse doesn’t occur.
You can do all this with the help of a specialized treatment team consisting of a psychiatrist, dietician, mental health therapist, and physician.
Do You Have an Eating Disorder
If you aren’t sure if you, or someone you know, has an eating disorder, you can start by completing an online screening tool, like the one created by the National Eating Disorders Association.
You can also check out the signs and symptoms of eating disorders to see if they apply in your life. Symptoms like a preoccupation with weight, body image, exercise, or food intake are common. Also, it can be common to have a great deal of anxiety around food, mealtimes, or events where you may be expected to eat.
There is Hope!
The good news is that all eating disorders are treatable. Many people start their journey of overcoming an eating disorder every day. You can start your journey today. All you must do is reach out online or by phone. Whether you just want more information or are ready to enter treatment, we are here for you. If you have questions, we want to answer them and offer resources to help you better understand eating disorders.
During National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, take this time to make yourself and your health a priority. You deserve it!