Eating disorders have always been around, however they are becoming increasingly recognized as the years go on. Many parents worry about their children’s eating habits, but it can be difficult to know the difference between common eating habits and ones that are more concerning. Today’s blog will look at the types of eating disorders, risk factors, signs and symptoms, screenings or diagnostics, and treatment for eating disorders. 

** It’s important to note that this information is not meant to diagnose an eating disorder. If you are concerned over your, or your children’s eating habits being linked to an eating disorder, please consult your Registered Dietitian and medical physician. 

Types of Eating Disorders

Most often, eating disorders will manifest into one of the following, however, it is common to have signs and symptoms of multiple eating disorders. Because of this, people diagnosed with one eating disorder can show signs that overlap into another. This is increasingly common as the illness progresses and changes. 

Anorexia Nervosa – characterized by the avoidance of foods and drinks. The restriction of food is so severe that weight often drops drastically. These people may also have an obsession with weighing themselves, daily or multiple times per day. They may also suffer from body dysmorphia. Most are often underweight, but not always. There are two subtypes to anorexia nervosa:

• Restrictive: severely limit the amount of food they intake.
• Binge-Purge: restriction of food in addition to having episodes of eating a large amount of food followed by vomiting, using laxatives, or using diuretics.

Bulimia Nervosa – characterized by recurrent episodes of binge eating (eating a large amount of food at a time) followed by vomiting, the use of laxatives, use of diuretics, fasting, or excessive exercise. These patients are often able to maintain a normal weight or may be overweight. 

Binge Eating Disorder – characterized by the loss of control over eating leading to very large amounts of foods eaten at one time. This can occur multiple times in a short period or happen when not hungry. These binge episodes are NOT followed by vomiting, excessive exercise, laxative use, etc. These patients are often overweight. 

Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) – characterized by the limiting of the amount or type of foods eaten. This is not brought on by the fear of weight gain or for the reasons of controlling weight. There is usually no body dysmorphia involved. This type of eating disorder is often diagnosed in childhood being called “extreme picky eating”, though it is much more complex than that. This can also be diagnosed in adulthood, though less common. 

Risk Factors for Eating Disorders

Eating disorders affect people of all ages, races, genders, body weights, and ethnicities. 

However, there are some risk factors that can increase the chances of having an eating disorder. According to the National Eating Disorders Association website, they include: 

• Having a close relative with an eating disorder
• Having a close relative with a mental health condition
• Having a history of dieting
• Having type 1 diabetes
• Personal history of substance use disorder 
• Personal history of a mental health condition
• Body image dissatisfaction 
• Emotional dysregulation
• Perfectionism
• Impulsivity

Signs and Symptoms 

As we learned above, each type of eating disorder can look equally different and similar. Here are some of the signs you can look out for if you believe you or someone you love may have an eating disorder: 

• Drastic weight gain or loss
• Frequently (almost obsessively) talking about food, weight, or body shape
• Changes in food intake (increase or decrease)
• Excessive exercise habits
• Vomiting after meals
• Having rules about when they are “allowed” to eat
• Excessive use of laxatives, diuretics, or diet pills
• Denial of eating habits when concern is expressed
• Eating in secret or hiding food wrappers
• Thinning of hair
• Dry skin and brittle nails
• Amenorrhea (loss of menstruation)

If you notice these signs and symptoms in yourself or someone you love, seek the advice of a Registered Dietitian, behavioral health counselor, and medical doctor. It is important to have the help of the entire care team for treatment. 

How Do You Screen or Get Diagnosed with an Eating Disorder?  

There are a few screening tools that can be used to see if patients may be struggling with an eating disorder. These include the EAT-26, EDE-Q, SCOFF, and ESP along with others. This can be a good first step in talking about a diagnosis of an eating disorder. Each type of eating disorder has different criteria to meet in order to get a diagnosis from a medical provider. A proper diagnosis will ensure that the right support is provided for recovery.

Eating Disorder Treatments

Eating disorders are treated with a team approach. The care team includes your medical doctor, behavioral counselor, and Registered Dietitian. If needed, specialists in different medical diagnoses can also be added to the team as the need arises. Almost most importantly, family and/or loved ones are a major part of a care team. The support team at home and in a patient’s personal life are often included in the treatment. This provides the encouragement and reinforcement of the treatment goals in a patient’s day-to-day life. 

There are a few different approaches to treatment based on severity of the illness. 

• One-on-one outpatient sessions 
• Group sessions 
• Weekly outpatient meetings at an eating disorder recovery center
• Inpatient centers

If caught early, many patients can recover with only outpatient sessions. However, in some severe cases, a patient may need to spend time in an inpatient care center to receive more aggressive support and care. 

Goals of treatment will vary depending on the specific situation of the person receiving treatment. Main goals can include: 

• Restoring adequate nutrition 
• Bringing weight to a healthy level 
• Reducing excessive exercise 
• Stopping or reducing negative behaviors such as binge-purge and binge-eating

Long Term Effects of Eating Disorders 

If an eating disorder goes untreated for too long, the repercussions can be life threatening. 

Here are a few of the long-term side effects of eating disorders:

• Anemia 
• Muscle and bone loss 
• Cardiovascular problems 
• Digestive problems
• Kidney problems
• Endocrine system problems (hormones)
• Electrolyte imbalances 
• Malnutrition 
• Increase in suicidal ideation

Conclusion 

With any type of eating disorder, early treatment is the best way to ensure recovery. If you or someone you love is struggling with eating disorder symptoms, seek health help from your medical physician and get connected with a Registered Dietitian and behavioral health counselor. If you’d like to talk about your eating habits, reach out to our team to get connected so we can meet your nutritional needs.  

Resources

https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/risk-factors

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/eating-disorders