Do you or someone you know experience any of the following?
- A preoccupation with weight and/or food
- A negative or distorted body image
- An intense fear of gaining weight
- Feel out-of-control when eating
- An avoidance of social situations involving food
- Eating when stressed or emotional
- Purge food or “compensate” for eating through vomiting, laxatives, weight loss supplements, fasting or exercise
- Eat in solitude
- Avoid eating certain types of food
- Eat large amounts of food when not physically hungry
- Exercise excessively
- Feel disgusted, depressed, or guilty after eating
- Have rigid rules about what foods may be eaten and when
- Calculate calories and/or measure foods obsessively
- Loss of menstrual cycle
- Sudden and significant weight loss
- Weight or body shape has a large influence on self-esteem or self-worth
- Refusal to eat when hungry
Disclaimer: The above are some possible signs that an eating disorder or eating issue is present.
This information is not a diagnostic test for eating disorders.
If you or someone you care about is experiencing any of the above, it is recommended that a consultation is booked through the Contact page.
What are eating disorders?
- An unhealthy relationship with food and weight that interferes with many areas of a person’s life.
- Are not lifestyle choices – no one chooses an eating disorder.
- Are serious and complex illnesses, stemming from a combination of behavioural, emotional, psychological, interpersonal, biological and social factors.
- The cause, expression, and recovery for each individual with an eating disorder are unique to that person.
General eating disorder statistics & facts:
- Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness.
- Almost 50% of people with eating disorders meet the criteria for depression or another mental illness.
- Over one-half of teenage girls and nearly one-third of teenage boys use unhealthy weight control behaviours such as skipping meals, fasting, vomiting, and taking laxatives.
- Only 1 in 10 men and women with eating disorders receive treatment.
- Only 35% of people that receive treatment for eating disorders get treatment at a specialized facility for eating disorders
(ANAD, 2014).
What types of eating disorders are there?
Anorexia Nervosa
Anorexia Nervosa is characterized by:
- An extreme fear of weight gain.
- A distorted body image.
- An extreme restriction of calories consumed and an inability to appreciate the severity of the situation.
Signs of Anorexia may include:
- Preoccupation with weight, calories, and food.
- Feelings of guilt after eating.
- Denial of low weight.
- High levels of anxiety and/or depression.
- Low self-esteem.
- Withdrawal from social activities.
- Food rituals.
- Abuse of laxatives, diet pills, or diuretics.
- Excessive/compulsive exercise.
There are two subtypes of Anorexia:
1) Bingeing/purging type – episodes of bingeing/purging.
2) Restricting type – severely restrict calorie intake or refuse to eat certain foods (with no episodes of bingeing/purging).
Health complications of Anorexia may include:
- Amenorrhea (cessation of menstrual cycle).
- Abnormally slow and/or irregular heartbeat.
- Low blood pressure.
- Anemia.
- Dehydration/kidney failure.
- Memory loss/disorientation.
- Bone density loss/Osteoporosis.
- Heart failure/heart attack.
(NEDA, 2014)
Anorexia statistics & facts:
- Between 0.5–1% of North American women suffer from anorexia nervosa.
- Anorexia nervosa is one of the most common psychiatric diagnoses in young women.
- Between 5-20% of individuals struggling with anorexia nervosa will die prematurely due to complications related to their eating disorder, including suicide and heart problems.
- Anorexia nervosa has one of the highest death rates of any mental health condition.
(NEDA, 2014)
Bulimia Nervosa
Bulimia nervosa is characterized by:
- Recurring episodes of bingeing (excessive or compulsive consumption of food) and purging (getting rid of food) in an attempt to prevent weight gain or “undo” the binge.
- Purging may take the form of self-induced vomiting; compulsive exercise; and/or use laxatives, diet pills or diuretics.
- Binge eating episodes are often accompanied by a feeling of being out-of-control.
Health consequences of Bulimia Nervosa may include:
- Electrolyte imbalances, potentially leading to irregular heartbeats, heart failure and/or death.
- Inflammation and possible rupture of the esophagus, potentially resulting in haemorrhage and/or death.
- Tooth decay and gum disease.
- Chronic irregular bowel movements and constipation.
- Gastric rupture potentially resulting in death.
- Vitamin and mineral deficiencies.
(NEDA, 2014)
Bulimia statistics & facts:
- Affects 1-2% of adolescent and young adult women.
- An estimated 10-15% of people with bulimia nervosa are male.
- People struggling with bulimia nervosa usually appear to be of average body weight.
- Frequently associated with symptoms of depression and changes in social adjustment.
- Risk of death from suicide or medical complications is markedly increased for eating disorders
(ANAD, 2014; NEDA, 2014)
Binge Eating Disorder
Binge eating disorder is characterized by:
- Recurring episodes of binge eating without the regular use of unhealthy compensatory measures (i.e. purging) to counter the binge eating.
- Feelings of being out-of-control, guilt, and shame are common during and after binge episodes.
- Associated with marked distress and occurs, on average, at least once a week over three months.
Health complications of Binge Eating Disorder may include:
- Obesity .
- High blood pressure.
- High cholesterol levels.
- Heart disease.
- Diabetes.
- Gallbladder disease.
- Musculoskeletal problems.
- Gastric rupture due to severe binge eating (gastric rupture has an 80% fatality rate).
(ANAD, 2014; NEDA, 2014)
Binge eating disorder statistics and facts:
- Binge eating disorder is the most common “official” eating disorder, affecting 3-5% of women and 2% of men in North America.
- People who struggle with binge eating disorder can be of normal or heavier than average weight.
- Binge eating disorder is often associated with symptoms of depression.
(NEDA, 2014)
Orthorexia Nervosa
Orthorexia nervosa is characterized by:
- An unhealthy obsession with otherwise healthy eating.
- Orthorexia nervosa literally means “fixation on righteous eating.”
- While not yet an officially recognized disorder, it is similar to other eating disorders – those with anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa obsess about calories and weight while orthorexics obsess about healthy eating (not necessarily about being thin and losing weight).
- Obsession with healthy food can progress to the point where it crowds out other activities and interests, impairs relationships, and even becomes physically dangerous.
- Food choices become increasingly restrictive, to the point where health suffers.
- Compulsive over-exercise is also common with this disorder.
(Kratina, 2014).
Health consequences of Orthorexia Nervosa may include:
- Vitamin and mineral deficiencies
- Low weight leading to complications similar to those experienced by anorexics (above)
- Physical complications due to over-exercise
Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder
- Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder (OSFED) is a feeding or eating disorder that causes significant distress or impairment, but does not meet the criteria for another feeding or eating disorder.
- Eating disorders are not always clear cut – an individual may demonstrate disordered eating patterns, even without meeting the threshold for an official medical diagnosis.
- The important point is that when eating issues cause significant emotional and psychological suffering and/or serious problems in areas of work, school or relationships, professional help by an eating disorder specialist is recommended.
What is the treatment for an eating disorder?
- Eating disorders are complex, multidimensional and serious illnesses.
- If not identified or treated in their early stages, eating disorders can become chronic, debilitating, and even life-threatening conditions.
- Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness.
- The probability of death increases within that range depending on the length of the condition.
- Early diagnosis and intervention significantly enhance recovery.
(NEDA, 2014)
It is for these reasons that appropriate treatment by a highly-trained professional specializing in eating disorders is crucial.
Psychotherapy is often coupled with careful attention to medical and nutritional needs.
Every individual suffering from an eating disorder is unique, as is their particular course of recovery.
An experienced, understanding, objective eating disorder professional will ensure that treatment meets each person’s needs.
Recommended Resources
Websites
Literature
- Life Without ED by Jenni Schaffer and Thom Rutledge
- Surviving an Eating Disorder: Strategies for Family and Friends by Michelle Siegel
- Life Beyond Your Eating Disorder by Johanna S. Kandel
- The Body Betrayed by Kathryn J. Zerbe
- Eating in the Light of the Moon: How Women Can Transform Their Relationship with Food Through Myths, Metaphors, and Storytelling by Anita Johnston
- 8 Keys to Recovery from an Eating Disorder by Carolyn Costin and Gwen Schubert Grabb
References
- ANAD. (2014). General information. Retrieved from http://www.anad.org/
- Kratina, K. (n.d.). Orthorexia nervosa. Retrieved from https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/orthorexia-nervosa
- NEDA. (2014). General information. Retrieved from http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/general-information
