Eating Disorders
What causes a person to develop an eating disorder?
Eating Disorders are extreme expressions of a range of weight and food issues which many individuals, particularly women, experience.
What causes a person
to develop an eating disorder?
In most cases, eating disorders are thought to result from a
combination of factors. They have been associated with
psychological, sociological & biological causes. It has been
suggested that eating disorders may happen more often in
individuals who tend to be perfectionists, who have a lack of
control in other areas of their lives or who have been sexually
abused in the past. People with obsessive-compulsive, histrionic or
schizoid/schizotypal personalities also have a tendency towards
eating disorders. Sometimes persons living within a dysfunctional
family may also be more susceptible. Certain cultures are more
favorable for the development of eating disorders as well-they
occur more commonly in industrialized societies where thinness is
idealized in the media. Genetics may also play a role.
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Who may be at increased risk:
-People with careers where they are expected to be thin
-People with a family history of mood disorders, eating disorders,
substance abuse
-People with a history of sexual abuse
-Homosexual men
-Competitive athletes
-Persons already diagnosed with a mental illness (depression, OCD,
anxiety disorder, substance abuse)
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Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, the two major eating
disorders, are characterized by disturbed eating behaviors and an
intense preoccupation with body weight and shape. Contrary to
popular belief, these disorders were first documented centuries ago
and are not just a consequence of modern pop culture and
society’s obsession with beauty and slimness.
Anorexia nervosa (AN) is diagnosed when a person
purposefully reduces body weight to 85% or less of expected body
weight or refuses to gain weight proportionally with increasing
height. The person has an intense fear of gaining weight or
becoming fat even though underweight, has a distorted perception of
their body’s appearance and in women, has missed three or
more menstrual cycles. There are generally two sub-types of AN:
restricting type and binge-eating/purging type. Restricting-type AN
is characterized by a current episode of AN with the absence of any
binge-eating/purging behavior (ie self-induced vomiting or the
misuse of laxatives, diuretics or enemas). Binge-eating/purging
type AN is characterized by regular engagement in binge-eating or
purging behavior.
Bulimia nervosa
(BN) is characterized by recurrent binge-eating episodes
where there are feelings of a lack of control over eating during
the binges. Also, there is recurrent inappropriate use of
compensatory behaviors such as vomiting, using laxatives or
diuretics, strict fasting or vigorous exercise. In addition, the
episode does not occur during an episode of AN. As with anorexia,
there are two types of bulimia: purging type (ie use of laxatives,
diuretics, self-induced vomiting) and non-purging (ie fasting or
excessive exercise). Bulimia patients hide their
binge-eating/purging behaviors and often have normal body
weight.
Both eating disorders are associated with serious medical
complications, some of which can lead to death. If you are
experiencing any symptoms of an eating disorder, it is advised to
see a physician.
Binge Eating Disorder
(BED) consists of episodes where an excessive amount of
food is consumed in a given period. Large amounts of food are
consumed quickly & there is an inability to control the eating.
Binges often happen in secret & the person may feel overly
full, guilty or ashamed about the episode afterwards. Unlike people
who suffer from bulimia, those affected by BED do not engage in
purging behaviour like vomiting or excessive exercise after a
binge. Binge eating often happens in persons who have been dieting
or restricting their food intake for a certain period of time where
they have become very hungry & relieve that hunger with the
binge. It may also happen when people use food as a means to
relieve emotional distress, to comfort or numb themselves.
