Feeding and eating disorders are identified by a persistent disruption of eating behaviors resulting in the altered consumption of food, thereby significantly impairing a person’s physical health or psychosocial functioning. There are a number of eating disorders, each of which is correlated with eating habits that harm your health, emotions, and ability to function on a daily basis. The most common eating disorders are anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder.
Most eating disorders originate from a person focusing too much on their weight and body image, leading to dangerous eating behaviors. These conditions often develop in the teen and young adult years, although they can manifest at any age. With treatment, it’s possible to return to healthier eating habits and potentially reverse any complications that have resulted from the disorder.
Feeding Disorders
A feeding disorder involves the refusal and inability to eat certain foods, typically due to their texture(solids, or liquids), color, or other factors. This disorder disrupts a person’s ability to consistently grow or gain weight naturally.
Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID)
ARFID is a relatively new eating diagnosis that is characterized by a person limiting their consumption of certain foods. In more severe cases, the individual may refuse to eat entire food groups, such as vegetables or fruit. This may be the result of a fear of choking, for example, which prevents the person from eating and therefore results in weight loss.
ARFID symptoms are similar to other disorders. 80% of children diagnosed with a feeding disorder have also been diagnosed with a developmental disability. With time and treatment, the symptoms of ARFID can decrease and potentially disappear.
Eating Disorders
Eating disorders are defined by abnormal eating patterns; these involve inadequate or improper food intake and can potentially harm both physical and mental health. Individuals with eating disorders can appear underweight, of healthy weight, or overweight depending upon the person’s unique symptoms.
The inception of such disorders is heavily influenced by the negative side effects of popular culture, and they are primarily found in young women; however, eating disorders affect all genders, races, and cultures.
Anorexia Nervosa
Anorexia nervosa is characterized by extreme food restriction and excessive weight loss, accompanied by a fear of being overweight. A person with anorexia often perceives himself or herself as fat even if they are severely underweight.
They may weigh themselves constantly to monitor their weight and restrict eating certain foods in order to maintain control over their body.
Anorexia is further characterized by:
- Obsessive fear of gaining weight
- Distorted body image
- Restricted eating patterns
The main goals of treatment are to restore the person to a normal, healthy weight and learn to maintain proper eating habits. Seeking treatment with a dietitian and/or a mental health professional can be helpful in achieving these goals.
Pica
Pica is an eating disorder in which people eat things that are not considered food. Individuals with this disorder may crave items such as chalk, soap, ice, dirt, hair, and/or other harmful items, thereby increasing their risk for poisoning, infection, and other serious medical conditions.
Pica is more common in children, affecting 10% to 30% of kids between ages 1 to 6. The eating of non-food substances cannot be a part of certain cultural and religious practices to be considered pica. Medication and therapeutic interventions may help reduce abnormal eating behavior or indicate how the behavior coincides with a developmental disorder.
Bulimia Nervosa
Like anorexia, bulimia typically develops during adolescence and early adulthood and is less common among men than women. People with bulimia frequently eat substantial amounts of food in a specific period of time, known as binge-eating episodes.
These episodes typically continue until the person becomes uncomfortably full; it is common for the person to feel out of control of how much they are eating. To compensate for the calories consumed, they will then attempt to compensate by purging. Common purging methods include forced vomiting, fasting for days after the episode, and excessive exercise.
Common symptoms include:
- episodes of binge-eating with a feeling of lack of control
- episodes of inappropriate purging behaviors to prevent weight gain
- self-esteem overly influenced by body shape and weight
- a fear of gaining weight, despite having a normal weight
Symptoms may seem similar to those of binge-eating disorder. However, individuals with bulimia usually maintain a relatively normal weight rather than becoming underweight.
Binge-Eating Disorder
Also referred to as compulsive overeating, binge-eating disorder is well-known and generally understood. It is characterized by the uncontrolled eating of large amounts of food in a short period of time. Individuals with this disorder have symptoms similar to those of bulimia.
Individuals with this disorder are often overweight or obese. They do not typically compensate for their binges by restricting calories, vomiting, or excessively exercising. Episodes of bingeing may be a self-soothing method for stress and other emotional issues, like loneliness and isolation.
Rumination Disorder
Rumination disorder is a newly recognized eating disorder and involves the repetition of regurgitating undigested food, re-chewing it, and then either re-swallowing or spitting it out.
This behavior typically occurs within 30 minutes after a meal. This disorder can develop in infancy, childhood, or adulthood. If developed in infancy, it’s more likely to disappear on its own. If developed as a child or adult, this disorder typically requires treatment, such as behavioral therapy.
Orthorexia
Orthorexia is an unhealthy obsession with healthy food. The determination to eat healthy evolves into an eating disorder, in which the person becomes focused on new diets, ingredients, and meal-prepping to the point of self-suffering. Unlike anorexia, orthorexia only restricts insufficiently clean foods.
Following a popular diet or becoming vegan does not mean someone should be diagnosed with orthorexia. This disorder often starts with good intentions but becomes obsessive over time.
Common warning signs include:
- Spending an excessive amount of time planning meals
- Following a restrictive diet
- Dismissing entire categories of food from a diet
- Refusing to eat with others or eat in public
There are currently no treatments designed specifically for orthorexia, but it is often treated similarly to anorexia and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified
Eating disorders not otherwise specified are those that do not meet the criteria for an official diagnosis. An example of this would include someone who may be at a “healthy weight” but has anorexic thought patterns and behaviors.
Treatment
Eating disorders clearly illustrate the close link between emotional and physical health.
Recovery can be a lengthy process requiring a treatment team of professionals and support from loved ones. According to the type and severity of the eating disorder, treatment can occur in one of various settings, such as a community program, hospital, day program, or group.
