NEDA or Eating Disorder Awareness Month brings light to eating disorders and encourages people to find out whether they have an eating disorder or not. An eating disorder is a physical and mental illness that has to do with abnormal eating habits. If not treated properly, it can lead to severe health problems such as malnutrition or diabetes. This article will go over five eating disorders as well as treatments for these illnesses.
Anorexia Nervosa
According to national eating disorders.org, Anorexia Nervosa is one of the most common disorders. This illness causes people to obsess over weight and body shape. People with anorexia tend to eat little to nothing, becoming severely underweight. Other people with this disorder may purge or exercise obsessively. Some symptoms include dramatic weight loss, denying the feeling of hunger, and having an intense fear of being overweight or fat even though they are underweight. This illness can affect anyone no matter the gender, age, or race. Treatments can include working with therapists and doctors to find the cure for that person.
Binge Eating Disorder
Binge Eating Disorder is a disorder where someone eats large quantities of food in one sitting and known as the most common eating disorder in the United States. Symptoms or warning signs include evidence of binge eating (large amounts of foods disappearing), feeling uncomfortable eating in front of others, frequent diets, and feelings of low self esteem. According to verywellmind.com, the best and most effective form of treatment is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). CBT identities and changes negative thought patterns that lead to unwanted behaviors. Other treatments include medication.
Bulimia Nervosa
Bulimia is binge eating large amounts of food followed by purging. This includes forced vomiting or fasting. According to healthline.com, this disorder appears during teenage and adulthood and tends to develop in women more than men. Symptoms include strict dieting or fasting after binge eating, not wanting to eat in public or infront of others, exercising too much etc. Treatment is CBT or forms of medications to change their habits of wanting to binge eat.
Pica
Pica is a disorder in which people eat things that are not qualified as food. This could be chalk, ice, dirt and deodorant. This disorder causes malnutrition and vitamin deficiency. Pica can occur in children and women, mostly from pregnancies, and is most frequently found in children and people with disabilities. Even though this disorder affects pregnant women and can lead to health problems for their children, children will not get this disorder from their mother. Symptoms include eating things that are not supposed to be consumed. Treatment is based on how severe pica is and how many items that have been consumed. This also has to do with what stomach problems people get from them.
Rumination Disorder
Rumination is when you consume food, throw it up, reconsume it, and throw it up again. This disorder occurs in infants, children, and adults. Though it is naturally solved in infancy, developing this disorder for children and adults will result in therapy. Symptoms include, throwing up after meals, usually within 10 minutes of eating; stomach pains and complications, nausea, and unintentional weight loss. Treatments include therapy.