EATING DISORDERS
Eating disorder is a condition characterized by irregular eating patterns, inadequate or excessive food intake that may wreck an individual's wellbeing.
Eating disorders are a severe form of mental disorder that involves disordered eating habits. This might mean reducing food intake, excessive eating or getting rid of food through unhealthy means from the body. They can be life-threatening as they have physical, mental and psychological consequences.
Eating disorders are officially recognized types of mental disorders, formally recognized by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. The most common types of eating disorder are Bulimia Nervosa, Anorexia Nervosa, and Binge Eating Disorder. The other categories include Pica, Avoidant or Restrictive Food Intake Disorder, and Rumination Disorder.
Anorexia Nervosa
This is the most common type of eating disorder. People with anorexia Nervosa are usually underweight from not getting enough calories. A person with anorexia continually shows an intense fear of gaining weight and often put themselves through relentless diets and exercise to the point of starvation. All of the time, they view themselves as overweight when in truth they are underweight. They have a persistent behavior and character that interferes with them becoming fat. They are often reliant on their body weight for self-evaluation. Anorexia has a damaging effect on the brain, body organs, heart, and reproductive system. It also results in bone loss and death.
Bulimia Nervosa
This eating disorder type is characterized by recurrent episodes of binge eating. They eat an excessively more significant amount of food that is more than what most people will eat until they become painfully full. They can't control how much food they eat at a time. They tend to compensate for the excess calorie gain by committing purging behaviors like forced vomiting, fasting, laxatives, excessive exercise, diuretics, and enemas. Bulimia can lead to imbalance and depletion of body electrolytes which stroke or heart attack.
Binge Eating Disorder
People with this disorder eat the unusually large amount of food in relatively short periods. They find it extremely hard to control themselves during binges. Binge disorder includes eating more rapidly than average, eating until they are painfully full, eating binges when not feeling hungry, lack of control for a large amount of food. They are vulnerable to chronic health conditions such as stroke, type 2 diabetes, and excess weight gain.
Pica
Individuals with Pica crave substances that have no nutritional value. They crave non-food substances like soil, soap, chalk, paper, cloth, wool, laundry detergent, pebbles, ice, hair, etc. They have increased the risk of poisoning, gut injuries, infections, and nutrition deficiencies.
Rumination Disorder
Rumination disorder is a recurrent regurgitation of food that has been previously chewed and swallowed. Individuals with this condition rechew the food and swallow or spit it out. This disorder requires therapy solution in children and adults. It may lead to weight loss and severe malnutrition.
Avoidant or Restrictive Food Intake Disorder.
This eating disorder typically causes people to undereat due to lack of interest or a strong dislike for the taste, color, texture or smell of a particular food.