Eating Disorders - Anorexia Nervosa, Binge Eating, Bulimia: Symptoms, Risks, Diagnosis, Treatments and More
00:00 - What are eating disorders?
00:34 - What are the types of eating disorders?
02:02 - What causes eating disorders?
02:18 - Who is at risk for eating disorders?
02:36 - The symptoms of binge-eating
03:08 - The symptoms of bulimia nervosa
03:32 - Bulimia nervosa created health problems
04:16 - The symptoms of anorexia nervosa
04:36 - Anorexia nervosa health problems
05:46 - How is eating disorders diagnosed?
06:30 - What are the treatments for eating disorders?
————SCRIPT————
What are eating disorders?
Eating disorders are serious mental health disorders. They involve severe problems with your thoughts about food and your eating behaviors. You may eat much less or much more than you need.
Eating disorders are medical conditions; they are not a lifestyle choice. They affect your body's ability to get proper nutrition. This can lead to health issues, such as heart and kidney problems, or sometimes even death. But there are treatments that can help.
What are the types of eating disorders?
Common types of eating disorders include:
- Binge-eating, which is out-of-control eating. People with binge-eating disorder keep eating even after they are full. They often eat until they feel very uncomfortable. Afterward, they usually have feelings of guilt, shame, and distress. Eating too much too often can lead to weight gain and obesity. Binge-eating disorder is the most common eating disorder in the U.S.
- Bulimia nervosa.
- Anorexia nervosa.
What causes eating disorders?
The exact cause of eating disorders is unknown. Researchers believe that eating disorders are caused by a complex interaction of factors. These include genetic, biological, behavioral, psychological, and social factors.
Who is at risk for eating disorders?
Anyone can develop an eating disorder, but they are more common in women. Eating disorders frequently appear during the teen years or young adulthood. But people can also develop them during childhood or later in life.
What are the symptoms of eating disorders?
The symptoms of eating disorders vary, depending on the disorder:
The symptoms of binge-eating include:
- Eating unusually large amounts of food in a specific amount of time, such as a 2-hour period
- Eating even when you're full or not hungry
- Eating fast during binge episodes
- Eating until you're uncomfortably full
- Eating alone or in secret to avoid embarrassment
- Feeling distressed, ashamed, or guilty about your eating
- Frequently dieting, possibly without weight loss
The symptoms of bulimia nervosa include the same symptoms as binge-eating, plus trying to get rid of the food or weight after binging by:
- Purging, making yourself throw up or using laxatives or enemas to speed up the movement of food through your body
- Doing intensive and excessive exercise
- Fasting
The symptoms of anorexia nervosa include:
- Eating very little, to the point of starving yourself
- Intensive and excessive exercise
- Extreme thinness
- Intense fear of gaining weight
- Distorted body image - seeing yourself as overweight even when you are severely underweight
Anorexia nervosa can be fatal. Some people with this disorder die of complications from starvation, and others die of suicide.
Some people with eating disorders may also have other mental disorders (such as depression or anxiety) or problems with substance use.
How is eating disorders diagnosed?
Because eating disorders can be so serious, it is important to seek help if you or a loved one thinks that you might have a problem. Your health care provider may use many tools to make a diagnosis:
- A medical history, which includes asking about your symptoms. It is important to be honest about your eating and exercise behaviors so your provider can help you.
- A physical exam
- Blood or urine tests to rule out other possible causes of your symptoms
- Other tests to see whether you have any other health problems caused by the eating disorder. These can include kidney function tests and an electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG).
What are the treatments for eating disorders?
Treatment plans for eating disorders are tailored to individual needs. You will likely have a team of providers helping you, including doctors, nutritionists, nurses, and therapists.
Some people with serious eating disorders may need to be in a hospital or in a residential treatment program. Residential treatment programs combine housing and treatment services.
#anorexia #bulimia #bingeeatingdisorder #bulimianervosa
NIH: National Institute of Mental Health
