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Major Types of Eating Disorders

  • Writer: Vanessa Mukoo
    Vanessa Mukoo
  • Feb 19, 2022
  • 4 min read

Updated: Apr 6, 2023


image source: Unsplash


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Eating disorders are a variety of psychological illnesses that are characterised by either excessive restrictions on food or binge eating. These disorders can be a threat to an individual’s physical and psychological well-being and can even prove fatal, if left untreated. In honour of Eating Disorders Awareness Month, this article is going to explore 3 major types of eating disorders, their symptoms, and what coping mechanisms can be used to tackle them.

But first, what are the causes behind eating disorders?

Eating disorders are a result of a range of factors including:

  • Genetics: experts believe that having certain kinds of genes and biological factors like brain chemistry increases the likelihood of developing an eating disorder.


  • Psychological problems: psychological factors like stress, low self-esteem, perfectionism are a leading cause behind eating disorders.


  • Dieting: dieting perpetuates restrictive eating which may eventually lead to starvation. Starvation significantly affects our neural system which weakens our ability to return to normal eating patterns.


  • Social media: social media often creates a false belief or illusion of what a perfect body should look like when in reality, there is no such thing as a “perfect” body. Due to this, many users of social media have a distorted perception of body image and harmfully try to achieve that.

Types of eating disorders

Anorexia Nervosa: Often just called Anorexia, it is a serious eating disorder that can be identified by a remarkable fear of gaining weight, having misleading notions of weight, and an irrational idea of body image. In many cases, individuals with Anorexia lose an excessive amount of weight, start heavily exercising, induce vomiting after eating to prevent weight gain, and misuse medications like laxatives.

Anorexia often occurs during teenage or early adulthood but may also begin to appear as early as the preteen years of life. Many people believe that eating disorders are associated solely with women but men account for 25% of people with Anorexia and the effects of this eating disorder are more severe and potentially fatal in men. A person with anorexia nervosa will severely limit their food intake in hopes to avoid gaining weight or to achieve their desirable body type which can negatively impact their overall health. But even as the person loses considerable weight, they’d still have an ongoing fear of gaining weight. Some notable symptoms of Anorexia Nervosa include:

Physical Symptoms

Emotional/Behavioural Symptoms

Extreme weight loss

Not wanting to eat in public

Thin appearance

Social withdrawal

Fatigue

Irritability

Insomnia

Frequently skipping meals

Dizziness or fainting

Denial of hunger

Dry or yellow skin

Excessive fear of gaining weight

Dehydration

Adopting rigid meal schedules

Intolerance of cold

Reduced interest in sexual activity

Bulimia Nervosa: people with bulimia nervosa may eat large amounts of food in a short period of time and then harmfully try to get rid of those calories by purging. Purging includes self-induced vomiting, misuse of laxatives, and excessive exercise. A person having bulimia may be extremely critical of themselves and likewise try to achieve an unrealistic body size or shape. Bulimia nervosa differs from anorexia nervosa in ways that anorexia causes people to place restrictions on their diet whereas people with bulimia tend to intake excessive amounts of food and further, try to remove those calories using dangerous methods.


A 2016 study showed that, in contrast to people with anorexia, people with bulimia are more inclined to:

  • Have fathers with unusually high expectations

  • Have a history of being overweight in adolescence

  • Have been brought up in families that emphasise fitness and staying in shape

While bulimia is more prone to affect women, men make up about 15% of the people with this disorder. Men are generally less likely to display apparent symptoms of bulimia and seek treatment which often leads to other health problems. Further, bulimia tends to culminate in late adolescence or early adulthood but can be diagnosed in

children as young as 5 years old and even during old age. Some symptoms of bulimia include:

Physical Symptoms

Emotional/Behavioural Symptoms

Facial swelling

Eating more than usual

Sore throat

Vomiting

Bloodshot eyes

Depression or mood swings

Bleeding gums

Feeling out of control

Indigestion or bloating

Social withdrawal from friends and family

Irregular menstrual periods

Extreme physical training

Weakness and exhaustion

Intense fear of gaining weight

Binge-eating Disorder: having a binge-eating disorder causes people to eat excessive amounts of food till they’re uncomfortably full. People having binge-eating disorder finish their food much quicker than other people and eat even when they’re not hungry.


Occasional overeating is considered normal and not everyone who overeats can be diagnosed with a binge-eating disorder. What differentiates binge-eating disorder from occasional overeating is feeling at a loss of control and distressed over eating patterns. Unlike bulimia, having binge-eating disorder does not involve any purging. Someone who binge eats may feel immense guilt and embarrassment for themselves that they avoid eating in front of other people.


The exact causes behind binge-eating disorder are unknown but experts believe that it may start as early as childhood or early adolescence and may even run in families.


Signs and symptoms include:

Physical Symptoms

Emotional/Behavioural Symptoms

Hypertension (high blood pressure)

Low self-esteem

Acid reflux

Feelings of guilt after overeating

Cramping

Loss of sexual desire

Nausea

Frequent dieting

Abdominal pain

Perfectionistic tendencies

Dry skin

Loss of control and discipline

Diagnosis

Eating disorders are diagnosed based on symptoms and an individual’s eating habits or behaviour. A number of tests are conducted to determine an eating disorder which include:


  • Physical exam: through this exam, the possibility of having other medical problems or disorders related to eating can be ruled out.


  • Psychological exam: during this exam, you may be required to fill out questionnaires or get asked about your thoughts and feelings by a mental health professional.


  • Other lab tests: further, additional tests can be done to examine any other complications related to a person’s eating disorder.


Moreover, a mental health professional can make use of the diagnostic criteria provided in the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, fifth edition (DSM-5).

Treatment

Eating disorders are usually treated with a group of mental health professionals who have themselves struggled with an eating disorder. Treatment options widely vary and depend upon a specific kind of eating disorder. The most common treatment methods include:


Psychotherapy


Therapy approaches like Family-based therapy (FBT) can be used to treat children and teenagers struggling with an eating disorder. The entire family is equally involved in the treatment process as the child and follows a healthy-eating pattern.


Furthermore, Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a commonly used approach for treating bulimia and binge-eating disorders. We attain the skills to properly monitor our eating habits and moods as well as develop sufficient problem-solving skills to cope with stressful situations.


Nutrition Education


Nutrition education is a crucial part of treating eating disorders as it encourages children to make healthy food and beverage choices.


Medications


Medications aren’t known to cure eating disorders but they can help with controlling the urge to binge or purge. Antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications may help with the symptoms of depression and anxiety that come along with developing an eating disorder.


All in all, eating disorders are serious, deadly mental health conditions that should not be turned a blind eye to.




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