Eating Disorders
“Do
I want to die from the inside out or the outside in?”
-Laurie Halse Anderson, Wintergirls
Have you heard about Eating Disorders?
Eating disorders (anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge-eating disorder, and etc.) are mental disorders that related to serious disturbances in your eating behaviors, thoughts and emotions
Anorexia Nervosa
•It is characterized by emaciation, a relentless pursuit of thinness and unwillingness to maintain a normal or healthy weight, a distortion of body image and intense fear of gaining weight
•It is first formally characterized using this name by William Gull in 1873
•Symptoms such as self-starvation and excessive weight loss may have first been described centuries ago
•Between 0.5-1% of American women suffer from AN
Bulimia Nervosa
•It is characterized by recurrent and frequent episodes of eating unusually large amounts of food (e.g., binge-eating), and feeling a lack of control over the eating
•It is first formally characterized in 1979 by Gerald Russell
•Symptoms such as consuming large amounts of food and self-induced vomiting may have first been described centuries ago
•BN affects 1-2% of adolescent and young adult women
Binge Eating
Disorder
•It is characterized by recurring episodes of eating significantly more food in a short period of time than most people would eat under similar circumstances, with episodes accompanied by feelings of lack of control
•It is first proposed for inclusion in 1991
•BED is the most common ED in the U.S. (estimated to affect 1-5% of general population)
•It often associated with symptoms of depression and higher levels of anxiety
•It is characterized by recurring episodes of eating significantly more food in a short period of time than most people would eat under similar circumstances, with episodes accompanied by feelings of lack of control
•It is first proposed for inclusion in 1991
•BED is the most common ED in the U.S. (estimated to affect 1-5% of general population)
•It often associated with symptoms of depression and higher levels of anxiety
Anorexia Nervosa
you'll find:
•Significantly reduced quantity and variation in types of food eaten
•Ritualistic, obsessive qualities, often odd food combinations
•Slow eating, cutting food into small pieces
•Obsessive interest in food
Bulimia Nervosayou'll find:
•Eating rapidly
•Secret eating behaviors (e.g. hiding food, eating alone, fasting during the day, and etc.)
•Excessive or secretive exercise routines
•Prioritizing compensatory behaviors over other activities
•Emotional dysregulation
Binge-Eating Disorderyou'll find:
•Eating an amount of food that is definitely larger than most people would eat in a similar period of time under similar circumstances
•Eating much more rapidly than normal
•Eating large amounts of food when not feeling physically hungry
•Feeling disgusted with oneself, depressed, or very guilty afterwards
Why so important?
•Patients suffering from EDs increase over the past several decades
•There are serious health consequences following after EDs
•EDs have low recovery rates
•Patients with EDs have psychiatric comorbidities
(Affective
disorders, Anxiety disorders, Personality disorders, Substance abuse, Suicidality)
•EDs have higher mortality rates than other
psychiatric disorders
Let's learn about Causes!
üSociocultural
•Internalization
of thin ideal
•Appearance
comparison
üPsychological
& emotional
•Low
self-esteem, perfectionism, impulsive behavior
•Major
life events
•Trauma
•Dysfunctional
family systems
•Relationship
conflict
üNeuro-biological
•There were family studies which showed an increased rate
of AN, BN, and not otherwise specified EDs
in first degree relatives
•Besides, twin studies determined that there is
approx. 50-80% heritable risk
•Scientists determined that genes cause childhood (pre-morbid)
behaviors
à Genes more powerful than culture
à Genes more powerful than culture
•Individuals with ED exhibit temperament
and personality traits such as anxiety, obsessive, perfectionism, achievement oriented traits & high punishment sensitivity in the ill and REC states
à related to neural circuit function
à related to neural circuit function
What about Medical consequences?
•There are many physical symptoms reflecting on degree of
malnutrition
-Amenorrhea, Fatigue, Stomach pain, Cold intolerance, and etc.
•Moreover, EDs ultimately end up with damages in Brain, Heart, Kidney, Muscles,
Skin, Hair and Teeth etc.
Types of Treatment
•Individual, group, and/or family psychotherapy (CBT)
•Medical care and monitoring
•Nutritional counseling
•Medications (anti-depressants, anti-seizure drugs, & etc.)
Very severe?
üPatients who show abnormal vital signs may need to be hospitalized
•Goals: Cardiac monitoring, Correction of dehydration, Gradual increase in calories, Weight restoration, Behavioral support
So Do You Still Believe in Myths?
Let's De-bunk!
myth #1. People who are normal or overweight cannot have EDs
üYou
cannot tell
by looking at someone that they have an EDs
myth #2. EDs are a choice
üSomeone
can make the choice to pursue recovery,
but the act of recovery itself is a lot of hard work and involves more than
simply deciding to not act on symptomsmyth #2. EDs are a choice
myth #3. EDs are the province of high socioeconomic class women
üEDs have been identified across all socioeconomic groups, age groups, religions, both sexes, and in many countries
myth #4. Society alone is to blame
üVarious factors such as genetic and environmental factors influence EDs
myth #5. Achieving normal weight means the ED is cured
üRecovering to normal weight does not signify a cure because EDs are complex medical/psychiatric illnesses
myth #6. Recovery from EDs are rare
üRecovery from EDs can take long time, but with treatment, people do recover and go on to live a life free from their ED
Let's watch a Video about EDs
Now, what do you think about Eating disorders?
Where to get HELP?
Contact:
(614) 896-8222
Contact:
(858) 534-8019
Contact:
(858) 345-1055üCasa Palmera
