5 Truths About Eating Disorders

Imagine yourself in a Thanksgiving Party, spending the holidays with your family and long-time friends. Sparing no expense, the host served the grandest menu of the year on the buffet table: Thermidor, guacamole, steak—all mouth-watering recipes brought in to seduce your appetite. Naturally, you’ll try to taste everything but in moderation. But what happens if you feel uncomfortable with all the food seemingly staring at you? Or in contrary, what if you feel like you want to consume everything as if you’ll be executed tomorrow? Or rather, in a much more complicated case, what if you want to eat more than you can, and will later purge the food by tickling your throat and induce vomiting? Here’s a quick answer: all of these are signs of having an eating disorder. But are they real?

Eating disorders are solidly documented illnesses and without a doubt real. In fact, these life-threatening conditions will affect 30 million people at one point in their lives, according to a US-led research. Some believe that it’s a lifestyle choice, but eating disorders are serious and often fatal illnesses. Whether you are seeking treatment for yourself or know someone who is, it’s good for you to know these five truths about eating disorders:

• EATING DISORDERS ARE REAL MENTAL ILLNESSES

Many view people with eating disorders as persons with astronomical levels of vanity. But more than a desire to follow the footsteps of renowned supermodels is at work. Eating disorder patients are proven to having their illnesses rooted on the genetic level, plus a combination of psychological, behavioral, and social environment factors.

A recent study about binge eating, for example, denotes that a gene variation may lead teens to eat compulsively. Notwithstanding the stereotypical eye of modern-day culture, wherein comparison with washboard abs-donning supermodels are intoxicating the emotions—and confidence—of the youth.

•  

  IT DOESN’T CHOOSE ITS VICTIMS

Eating disorders don’t have a targeted demographic sector. It doesn’t just aim for teenage girls or grown-up women. While most of these conditions are associated with younger populations, studies conducted by the National Eating Disorders Association reveal that 90 percent of women, young and old alike, worry about their weight, and 60 percent engage themselves in control behaviors that hint symptoms of disordered eating patterns. Historically, figures do tend to show a bias on the female population, but a wave of shocking results of recent studies prove that of the 30 million reported cases of eating disorders in the US, one third—or 10 million—are men.

• EATING DISORDERS CAN COMPLICATE OTHER MENTAL CONDITIONS—OR VICE VERSA

Having an eating disorder amplifies the risk of other mental conditions to appear or reoccur by three-folds. For example, a person with anorexia nervosa is more likely to have a mood disorder such as clinical depression, bipolar disorder, or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). To add more fuel to the fire, people with eating disorders are four times more likely to have alcohol and drug abuse disorders than the general population.

• IT CAN KILL YOU

Do you know Karen Anne Carpenter? Her death is a proven silver lining for those who suffer from eating disorders. She was diagnosed with anorexia nervosa—unfamiliar to most at that time—which led to her death in 1983 by heart failure. Hers was almost the index case of eating disorders, and her death opened up awareness about the severity of these conditions. To emphasize, statistics reveal that anorexia nervosa has the highest death rate of any mental disorder. Some succumb to starvation; others die from suicide. It can also cause brain damage, brittle bones, or organ failure.

• TREATMENT IS POSSIBLE—AND MANY HAVE SURVIVED

Like any other serious illness, the road to recovery from an eating disorder can be overwhelming and difficult. But there is help available. The key is early intervention backed by proper education of a particular disorder. If the severity and complexity of the illness have advanced to later stages, a comprehensive and professional treatment team is essential in establishing healing and recovery.

Adequate nutrition, reducing excessive exercise, and stopping purging behaviors are the foundations of treatment. Most treatment plans are tailored for the needs of the patient, but may include one or more of the following:

• Individual or group psychiatric therapy
• Medications
• Nutritional counseling
• Medical care and diet monitoring

Are you, or a family member or a friend, suffering from an eating disorder? These truths may provide you with the necessary information you need to take medical actions and seek treatment. For a deeper discussion about eating disorders, let’s hear directly from an eating disorder specialist. Play the audio below.