Common eating disorders

It would be an understatement to say that this ongoing pandemic has been quite stressful for all of us. While we are all at homes, practicing self-care and taking time out to do things which we all love, there are certain things which have been totally been out of order. In between all these things, one thing which most of us might have overlooked is our eating habits.Our eating schedule has gone haywire during this entire quarantine tenure and even though the lockdown is nearing the end, we still can’t get our schedules right. Hence, today, eating disorders have taken the centre stage, more than ever.

Eating disorders are a range of psychological conditions which develop from unnatural eating habits. There are different types, each related with some kind of food or body obsession.

‘You are what you eat,’ someone said it right! To keep your mind stress-free, be calm and peaceful, it is important to follow a proper diet and maintain a healthy lifestyle. So, let’s know more about the different eating disorders and what best can be done to prevent them.

1. Anorexia Nervosa

This one’s a very widespread eating disorder which is caused by obsessing over the body weight. The person suffering from this disorder often lives in a fear of gaining weight or being overweight and has an imprecise perception of their body’s shape or size.

Symptoms:

• Abnormal eating patterns and extreme exercising, leading to starvation
• Restrictive eating or strict dieting beyond the usual ways
• Intricate fixation on meals, refraining from eating more than the stated amount
• Obsession with calories and fat contents
• Thoughts of being obese leading to depression, despite being underweight

What can be done?

Anorexia Nervosa should be taken seriously and one should immediately consult a doctor if there are any related symptoms. The idea is to restore the right weight required for the body considering the age, height and other necessary factors. Eating right food in the right quantity and at the right time is extremely important. Plan a proper diet/meal plan and follow it diligently. Deal with primary issues which are leading to the distressing eating patterns.

2. Bulimia Nervosa

Also known as bulimia, this eating disorder is often characterised by incidents of binge-eating. These episodes of binge eating are then followed by taking steps to avoid weight gain. This may lead to vomiting, excessive diets, exercising or fasting.

Symptoms:

• Regular binge-eating, lack of control over your eating patterns
• Unhealthy purging behavior to compensate the over eating
• Low self-esteem, hiding eating habits from others, secretive eating
• Self-induced vomiting, misuse of laxatives, fasting
• Can lead to being overweight or underweight

What can be done?

This is one of the most common disorders in today’s generation. The apt way to deal and avoid bulimia is to educate everyone about meal structures including the daily calorie intake required to maintain the ideal body weight. Apart from the nutritional and psychological therapy, a person can always get rid of the underlying thoughts that lead to binge-eating behaviour. Restoring the standard eating behaviour, gaining control over thoughts and taking the necessary medical and nutritional counselling can help exponentially in treating this type.

3. Binge Eating Disorder (BED)

Another common eating disorder amongst adolescents. It leads to compulsive eating even when the person is full due to lack of control. Its symptoms are similar to those of bulimia but BED can often result in a vicious cycle. When the person feels disgusted, embarrassed or guilty for over-eating, it again leads to eating more which becomes a wayof coping with the disturbed feelings. The person suffering from this type may never gain any satisfaction after meals. Hence, there is no control on eating even when they’re full.

What can be done?

The effective way to treat BED depends on the severity and causes of the disorder. Apart from the nutritional, psychological and medical sessions, self-help is always a great way to deal with such a disorder. Try not to think about any negativity or depressing thoughts which might lead to binge-eating. Develop and establish other coping mechanisms to deal with your problems other than food.

4. Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder

This one is common for infants or during early stages of childhood but can persist to adulthood if not taken care of. It is characterised by disinterest in eating, having certain problems with sensory properties like colour, taste, smell or texture. It might lead to lack of nutrition or being underweight because of the dislike for food.

Symptoms:

• Restriction and avoidance of food intake
• Nutritional deficiency, often feeling low on energy
• Indifferent about the body weight or shape
• Being choosy or extremely selective about food
• Negative responses towards food such as vomiting, choking, etc.

What can be done?

It is very important to treat it or there will be an increasingly poor growth amongst infants and children. Using pediatric growth charts and following up with medical and health care professionals can be the first step to deal with this disorder.  Parents should take charge and focus on their child’s nutrition, weight and eating habits. Talking, asking about their likes/dislikes when it comes to food and maintaining weekly graphs of eating patterns also help in combating the disorder.

These are just some researched secondary data from our end which might help you understand and avoid the problem. In case of any serious symptoms or severity of the disorder, it is best to consult a medical/health professional.