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Eating disorders are behavioral conditions characterized by severe and persistent disturbance in eating behaviors and associated distressing thoughts and emotions. They can be very serious conditions affecting physical, psychological, and social function.

The most common type of Eating disorders are -:

1. Anorexia Nervosa -: Anorexia is characterized by a distorted body image, with an unwarranted fear of being overweight.

2. Bulimia Nervosa -: A serious eating disorder marked by bingeing, followed by methods to avoid weight gain.

3. Binge Eating – People with the binge-eating disorder frequently consume unusually large amounts of food and feel unable to stop eating.

Additional eating disorders include:
1. Avoidant/resistant food intake disorder (ARFID)
2. Diabulimia
3. Other specified feeding and eating disorders (OSFED)

Physical Warning Signs of Eating Disorders -:

1. Dramatic or rapid weight loss
2. Compulsive or excessive exercise
3. Visiting the bathroom immediately after each meal
4. Loss of menses
5. Frequent stomach cramps or stomach pain

Emotional Warning Signs of Eating Disorders -:

1. Behavior changes (acting differently)
2. Isolation and withdrawing from others
3. Being less interested in daily activities
4. An increase in mood swings, irritability, or high anxiety

Warning Signs of Anorexia Nervosa -:

Anorexia is a potentially life-threatening illness characterized by the following eating disorder symptoms and signs: an abnormally low body weight, an intense fear of gaining weight, and a distorted perception of weight or shape. People with anorexia use extreme measures to control their weight, such as excessively restricting calories, over-exercising, and laxative or diet aid abuse.

Warning Signs of Bulimia Nervosa -:

Bulimia is a serious, potentially life-threatening eating disorder. It is typically characterized by episodes of bingeing on large portions of food and then voiding the food through purging, excessive exercise, or the use of diet pills or laxatives. Many people with bulimia also restrict their eating during the day, which often leads to more binge eating and purging.

Warning Signs of Binge Eating Disorder -:

People with binge eating disorder (BED) regularly eat too much food (binge) and feel a lack of control over their eating. Typically, they eat quickly or eat more food than intended, even when not hungry, or they may continue eating even long after they’re uncomfortably full. They may feel guilty, disgusted, or ashamed of their behavior and the amount of food eaten. Many times, they overeat in private. New bouts of bingeing usually occur at least once a week. Sufferers can be normal weight, overweight or obese.

Causes of Eating Disorder -:

1. Having a trauma history
2. Being pressured to look or act a certain way
3. Dealing with stringent sports performance requirements
4. Having high expectations for grades
5. Life transitions and developmental changes
6. Other challenging family dynamics
7. Perfectionism
8. Highly reactive to stress
9. High sensitivity
10. Low distress tolerance
11. Anxiety

Treatment for Eating Disorder -:

Nutritional Healing :

1. Develop a healthy relationship with food
2. Eat a variety of foods in a balanced way
3. Enjoy food in moderation

Therapy :

1. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
2. Radically Open Dialectical Behavior Therapy (RO DBT)
3. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
4. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
5. Exposure Therapy

Family-Based Therapy :

Family-based therapy is shown to improve eating disorder treatment outcomes  increasing one’s chance of a full recovery. Family and caregiver support is especially critical for younger patients, but family involvement and family therapy are encouraged for all patients seeking help for eating disorders, including adults.

Medication :

In eating disorder treatment, medications may be prescribed to address physical health concerns and complications related to the eating disorder.