Eating disorder

An eating disorder is a mental illness in which a person eats in a way which disturbs their physical health. Overeating is the most common and obvious disorder, and was in the past often attributed to a lack of self-control. Psychologists prefer to class the other syndromes as "mental disorders", going by the mental health model that views the syndrome as caused by something largely outside human will. Seen this way, these disorders are said to "interfere" with normal food consumption and "lead" to serious health problems. Patients diagnosed with bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa have a mortality rate of between 5% and 12% per decade (see reference to Agras 2004 in the journal listings below) which is a higher mortality rate than any other mental illness. Among the world's leaders in the treatment of eating disorders is Harry A. Brandt, MD.

Related Topics:
Mental disorders - Mental health model - Bulimia nervosa - Anorexia nervosa

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PsychInfo, a major academic database in psychology and psychiatry lists anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating, rumination, pica, Hyperphagia, Kleine Levin Syndrome, and obesity as eating disorders. Over 50% of the sufferers of an eating disorder also have a comorbid diagnosis of severe mental depression. The American Psychiatric Association lists eating disorders and severe depression as primary diagnoses. Many insurance companies do not recognize this fact and refuse to treat both the eating disorder and severe depression.

Related Topics:
Binge eating - Rumination - Pica - Obesity - Comorbid - Severe mental depression - American Psychiatric Association

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People whose eating is disordered in these ways experience psychological suffering, typcially becoming obsessed with food, diet and often body image, and their health is at extreme risk due to malnutrition. In the prevailing psychological view, patients with an eating disorder are seen as victims rather than as conscious actors: their suffering is not seen as self-inflicted but as the result of a disease. Most people with an eating disorder attempt to hide their abnormal behaviour from others. They do not accept the diagnosis and will refuse treatment. As the treatments prescribed for eating disorders can take decades, mental health advocates warn that early "identification" of these disorders (and diagnosis of the syndrome as being caused by mental illness) may be the difference between life and death for the patient.

Related Topics:
Food - Diet - Body image

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For many decades college girls have been susceptible to eating disorders.There are many causes of these disorders that are established by college environment. Almost all of people's poor eating habits are formed in college. Homesickness, depression, and self insecurities are just a few examples of some of the causes of eating disorders in girls. College is a very stressful place for every student, and this stress causes problems in the diets of many girls which can lead to many different eating disorders. In a college atmosphere, especially as a freshman, everyday life is filled with unknown surroundings, people, and feelings. Anxiety is a feeling every freshman experiences because of the new situations they are being forced into. Most people do not know that they have anxiety issues until they start college. Psychological problems almost are always the precursor to an eating disorder.

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The two most familar types of eating disorder are anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Binge eating disorder is similar to bulimia. Large amounts of food are consumed at a sitting but retained in the stomach rather than being regurgitated. Some psychologists also classify a syndrome called orthorexia as an eating disorder - the person is overly obsessed with the consumption of what they see as the 'right' foods for them (vegan, raw foods, etc), to the point that their nutrition and quality of life suffers. Some people have food phobias about what they can and can't eat, which some also call an eating disorder. Another condition which is somewhat qualitatively different from the foregoing is pica, or the habitual ingestion of inedibles, such as dirt, wood, hair, etc.

Related Topics:
Orthorexia - Vegan - Raw food - Phobia - Pica

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There are many different degrees of anorexia and bulimia. Anorexia may be mild, where a person may eat but only allow themselves certain foods, or severe to the point of literally starving themselves to the point of death. There are other forms of purging besides vomiting- compulsive exercise, laxatives, and enemas being the other main ones. Other sufferers also allow themselves a small variety of foods and exercise compulsively, being categorized as "eating disorder not otherwise specified".

Related Topics:
Starving - Compulsive exercise - Laxative - Enema

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Women account for 90% of eating disorder cases. Anyone can have an Eating Disorder, but it most often occurs with young teens because they are the most at risk, due to their extreme exposure to the media. Teen?s feelings of need to conform to an idea of beauty that the media projects can be too much for some to deal with and can prompt them to take drastic measures to change their appearance.

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