Eating Disorders

1. Anorexia Nervosa – It is a serious psychiatric disorder in which the affected patient is not able to
maintain an adequate healthy weight (Arcelus, et. al., 2011). Anorexic people tend to restrict
their calorie intake and the types of food they eat. Some anorexic people exercise compulsively,
purge via vomiting or laxatives and binge-eating.
Common signs and symptoms:
 Dramatic weight loss
 Dresses in layer to stay warm/hide weight loss
 Makes frequent remarks about feeling fat
 Unable to maintain appropriate body weight for their age, height and build
 Maintains intense exercise regime – despite weather, fatigue, injuries end etc.
Cause/s:
The exact cause for anorexia is unknown. As with many diseases, it’s probably a combination of
biological, psychological and environmental factors.
Risk factors:
People of any age can develop anorexia nervosa, however, it occurs mostly among teenagers.
Anorexia is more common in girls and women. However, boys and men have increasingly
developed eating disorders possibly related to growing social pressures (e.g. Kpop Industry).
Certain factors increase the risk of anorexia including: genetics, dieting and starvation and
transitions.
Complications:
At its most severe, it can be fatal to the point where death may occur suddenly. Other
complications of anorexia include:
 Anemia
 Heart problems such as mitral valve prolapse, arrhythmia, heart failure
 Loss of muscle
 Absence of period (females)
 Decrease in testosterone (males)
 Gastrointestinal problems (e.g. constipation, bloating, nausea)
 Electrolyte abnormalities (e.g. low blood Potassium, Sodium and Chloride)
Additional complications:
In addition to physical complications, anorexia can also result to mental health disorders as well.
They may include:
 Depression, anxiety and other mood disorders
 Personality disorders
 Obsessive-compulsive disorders
 Alcohol and substance misuse
 Self-injury, suicidal thoughts or attempts
Prevention:
There is no guaranteed way of preventing anorexia nervosa. Primary care physicians may be in
good position to identify early indicators of anorexia to be able to prevent the development of full-blown
illness. Also, if you notice a family member or a friend has low self-esteem, severe dieting habits, and
dissatisfaction of appearance, consider talking to him or her about these issues.

2. Bulimia Nervosa – It is a potential life-threatening eating disorder characterized by an intense

preoccupation of body weight, controlled binge-eating episodes and use of extreme measures
to counteract the fear effects of binge-eating. People with bulimia nervosa are usually hard to
diagnose because of their normal weight.
Common signs and symptoms:
 Evidence of binge-eating (e.g. disappearance of large amount of food in a short period of time
and great number of empty food wrappers/containers which indicates the consumption of large
amounts of food.)
 Evidence of purging behaviour (e.g. frequent visits to the bathroom after meals, signs/smells of
vomiting, presence of laxative or diuretic wrappers)
 Calluses on the back of the hands and knuckles from self-induced vomiting
 Dental problems (e.g. enamel erosion, teeth discoloration and tooth sensitivity)
Cause/s:
The exact causes of bulimia is unknown. Several factors could play a vital role in the
development of eating disorders including: genetics, biology, emotional health, societal
standards and others.
Risk Factors:
Factors that increase the risk of developing bulimia may include: biology/genetics,
psychological and emotional issues and dieting.
Complications:
Possible complications may include:
 Negative self-esteem and problems with relationships and social life
  Dehydration which can also lead to major medical problems such as kidney failure
 Heart problems such as irregular heartbeat or heart failure
 Severe tooth decay and gum disease
 Absent or irregular periods (females)
 Digestive problems
 Misuse of alcohol or drugs
 Self-injury, suicidal thoughts or attempts
Prevention:
Although there’s no way to prevent bulimia, you can steer someone toward healthier behaviour
or professional treatment before the situation worsens. Here’s how you can help:
 Foster and reinforce a healthy body image in your family members or friends.
 Have regular and enjoyable family meals.
 Avoid talking about weight. Focus instead on having healthy lifestyle.
 Discourage dieting, especially if it involves unhealthy weight-control behaviours.
 Talk with your primary care provider.
 Consider supportive talking to your relative of friend who seems to have food issues.

3. Binge-eating disorder (BED) – Binge-eating disorder is a severe, life-threatening but treatable

eating disorder characterized by recurring episodes of binge-eating or eating an unusually
large amount of food in an uncontrolled manner and feeling shame and guilty afterwards
(Iacovino, et. al. 2012). It is somehow similar with bulimia nervosa but in binge-eating
disorder, the affected person does not use extremely unhealthy compensatory measures
(e.g. purging) to counter binge eating.
Common Signs and Symptoms
 Secret recurring episode of eating a unusually large amount of food in a discrete period of time
 Feels the lack of control when eating
 Feeling of disgust, guilt, depression after eating/ feeling of low self-esteem
 Steals or hoards food in strange places
 Has lifestyle which is very inviting for binge eating sessions
 Disappearance of a large amount of food in a short period of time
 Presence of a lot of empty wrappers and containers which indicates large amount of food

4. Pica – an eating disorder that involves things that are not food. Patients with pica craves for
substances that are not considered as food (eg. soil, cloth, rocks and etc.). Pica can occur in
adults as well as adolescents and children. This eating disorder is most frequently observed in
children, pregnant women and individuals with mental disabilities.
Common signs and symptoms:
 Upset stomach
 Stomach pain
 Blood in the stool
 Bowel problems (eg. constipation, diarrhea and etc.)
Worse case signs and symptoms:
 Lead poisoning
 Intestinal blockage or tear from eating hard objects
 Teeth injury
 Infections from organisms and parasites
Risk factors:
 Can occur with other mental health disorders associated with impaired functioning (e.g.
intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorder, schizophrenia)
 Iron-deficiency anemia and malnutrition are two o

5. Rumination Disorder – a newly-recognized disorder in which a person regurgitates food they have
previously chewed and swallowed, re-chews it and then either re-swallows and spits it out.
Rumination typically occurs within the first minutes of the meal and it is voluntary.
Signs and symptoms:

 Complaints of stomach pain

 Complaints of indigestion
 Nausea
 Weight loss
 Bad breath
Cause/s:
The precise cause of rumination syndrome isn’t clear. But it appears to be cause by an increase
in abdominal pressure.
Complications:
Untreated, rumination syndrome cause:
  Unhealthy weight loss
 Malnutrition
 Damaged esophagus
 Dental erosion
 Bad breath
 Embarrassment
 Social Isolation
Treatment:
The most common way of treating rumination disorder involves a combination or breathing
exercises and habit reversal.