What Are The Causes, Effects And Treatment Of Eating Disorders?

Eating disorders all have different symptoms, but basically, each answer from the fact that the individuals who suffer from them have difficulty separating their emotions from their eating habits. Indeed, they might even prefer to use their eating habits to express their emotions and to communicate with those around them. The way and the amount that they eat are seriously affected, and the long run effects can be devastating and sometimes fateful.

In the United States, the normal standards for the diagnosis for eating disorders are contained in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders released by the American Psychiatric Association. In Europe, slightly different diagnostic criteria are uses.

DSM-IV recognizes two distinct eating disorders anorexia nervosa (anorexia), bulimia nervosa (bulimia). It has a further classification for (Eating Disorders Not Otherwise Specified) into which falls binge eating syndrome, a normally diagnosed condition.

The diagnosis of Anorexia nervosa could be made if the patient fits the following criteria (Adapted from DSM-IV TR)

Refusal to keep body weight at or above that which is regarded as an acceptable minimum for age or height age and height: Weight loss causing body weight of 85% of that expected or failure to gain weight due to normal growth, resulting in body weight less than 85% of that anticipated.

Anorexia nervosa has two sub types, which could be present at different stages of the sickness in the same person. Firstly, the restricting type, in which weight loss is achieved by severely restricting calorific intake without resort to laxative use or self, induced vomiting, and then the Binge Eating Purging type, in which the sufferer may eat large amounts of food then attempts to eliminate the consequences by abusing laxatives.

Bulimia nervosa has the following diagnostic criteria (adapted from DSM-IVTR):

Recurrent episodes of binge eating characterized by some: Eating, within a given period of time, an amount of food that is importantly larger than most people would bring a similar period. A feeling of inability over eating during the episode, described by a belief that what is being eaten can't be controlled. Frequent recurring inappropriate conduct planned to prevent gaining weight. Self induced vomiting, Abuse of enemas, laxatives or diuretics, Fasting, Excessive exercise. The binge eating and inappropriate behavior both occur, on average, at least twice a week for three months. Self image and self esteem are dependent on perceptions of body shape and weight.

Bulimia, like anorexia falls into 2 sub types:

Purging type: The person on a regular basis self induces and/or misuses of laxatives, enemas or diuretics.

Nonpurging type: There is incompatible compensatory behavior but no self-induced vomiting or medication misuse.

Binge Eating Disorder is better described as episodes of binge eating which are not qualified by the use of laxatives or self induced vomiting. Patients are often obese.

Night Eating Syndrome is disorder qualified by early morning lack of appetite, increased appetite in the evening and eating during the night time. Funnily, patients often have total amnesia of their night time eating episodes.

Other eating disorders commonly found before puberty include food avoidance, choosy eating and pervasive food refusal syndrome. These childhood disorders are generally transient however.

Pica and rumination regurgitating and re-chewing of food are not classified as eating disorders, although they are far from rare.

Eating disorders are much more common in women - ratios of 10:1 Female to Male have been proposed and are also more prevalent in industrial societies where there is an over abundance of food. The generally accepted idea that a woman has to be slim to be attractive is also a factor in the prevalence of eating disorder, especially in Europe and the US.

Eating disorders often co-exist with other psychological disturbances. 50% to 70% of sufferers will generally also suffer from depression, 25% to 50% might have been or are being sexually abused, and up to 25% will suffer from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Substance abuse is also common.

Typically, eating disorder behavior is extremely secretive, and accompanied by sever guilty conscience. Obsessive thinking about food, hoarding food and even gathering recipes are often observed behaviors.

Seomul Evans is a copywriter with an interest in: SEO Companies, Mental Health Symptoms, and Eating Disorders.