Imagine your brain has two sides. One side of your brain asks you to stop eating because you will gain a tremendous amount of weight. The other side says that it’s okay to eat and nothing will happen. Your mind decides that the evil side is right, and you focus on losing weight by forcing yourself to starve, do heavy exercise, and check your weight frequently. It can lead to serious health consequences.
Eating disorders are common amongst adolescents. That was an example of anorexia. Also, there are many other eating disorders, such as bulimia and binge eating disorder (BED).
What is an eating disorder? What are the different types?
An eating disorder results from how someone feels about food and their body image. It is a kind of mental health problem.
People with anorexia fear food and fear gaining weight. They avoid food to become skinny.
People with bulimia eat large amounts of food and vomit out the food afterward. They are purging their food. Another way is by using laxatives to induce diarrhea.
People with binge eating disorders uncontrollably eat a large amount of food out of stress. It can lead to obesity and other health issues.
What are the health impacts of an eating disorder?
Eating disorders are both a physical and mental issue. It can lead to anxiety, depression, and even suicidal thoughts (which we wish do not happen.) Additionally, adolescents with eating disorders feel helpless, hopeless, and alone. People with eating disorders can have serious health problems leading to long periods of suffering and death.
How common is an eating disorder?
According to the Eating Disorder Coalition, around 30 million Americans suffer from eating disorders. It is about three times greater in women than in men. This disorder is underdiagnosed and undertreated.
What causes eating disorders?
The exact cause is unclear. According to researchers, it can be due to genetic or environmental factors. Nowadays, people are involved more with social media and other digital platforms. There is an increase in self-image and mental health problems because they are more self-conscious about their images on these platforms. There is a need for more research to understand this disorder.
How is it treated?
The journey of treatment and recovery is often long and challenging. It can be one step forward and two steps backward. Treatment requires good therapists, family support, and treatment centers. Additionally, there needs to be an increase in awareness in our society. Families should recognize the signs early and seek help. Through this blog, I wanted to increase awareness about eating disorders by sharing information.
Resources
I knew little about eating disorders until I read Good Enough by Jen Petro-Roy. After reading this book, my perspective completely changed. I finally understand more about what people with eating disorders go through. This author, Jen Petro-Roy, wrote this book as a journal. She is an eating disorder survivor and an eating disorder activist.
Riley Logan, a twelve-year-old girl, wants to be like others. She wants to be known as Skinny Riley or Runner Riley at school. She thought she was, but not anymore. After being diagnosed with anorexia nervosa, she has been admitted to a hospital to help her with her recovery. She hates it at first until she meets Ali, her roommate at the hospital, who also suffers from anorexia. Riley begins to notice that her roommate breaks the rules by doing crunches at night. It makes things harder for Riley. At the hospital, their goal is to gain weight. But they are afraid because they think if they gain weight, they will become overweight or obese. Riley later makes new friends who also suffer from eating disorders. They all help each other with the help of their therapist, Willow, on the road to recovery. They try discussing life issues, going to art therapy, and helping each other stop their eating habits. Riley later realizes that she isn’t alone and there will always be help. But what happens in the span of these two months in the hospital? Will her journey of recovery be easy? Read this book to find out. But what happens in the span of these two months in the hospital? Will her journey of recovery be easy? Read this book to find out.
I knew that eating disorders are more common in girls, but they also happen to boys. In fall 2023, a book is coming out about boys and eating disorders. I will share the review of Louder than Hunger by John Schu when the book gets published. It is also a survival story based on the author’s experiences.
There is also a movie called To the Bone that talks about anorexia. This movie is TV-MA which means that it’s for ages 13+, but you have to be very mature to watch this movie. I’m planning to watch this movie soon.
Food is one of the main things that help your body function. It’s packed with nutrients and antioxidants which boost your immune system, keeping you healthy. But when your brain tells you something that can hurt your body, it can make your body a huge mess leading to severe medical issues. My mother is a physician and unfortunately doesn’t have patients with eating disorders. She is currently studying for her Maintenance of Certification exam and told me that she had one question about anorexia and how it can ruin all of your body because of bad eating habits and negative weight fluctuations. She shared with me several health impacts like low body temperatures, low heart rate, low blood pressure, low blood counts, low electrolytes in your body, weak bones, poor dentition, and weak immunity. Like in Good Enough, treatment is often psychotherapy and hospital admission.
DID YOU KNOW that Eating Disorder Awareness Week is February 22-28?
Special Thanks to my mother who helped me write this review and find and give me resources for this blog!
Reference:
Morris, J., & Anderson, S. (2021). An update on eating disorders. BJPsych Advances, 27(1), 9-19. doi:10.1192/bja.2020.24
Eating Disorders Coalitions website.