Eating Disorders

An eating disorder can affect men or women of any age, from any cultural background. However, eating disorders are more common among women, especially those aged from 14 to 25.Although eating disorders are often thought to result from an obsession with slimming, they are rarely about food: they are usually a way of dealing with painful feelings that the individual finds difficult to talk about.Unfortunately, a long-term eating disorder can lead to severe physical health problems, and may sometimes be fatal. So it’s very important to seek help for an eating problem. The sooner it is diagnosed, the sooner treatment can be arranged and the greater the chance of successful recovery.

What are the symptoms of an eating disorder?

An eating disorder centres upon abnormal eating habits – primarily not eating enough, or eating too much. ‘Binge eating’ may occur, in which from time to time the individual eats an excessive amount of food at one sitting. That can lead to compensatory forced vomiting, which is characteristic of the eating disorder bulimia nervosa. Anorexia nervosa, on the other hand, is an eating disorder characterised by extremely low body weight, brought on by eating very little over a long period.
By taking control of their food intake, the individual may initially seem to have found a solution to their problems, but the solution soon becomes a problem in itself. Although problems with food are likely to be the most visible symptom, there are usually related clues, such as low self-esteem or lack of confidence: feeling “not good enough”. Another common factor is a distorted body image, where the person may say that they feel “too fat”, despite not appearing fat to other people.

What causes an eating disorder?

Eating disorders rarely result from a single cause. It is much more likely to be a combination of various factors, events, stresses or feelings that leads to unhappiness and becoming unable to cope.

Typical primary factors may include:
• Low self-esteem
• Lack of confidence
• Difficult family relationships
• Problems with friends
• Problems at school, college or work
• The death of someone close
• Sexual or emotional abuse
• Genetic factors

Starvation resulting from the eating problem may then become a secondary negative factor that maintains the vicious cycle of the eating disorder. Eating problems often begin when food is used to cope with feelings of boredom, anxiety, anger, loneliness or guilt. Taking charge of what is eaten can become a way of controlling these challenging emotions or dealing with painful situations.

Another contributing factor can be the attitude of close friends and family members. A parent's attitude to eating, for example, can influence the food choices made by a child.An eating disorder can also be due to someone’s genetic make-up. Research has shown that abnormal levels of certain chemicals in the brain and body are linked to eating disorders.

What treatments are there for an eating disorder?

Although relapses may occur after eating disorder treatment has begun, there is a much better chance of making a full recovery if treatment is sought early. There are various treatment options, including self-help approaches, psychological treatments such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), psychotherapy, family counselling and group therapy.

Joining a self-help group can be beneficial. These groups aim to give the individual a better understanding of their condition and help them learn ways to change their behaviour and develop healthy eating habits. Group members can explore their personal problems as well as their eating problems.

Professional help for an eating disorder

A variety of professionals treat eating disorders, using differing techniques. These include general practitioners, psychiatrists, counsellors and dieticians. There are also some specialised eating disorder units attached to hospitals, staffed by multidisciplinary teams. Hospitalisation is a last resort, used when someone’s physical health is in immediate danger because they are very badly underweight or undernourished.  But professional help should be sought well before the individual’s health deteriorates to that level.