The week of eating disorders awareness ( February 27th-March 5th) is coming to an end.
Many people, but especially young adults, suffer from various types of eating disorders. In order to bring awareness to these illnesses that are determined by one’s habits and relationship with food I wanted to introduce and summarize the different types of eating disorders. Let’s get started!
* If you are concerned that you or a loved one are affected by an eating disorder please seek professional medical attention at a medical care center or hospital. Also, please do not use this information to self-diagnosis any disorders/illnesses.*
Anorexia Nervosa
Anorexia Nervosa, also known as just anorexia, is probably the most familiar disorder to most people. Often seen depicted in TV shows and movies like To the Bone (I), Dying to Dance, etc. Although, I would be careful watching movies regarding eating disorders as depictions can be triggering and are not always accurate sources to base opinions or experiences.
Anorexia is categorized as someone who limits their calorie intake or uses various methods to lose weight. This could be losing weight through unhealthy diets or diet aids, exercising too much, and vomiting after meals.
Bulimia Nervosa
Bulimia Nervosa, also known as bulimia, is an eating disorder. The main assumed cause behind this illness is the belief that one’s weight and body build are flawed rather they have been told by others or are self-perceived.
Bulimia is categorized as an illness where someone will have a large calorie intake within short time periods and will often try to lose those gained calories through unhealthy outlets. These outlets could be excessive exercise, vomiting, starving oneself the next day, or taking laxatives.
Binge-eating Disorder
Binge-eating disorder is the regularly occurring habit of consuming an excessive amount of food uncontrollably. This can occur even when the victim is not hungry anymore. This habit will occur at least once a week and one does not have to be overweight or obese to be a victim of such an illness.
Rumination Disorder
Rumination is when someone consumes food and regurgitates it without feeling nausea or needing to gag, but may still be unintentional. The victim will do this repeatedly and may try to chew, swallow, or simply spit out the food that is regurgitated.
Those affected also can suffer from malnutrition if food is spat out or has a low-calorie intake in order to avoid the habit of regurgitating.
Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder
Victims of this disorder have a low-calorie intake and miss other daily nutrition requirements on a frequent basis. This could be caused by being put off by certain foods because of color, taste, texture, smell, etc. Or because the victim has no interest in food, ignores hunger cues, or has a fear of dangers that come from food like choking.
Resources
It’s important to know about eating disorders because they can affect anyone no matter age, race, sexuality, gender, etc. There are many people who don’t seek help because they themselves don’t know the signs of an eating disorder to know they are affected in the first place.
*If you are concerned that you or a loved one are affected by an eating disorder, please seek professional medical attention at a medical care center or hospital. Also, please do not use this information to self-diagnosis any disorders/illnesses.*
Other online resources will be linked below as well!
- 70 Resources to Support Eating Disorder Recovery by OnlineMSWPrograms.com
- Resources include Hotlines, how to help someone close to you, books, support groups, finding mental health counselors or therapists, finding a dietitian, free/low-cost resources, treatment and recovery options, etc.
- Eating Disorder Hope is an online community that can help with finding resources, education, support, and inspiration for those suffering specifically from anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, body image issues, and a myriad of other disordered eating behaviors
- The Eating Disorder Foundation can be found online and offers phone support, support groups, mentorship, coffee and conversation workshops, educational presentations, a therapeutic garden, resources, and more for those who suffer from eating disorders. However, I believe their in-person activities are in Colorado (United States) as that is where headquarters is.
- They also have a way to get involved with their initiatives and accept donations.
- Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, also known as ANAD, is one of the leading nonprofit groups in the U.S. that provide victims of eating disorders with free, peer support. They also have a free eating disorder helpline where you can get support, encouragement, answers to your questions, and can provide treatment referrals.
Many more resources can be found online but these are just a couple of great starting points to gather more education and assistance with eating disorders for yourself or a loved one.