Top 5 Facts About Eating Disorders

Eating disorders are severe and sometimes fatal illnesses that mainly affect a person's eating habits and behaviors, causing a major disturbance. In simple words, the person has a rather unhealthy relationship with food. These are caused by a number of factors, often quite complex. They can be psychological, genetic, biochemical, environmental, or cultural. Not many of us are actually aware of what eating disorders are, much less the amount of people that are fighting a battle with themselves, every single day. So, here are our top five facts about eating disorders:

1. It's a mental health issue. Many believe that it's a 'disease', or even a lifestyle choice! But, it is actually a serious psychological disorder. It all comes down to the mind- your eating might be the only thing you can control, or you may think that something is wrong with your body, and that you need to correct it or be punished for it, even if you are dangerously below your ideal body weight. Following that, it is important to note that it is not a 'choice', or a 'fad diet'-these are severe disorders, and can be fatal as well.

2. The two most common eating disorders are Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa. In Anorexia Nervosa, the person starves themselves to achieve their 'ideal' body, whereas Bulimia Nervosa is characterized by episodes of binge eating, and then forcefully expelling the food from the body, usually through purging. EDNOS (eating disorder not otherwise specified) is the third official category, which is the umbrella term for habits like chewing and spitting out food, purging in the absence of binge eating, etc.

3. It's not just women who suffer from eating disorders- in fact, 10-15% of eating disorder patients are men! While there is no certain cause for an eating disorder, many blame it on the media, which has put an enormous amount of pressure on all of us to look good, and have an 'ideal' when it comes to our looks. Moreover, in the last decade, the pressure has increased quite a bit on men as well.

4. They are quite common, actually. It is believed that about 1 in 20 women suffer from an eating disorder. Moreover, it has been noted that almost 20% of women practice unhealthy patterns like purging, dieting and binge-eating.

5. Recovery is possible! An eating disorder can definitely be treated, especially when the person gets help and support from their family and peers as well. Usually, treatment has many aspects, and will most likely require a team consisting of a dietitian, a psychiatrist, and a therapist.

Also read: Anorexia Linked To Cognitive Deficits