One of the most prevalent lifestyle seen within both genders that can affect them negatively in our world today is EATING DISORDER.
It is mostly seen among adolescent females, males, and adults alike, as well as athletes etc. However this article will inform you on the diagnosis, cause, effects and treatment of these eating disorders.
Eating disorder is a mental disorder defined by abnormal eating habits that negatively affect a persons physical and/or mental health which includes anorexia nervosa, bulima nervosa and binge-eating disorders.
OVERVIEW OF THE DIAGNOSIS OF EATING DISORDERS
Do you deliberately starve yourself to loose weight, or maintain weight
Do you have intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat. Or;
You are disturbed by the way you look
You discover an absence of at least 3months consecutive menstrual cycles, even though you are not pregnant,
You self induce vomiting to maintain weight
You lack a sense of control over eating, that is; constantly eating consecutively within 3 hours intervals, Or;
Your eating is influenced by your mood
However, If you fall under any of these categories, then you have developed or diagnosed with an Eating disorder.
Psychology: the mental state of the individual,
The 3 categories of eating disorders.
A. ANOREXIA NERVOSA [STARVATION]
Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder charaterised when one starts demonstrating the following:
Refusal to maintain body weight at or above a minimal normal weight for age and height (e.g., weight loss leading to maintenance of body weight less than 85 percent of that expected; or failure to make expected weight gain during period of growth, leading to body weight less than 85 percent of that expected).
Intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat, even though underweight.
Disturbance in the way in which one’s body weight or shape is experienced, undue influence of body weight or shape on self-evaluation, or denial of the seriousness of the current low body weight.
In females, they pass puberty resulting to amenorrhea, i.e., the absence of at least three consecutive menstrual cycles. (A woman is considered to have amenorrhea if her periods occur only following hormone, e.g., estrogen, administration).
Anorexia nervosa is however categorized into two:
Binge eating/purging type
Consequences of Anorexia Nervosa
The starvation of anorexia nervosa damages the body just as the starvation of war and poverty does.
Within few months one shoes signs of protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) that is similar to marasmus. Their bodies have been depleted of both body fat and protein as Victims are dying to be thin—quite literally.
In young people, growth ceases and normal development falters, e.g amenorrhea.
Basal metabolic rate becomes slow with the presence of lean tissues.
In addition, the heart pumps inefficiently and irregularly, the heart muscle becomes weak and thin, the chambers diminish in size, and the blood pressure falls.
Minerals that help to regulate heartbeat become unbalanced. Thus encouraging deaths from multiple organ system failure when the heart, kidneys, and liver cease to function.
Starvation brings other physical consequences as well, such as loss of brain tissue, impaired immune response, anaemia.
GI tract failure
Other effects of anorexia include;
altered blood lipids, low body temperature, low blood pressure, and the development of fine body hair (the body’s attempt to keep warm).
high blood vitamin A and vitamin E,
low blood proteins and dry thin skin,
abnormal nerve functioning and reduced bone density, the electrical activity of the brain becomes abnormal, and insomnia is common etc.
B. BULIMA NERVOSA
A person with bulimia nervosa demonstrates the following:
Periodic binge eating. An episode of eating;
In a discrete period of time (e.g., within any two-hour period), an amount of food that is definitely larger than most people would eat during a similar period of time and under similar circumstances.
A sense of lack of control over eating during the episode (e.g., a feeling that one cannot stop eating or control what or how much one is eating).
Periodic inappropriate compensatory behavior to prevent weight gain, such as self-inducing vomiting; misusing laxatives, diuretics, enemas, or other medications; fasting; or excessive exercise.
Binge eating and inappropriate compensatory behaviors both occur, on average, at least twice a week for three months.
Self-evaluation unduly influenced by body shape and weight.
The disturbance does not occur exclusively during episodes of anorexia nervosa.
It is of two types:
Purging type: The person regularly engages in self-induced vomiting or the misuse of laxatives, diuretics, or enemas.
Nonpurging type: The person uses other inappropriate compensatory behaviors, such as fasting or excessive exercise, but does not regularly engage in self-induced vomiting or the misuse of laxatives, diuretics, or enemas.
C. BINGE EATING DISORDER
Binge-eating disorders are associated with at least three of the following:
Eating much more rapidly than normal.
Eating until feeling uncomfortably full.
Eating large amounts of food when not feeling physically hungry.
Eating alone because of being embarrassed by how much one is eating.
Feeling disgusted with oneself, depressed, or very guilty after overeating.
The binge eating causes marked distress.
The binge eating occurs, on average, at least twice a week for six months.
The binge eating is not associated with the regular use of inappropriate compensatory behaviors (e.g., purging, fasting, excessive exercise) and does not occur exclusively during the course of anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa.
Consequences of Binge Eating Disorder
GI tract: It deteriorates the GI tract which fails to provide sufficient digestive enzymes and absorptive surfaces for handling any food that is eaten.
Pancreas: The pancreas slows its production of digestive enzymes. The person may suffer from diarrhea, further worsening malnutrition.
Other effects include;
altered blood lipids,
high blood vitamin A and vitamin E,
low blood proteins,
dry thin skin,
abnormal nerve functioning,
reduced bone density,
low body temperature,
low blood pressure, and the development of fine body hair (the body’s attempt to keep warm).
The electrical activity of the brain becomes abnormal, and insomnia is common.
Both women and men lose their sex drives.
Women with anorexia nervosa develop amenorrhea.
TREATMENT OF EATING DISORDERS
The first dietary objective is to stop weight loss while establishing regular eating patterns. Appropriate diet is crucial to recovery and must be tailored to individual needs along side the involvement of appropriate physicians such as dietetians, nurses, and psychiatrists.
However, diet plan, strict diet therapy administered by a dietitian(Nutritionist) with strict adherence can improve recovery.
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S.R. Rolfes, K. Pinna and E. Whitney. Understanding Normal and Clinical Nutrition, 8th edition (2009): 270-277. Publisher: Yolanda Cossio, Canada. ISBN-13: 978-0-495-55646-6, ISBN-10: 0-495-55646-7.