Everyone loves to eat but did you ever wonder that overeating could be a cause of a serious mental disorder? Eating disorders have become a common mental health condition among teenagers. If not given proper attention it can turn into a serious mental health condition. This article will explore various common eating disorder symptoms and identify them in our loved ones which will guide us to seek help before it’s too late.
What is an Eating disorder?
An eating disorder is a serious mental health condition that is associated with food habits where you use food to control or cope with your thoughts and feelings. Eating disorders not just affect your physical but also mental health. In this condition, the major problem is how you think about food, eating, weight, and eating behavior. Some eating disorder symptoms may appear habitual, but they require more attention and understanding. This in turn affects your emotions adversely by causing depression, anxiety, self-harm, and suicidal thoughts and behavior.
Eating disorders can be curable, however, if left untreated, it could lead to serious health problems such as osteoporosis, anemia, heart damage, and kidney damage. You can watch out for these behaviors to identify signs of eating disorder symptoms:
- Withdrawing from family mealtime
- Refusing to eat certain foods
- Having rigid rules about food
- Stockpiling or hiding food
- Calorie counting
- Excessive exercise
- Vomiting when not ill
- Using laxation
These are a few initial signs of an eating disorder symptoms. Some common eating disorders found are anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, and avoidance of restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID).
Types of eating disorder and symptoms:
1. Anorexia Nervosa:
Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder where an individual has an unhealthy low body weight, develops an intense fear of gaining weight, and has an unrealistic view of weight and shape of body by young adult. In this condition, an individual tries to make extreme efforts to limit themselves from gaining weight. Even though they are severely underweight, they still consider themselves overweight.
Symptoms:
- Extreme thinness
- Distorted body image
- Strict restrictions on eating
- Mild anemia and muscle weakness.
- Severe constipation.
- Low blood pressure.
2. Bulimia Nervosa:
Bulimia nervosa is a serious mental health condition that is characterized by binge eating followed by purging. This condition occurs among teenagers commonly when they consume a large amount of food in a short time, then they use purging to get rid of that extra weight. They sometimes use purging methods like vomiting, excessive exercising, and not eating for a while. It affects the minds of a patient leading them to severely and harshly judge their appearance.
Symptoms:
- Acid reflux disorder
- Intestinal distress
- Electrolyte imbalance
- Swollen salivary gland
- Sore throat
3. Binge Eating Disorder:
Binge eating involves eating a larger amount of food continuously. Unlike bulimia, this is not followed by purging which results in being overweight or obese. During a binge, an individual tends to eat food faster or more food than they planned to without being hungry. In this condition, an individual loses control over eating habits and has reoccurring episodes of eating large amounts of food.
Symptoms:
- Eating when you are full or not hungry
- Eating alone
- Feeling distress about eating
- Eating large amounts of food in an unusually short period
- Frequently dieting without weight loss
4. Avoidance Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID):
Avoidance-restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) is also known as selective eating disorder. Unlike anorexia nervosa, here an individual does not have a distorted body image of themselves or fear of gaining weight. It is quite common in teenagers. As they tend to be picky eaters at times. In this condition, an individual has an extremely limited diet, eating only specific foods or very little overall.
Symptoms:
- Lack of appetite
- Dramatic weight loss
- Abdominal pain
- Gastrointestinal issue
- Limited range of preferred food.
How to help someone with an eating disorder?
- Make sure they feel loved and supported.
- Create a safe space for them to talk and open up.
- Don’t make assumptions and conclude on your own.
- Listen to their feelings and what they have to say.
Helpline: Contact for support and information.
Conclusion:
Eating disorders have often been undermined, but it’s crucial to start emphasizing these serious mental health issues. We cannot underestimate the fact that they may adversely affect a patient’s health if not given timely treatment. To help us better understand and support our loved ones with this condition, we’ve provided brief information on eating disorder symptoms to recognize the signs and seek help early. These mental health conditions are being highlighted as high-priority concerns, as they have become increasingly common, leading to anxiety, depression, and, in severe cases, self-harm or suicide. It’s time to be strong and support our loved ones in overcoming eating disorders.
