Often referred to as ‘the silent killer’, an estimated 200,000 people in Ireland are affected by an eating disorder, with 400 new cases each year resulting in 80 deaths annually. Eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are serious mental health problems more common in women than in men.You may be diagnosed with an eating disorder if your eating habits threaten your health and happiness or that of the people who care for you. The most common eating disorders are anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Both are serious mental health problems and anyone experiencing them needs a great deal of help and understanding. What causes eating disorders?
Eating disorders usually have underlying emotional, stress or trauma-related causes. For example, if you are a young person, hormone changes and lack of confidence, or problems such as bullying or difficulties with schoolwork, can trigger the conditions. Refusing or bingeing on food may make you feel you have some control over your life. Some people attribute eating disorders to media portrayal and fashion trends. It is fashionable to be slim but this is not possible for everyone, as we are naturally all different shapes and sizes. People with eating disorders very often feel that they can only ever be happy or successful if they are slim, in control. People who develop them often experience anxiety, low self-esteem and a level of perfectionism that makes them very hard on themselves.Anorexia Nervosa
The two most serious eating disorders are anorexia nervosa (anorexia) and bulimia nervosa (bulimia). Anorexia is characterised by an intense fear of being obese and a relentless pursuit of thinness. Often, anorexia begins with a weight loss, resulting from either dieting or physical illness. Positive comments about the weight loss seem to encourage the person to believe that if thin is good, thinner is better. Starvation and erratic eating patterns can then become anorexia. Its symptoms include:- A loss of at least 15% of body weight resulting from refusal to eat enough food, despite extreme hunger.
- An intense fear of becoming ‘fat’ and of losing control.
- A disturbance of perception of body image in that people may regard themselves as fat, over-estimating body size the thinner they become.
- A tendency to exercise obsessively.
- A preoccupation with determining ‘good’ and ‘bad’ foods, and with the preparation of food.
- Absence of menstrual periods.
- A significant proportion of people with anorexia will also develop bulimia.
Bulimia Nervosa
Bulimia is characterised by bingeing and purging. A person with bulimia is usually close to their normal body weight, so is less recognisable than a person with anorexia. Bulimia often starts with rigid weight reduction dieting in the pursuit of thinness. Inadequate nutrition causes tiredness and powerful urges to binge eat. Vomiting after a binge seems to bring a sense of relief, but this is temporary and soon turns to depression and guilt. Some people use laxatives, apparently unaware that laxatives do not reduce kilojoules/fat content, and only serve to eliminate vital trace elements and dehydrate the body. People with bulimia may experience chemical imbalances in their body that bring about lethargy, depression and clouded thinking. Its symptoms include:- Eating binges that involve consumption of large amounts of calorie-rich foods, during which the person feels a loss of personal control and self-disgust.
- Purging attempts to compensate for binges and to avoid weight gain by self induced vomiting, and/or misuse of laxatives and fluid tablets.
- A combination of restricted eating and compulsive exercise so that control of weight dominates the person’s life.
Binge eating disorder
This eating disorder has only recently been recognised. People with binge eating disorder have episodes of binge eating in which they consume extreme quantities of food within short periods of time, and feel out of control while they are bingeing. However, they do not make attempts to purge their food after bingeing. The binge eating can lead to serious health consequences such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease.Physical effects of anorexia and bulimia
The physical effects of anorexia and bulimia can be very serious, but are generally reversible if the illness is treated early. If left untreated, severe anorexia and bulimia can be life-threatening. Both illnesses, when severe, can cause:- Harm to the kidneys.
- Urinary tract infections and damage to the colon.
- Dehydration, constipation and diarrhoea.
- Seizures, muscle spasms or cramps.
- Chronic indigestion.
- Loss of menstruation or irregular periods.
- Strain on most body organs.
- Absence of menstrual periods.
- Severe sensitivity to the cold.
- Growth of down-like hair all over the body.
- Inability to concentrate and think rationally.
