Eating Disorders
An eating disorder is where you have an unhealthy attitude to food or eating. It can become increasingly dangerous and cause many short-term and long-term physical health problems. It will typically involve eating too much or too little, or becoming preoccupied with your weight and/or body shape. Both men and women of any age can develop an eating disorder, however they are most commonly diagnosed in adolescent girls aged 13 to 17 years old.
Facts about Eating Disorders
Globally
0.18% of people worldwide suffer with eating disorders.
UK
Approximately 1.25 million people in the UK suffer from an eating disorder.
Additional
6.4% of UK adults showed symptoms indicative of an eating disorder.
Symptoms
- Eating very little food
- Constant worry about your weight or body shape
- Having very strict habits or routines around food
- Deliberately making yourself sick or taking laxatives after eating
- Avoiding socialising when you think food will be involved
- Exercising too much
- Dizziness, loss of consciousness
- Hair loss
- Loss of periods
- Vitamin deficiencies
There are several types of Eating Disorders including:
- Anorexia Nervosa – Trying to make your weight as low as possible by not eating; body weight less than is considered healthy; exercising too much
- Bulimia – Binging on large amount of food in a short amount of time and then making yourself deliberately sick, use laxatives or restricting what you eat to limit weight gain
- Binge Eating Disorder (BED) – When you regularly lose control of eating and eat large portions of food all at once until feeling uncomfortably full
- Other specified feeding or eating disorder (OSFED)– When eating symptoms do not exactly match those of anorexia, bulimia or binge eating disorder, this is referred to as OSFED
Treatments
Treatment will depend on the type of eating disorder.
Physical treatments:
- Antidepressant or Anxiolytic (Anxiety) medication
Psychological therapies:
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
- Family based therapies
- Trauma Focused Therapy
Physical Health Monitoring
- Dietetic Support
Frequent physical health checks may be required as eating disorders typically have a significantly negative effect on health.
Oaktree Assessment Tool
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