4 Most Common Types of Eating Disorders
A most common misconception about eating disorders is that it is an individual’s lifestyle choice. Eating Disorders are serious and fatal conditions that involve persistent eating behavior. It can negatively impact your emotional health and can affect your ability to function.
They are complex mental health conditions that require proper medical treatment and psychological interventions. They might start as an obsession with weight, food, or body shape. These can lead to dangerous eating behaviors if not treated in time. Eating Disorders can harm the heart, the digestive system, bones, brain and can lead to other diseases too.
According to a study in the United States, as of 2017, the prevalence of eating disorders has been up to 1.66%.
There are multiple types of eating disorders. her e we discuss the 4 most common types of this illness.
Anorexia Nervosa
Anorexia Nervosa involves self-starvation. It is a serious health condition where you undergo an extreme weight loss resulting in very low weight for age. You may eat very little, to the point of starving yourself. You may have a disturbance in your perception of your body weight or shape. People with Anorexia Nervosa may consume small amounts of low-calorie foods and exercise excessively.
According to a study, the most affected age group was 15 to 19 years with almost 2.5 thousand admissions as a diagnosis for Anorexia Nervosa in England in 2019/20.
Bulimia Nervosa
People with Bulimia Nervosa may develop a habit of consuming large amounts of food in a short time. They may eat low-calorie foods while binge eating. This kind of binge behavior is usually associated with a feeling of embarrassment. You can fall within the normal range of your weight but are intensely unsatisfied with the size and weight of your body.
Learn more about Bulimia Nervosa
Binge Eating Disorder (BED)
The most common eating disorder diagnosis among all others is Binge Eating Disorder (BED). In this disorder, you may undergo binge eating, which involves eating large quantities of food in a brief period. As a result, you may experience a sense of loss of control over your eating and are distressed by this binge behavior. People with binge eating disorders may not involve in behaviors like getting rid of the food by throwing up, fasting, or excessive exercising.
There should be frequent binges ( at least once a week for three months) to diagnose the binge eating disorder.
Other Specified Feeding Or Eating Disorder (OSFED)
Another common type of eating disorder is Other Specified Eating Disorder (OSFED). It is a complex mental health condition that is more frequently diagnosed than other eating disorders.
By having this mental disorder, you can have disturbed eating patterns, distorted body image, and persistent fear of gaining weight.
A possible sign of a distressed immune system and a significant loss or gain of body weight can be the physical signs of OSFED. Untreated OSFED can lead to a variety of mental and physical problems.
Conclusion
Whatsoever kind of eating disorder you may undergo, there are treatment plans tailored to individual needs. You may have a team of providers like doctors, nutritionists, nurses, and therapists to cope with such serious health conditions.