An eating disorder is characterized by a change in an individual’s nutritional pattern. Often, the condition is related to behavioral habits of excess or lack of food consumption.
There are several types of eating disorders . The most common are three:
1. Anorexia nervosa
The condition leads to significantly lower calorie intake than normal, which causes people to have a significantly lower weight. It is marked by a constant concern with body image, in which the individual cannot visualize their own thinness or weight loss.
2. Bulimia
These individuals tend to consume a lot of calories . However, as a way of “compensating” for the food they eat, they end up inducing vomiting and using laxatives or appetite suppressant medications, in addition to exercising excessively. This can cause gastrointestinal problems and compromise dental health, among other problems.
3. Binge eating disorder
In this case, the person consumes a lot of calories and very frequently . It is estimated that binge eating episodes occur on a pattern of one or two days per week. These individuals tend to eat quickly. This condition is quite common among people diagnosed with obesity, being present in about a third of this group.
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Causes and risk factors
Eating disorders have multifactorial causes. They range from genetic issues inherited from first-degree relatives to the replication of harmful eating habits from colleagues and friends, such as self-induced vomiting after meals.
Psychological disorders, such as anxiety, depression and low self-esteem, can also be risk factors for the development of eating disorders. In search of filling a certain feeling of emptiness or even as a way to forget some suffering, people seek comfort in food.
Medical literature indicates that there is a ratio of 10 women to every man diagnosed with bulimia or anorexia. In addition to the gender difference, these eating disorders are more common among young people aged 15 to 25, when people are transitioning from adolescence to adulthood.
Diagnosis
The diagnosis of eating disorders is clinical, confirmed by anamnesis (the collection of information that analyzes the patient’s history). The diagnosis is usually made by a psychiatrist, but family doctors, general practitioners, psychologists and occupational therapists are also trained to raise the hypothesis of the disease in a preliminary manner and then refer the patient to a specialist.
In addition, blood tests, such as a complete blood count and total protein and fraction levels, may be requested to confirm the diagnosis. These results also help doctors plan the best therapeutic approach.
Treatment
Eating disorders have a good prognosis for responding to treatment. Therefore, it is possible to state that there is a “cure” for these conditions, even though the process is different for each person and varies according to the severity of the case.
Most of the time, treatment involves the use of medications that can help with the cause of the disorder and its clinical manifestations.
Specific medications to treat anxiety levels, combined with sessions with psychologists and psychiatrists, can help improve the condition. Regular consultations with a nutritionist can also bring benefits to the ongoing process of nutritional education.
Prevention
Since one of the risk factors for eating disorders is low self-esteem, identifying individuals who are most susceptible to the condition early on can be the first step towards preventing it. This should be done both within educational institutions and by the families of adolescents and young people themselves.
It is also essential to encourage the development of emotional and social skills in new generations, strengthening their mental health and well-being.