21-09-2022
Eating Disorders

A variety of distinct mental conditions fall under the umbrella of eating disorders. Their primary trait as a group is that they engage in some sort of destructive food-related behaviour. There are many different behaviours, but excessive or restricted eating is most common. Eating disorders can have detrimental bodily implications, including fatal ones.

Eating Disorder Types

The most severe of the 12 forms of eating disorders is anorexia nervosa. This condition necessitates rigorous exercise, severe dietary restriction, and other purging habits.

Bulimia Nervosa: This condition develops when a person frequently overeats and then purges the food. Purging activities can include forcing oneself to vomit, exercising excessively, and taking laxatives and diet medications. Both bingeing and purging are risky habits, and when they occur simultaneously, they can produce life-threatening medical symptoms.

Muscle Dysmorphia: Contrary to most eating disorders, muscular dysmorphia typically affects more males than women. An obsessive fixation with muscles and appearance, which is disruptive, is a feature of the illness. The person will become fixated with developing the "ideal" shape of musculature.

Binge Eating Disorder (BED): Episodes of eating excessive amounts of food are a hallmark of BED. When someone eats too much food in a two-hour period, it is referred to as a binge. Binges are accompanied by a trance-like condition, weight gain, and subsequent feelings of regret and humiliation. BED typically does not involve any purging practises, in contrast to bulimia. BED patients are frequently overweight or obese as a result of their binge.

Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder (OSFED): The term "other specified feeding or eating disorder" (OSFED) refers to many eating disorders that don't fall within the previously mentioned headings. Despite the fact that these disorders are not listed in any diagnostic guides, psychologists and doctors continue to use these terminology.

Compulsive Over Eating (COE):The disorder known as compulsive overeating (COE) is comparable to binge eating disorder. The distinctive feature of COE is that the person consumes a lot of food all day long rather than bingeing sometimes.

Prader Willi Syndrome: Prader Willi Syndrome is brought on by an inherited genetic disorder and is associated with excessive eating and obesity. It starts with babies' delayed development, poor eating, and weak muscles. The illness then results in an excessive appetite in children. Children with Prader Willi Syndrome frequently acquire diabetes and experience difficulty adjusting to a typical way of life.

Diabulimia:This is when a diabetic uses their prescribed insulin to attempt to lose weight.

Orthorexia Nervosa:We are all under pressure to eat healthy for a variety of reasons, including orthorexia nervosa. When someone has orthorexia nervosa, their obsession with organising the ideal diet causes life-threatening complications.

Selective Eating Disorder: Picky eating is similar to selective eating disorder, but to a far more intense and crippling degree. A person becomes ill because they are so picky about their diet and usually only eat one or two meals per day.

Drunkorexia: This phrase, which has a slightly crude sounding name, refers to an eating disorder that is also accompanied by drunkenness. To "save calories" for alcohol use, the anorexic person with a drinking problem restricts their food intake and purges. Untreated drunkorexia can result in severe malnutrition.

Pregorexia: Most women enter pregnancies with a weight loss strategy in place because it is pretty well known that pregnancy causes weight gain and other physical changes. The weight loss strategy may occasionally be too drastic, endangering both the mother and the unborn child. Low birth weight, coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, hypertension, cardiovascular disease risk, and depression are all consequences of pregorexia.

Doctor
Dr. Priyanka Srivastava
Consultant
Department of Behavioural Sciences
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