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Eating Disorders

Let's talk about eating disorders.

By Scott LavelyPublished 5 years ago 10 min read
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Eating Disorders are a big issue and they need to be talked about more; they are shoved under the rug while depression and anxiety are talked about a lot. Depression and anxiety are big issues, but eating disorders are also a huge issue that has rates of incline in the last few years.

First, let's define an eating disorder; an eating disorder can be defined several ways, but it's usually defined as any form of disordered eating that can cause an individual to lose or gain weight. So, I want to discuss a few eating disorders that I will touch on a little bit and then talk about someone who reached out to me when I mentioned making a podcast on eating disorders on a social media platform and they said I could ask them questions about their eating issues if it would help, so i did.

To begin, let's look at a list of eating disorders.

Bulimia Nervosa-Bulimics may often have signs of anorexia, like restricting their eating, but they often have b/p sessions, meaning they will binge and then purge with whatever way possible, usually laxatives or throwing up.

Anorexia Nervosa-Anorexia is when someone will often restrict their eating and do "fasting" days, where they eat nothing, they will excessively exercise, and their goal is to lose weight. Anorexics may also use laxatives and purge like Bulimics.

EDNOS/OSFED-Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorders, also known as Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified in the past, basically means someone is dealing with an eating disorder that cannot be classified as any of the others on this list because they don't meet the diagnostic criteria, but they are still dealing with an eating disorder. This disorder is just as deadly as any of the others on this list; someone with OSFED can die just as easily as someone with anorexia can.

Orthorexia Disorder, this eating disorder actually came to the public's attention in the late 1990s and it's basically an eating disorder around eating healthier, so usually they may have a specific diet, like being vegan or vegetarian. (This doesn't mean every vegan/vegetarian has Orthorexia.) This can be classified in three different categories; the person may have Orthorexia on its own, may have it with another eating disorder like Anorexia or Bulimia, or it may be caused by another mental illness like OCD.

Diabulimia-Diabulimia is a very dangerous eating disorder where a person develops an eating disorder when they are diabetic, usually with Diabetes I, and they may restrict their insulin to force their body to lose weight.

NES-Night Eating Syndrome is often confused as Binge Eating Disorder, but it's not. Even though people with NES often binge eat; they eat at night, but do not eat excessive amounts, and feel like they're losing control over their eating. But they may often feel like they are losing control over their eating patterns. Mostly, people with NES are overweight.

BED-Binge Eating Disorder is a valid eating disorder that's just as common than Anorexia and Bulimia. It's a disorder in which someone will overeat, aka a binge, and oftentimes they are overweight. Not everyone that overeats every so often has this disorder; people with this disorder overeat at least once a week and feel like they lose control during a binge, and even when they're full, they will keep binging and eating.

So, what are some of the medical issues with eating disorders? There are a LOT. Let's just break them down: heart issues, dehydration, imbalances in their nutrition, inflammation and possible tearing of the esophagus, ulcers, teeth decay, digestive issues, organ damage, fatigue, muscle weakness, skin problems, loss of hair, headaches/migraines, passing out, decreased metabolism, Lanugo, loss of menstruation in females, lowered levels of testosterone in men, osteoporosis, ulcers, heart failure, immune system being decreased, osteoporosis, infertility, and anxiety and depression development.

So there's a lot of issues with Eating Disorders, but I wanted to actually discuss why an eating disorder is a mental illness, and why it's not a choice. Someone doesn't wake up one morning and say, "you know what, I'm going to start doing things to my body that may kill me in the future cuz that sounds fun!" No, it's a mental health issue that needs to be addressed in a serious matter. Eating disorders have been linked to genetics, someone's environment and the society around them, and brain chemistry and wiring. If someone in your family suffered from an eating disorder, you are more likely to; twins are a great example where one twin will develop an eating disorder and the other one will not always develop it, but is over 10 times more likely to develop it. Brain chemistry plays a big rule; someone without an eating disorder will feel irritation when hungry and then a lot better after having some food. Brain studies have showed that an anorexic person may experience the opposite; they feel fine when they're hungry, but get irritated and feel awful after eating. The environmental factors are not that hard to figure out; the media is often all about "oh, look, I went on this diet and lost 20 pounds and now I'm PERFECT!"

So, I want to talk about how to notice an eating disorder in a person you know, like a family member or friend. How do you see the warning signs? I'm going to go through all of the eating disorders I listed before because this is very important. The earlier a person with an eating disorder gets help, the less of a negative impact that eating disorder will have on their health and future.

Anorexia: a lot of weight loss in a period of time, without a specific reasoning for it, food habits (such as cutting food really small or chewing a bite so many times or chewing-and-spitting), reduced food intake, denying being hungry when they haven't eaten recently or their stomach growls, trying to eat a low-calorie food rather than a food high in calories, diet drinks or low-calorie drinks, feeling fat when in fact they may not be, exercising excessively, self-controlling behavior, hiding emotions, and self isolation.

Bulimia: excessive weight loss, binge eating, vomiting, laxative abuse, being dehydrated or weak constantly (this does not mean they have bulimia and could be a different health issue, but they should still see a doctor), fear of weight gain, constantly odd behavior around meals (such as going to the bathroom right after eating to throw up), dental issues, markings on fingers and knuckles from purging, socially withdrawal from friends and family, and extreme over-exercising.

EDNOS-So EDNOS: basically can have any eating disorder symptoms, but I'll list a few so you can have a general idea of what to look for. Being cold even though the temperature is normal, excessive exercising, preoccupied frequently with weight, calories, and food, binge eating, thinning or losing of hair, and denying feeling hungry.

BED: eating large amounts of food within a short time period (not just a once in a while thing, but doing this constantly over a few weeks to months), continuing eating after being full, feeling out of control with regard to food intake, eating rapidly, feeling more comfortable eating alone and not in front of others, showing signs of depression, and dieting (which sometimes would result in no weight loss).

NES-often skipping breakfast and lunch at least four out of seven days out of the week, feels urges to eat in the evening, has to eat in order to fall asleep, eats in the middle of the night, and food may be a coping mechanism for them to deal with increased anxiety in the evening/at night and sleeping issues.

Orthorexia: reading labels on food to make sure it fits to their healthy standards, avoiding foods due to allergies without a doctor advising so, will make a point to avoid foods high in artificial flavors, colors, fats, sugars, salts, and animal products such as milks and eggs, increased intake of supplements of probiotics, proteins, nutritional supplements, etc., reduced options of foods (some Orthorexics will have their options be open to no more than 10 foods), and concern over how a food is prepared (clean utensils, food is washed properly, etc.).

Diabulimia: weighloss, issues in glucose levels, diabetic ketoacidosis (noticeable by frequent urination, dehydration, and increased hunger), Microvascular disease (affects the eyes, kidney, and heart), disordered eating, and depression.

Okay, so the warning signs are listed and I just wanted to clarify that those symptoms and warning signs do not mean the person has an eating disorder. But it is definitely a good indicator and if you believe someone has an eating disorder, the best thing to do is to confront them, ask them, and offer support for therapy and treatment. Barely half of people with eating disorders seek help and that number needs to change; these illnesses are killing people yearly around the world, and something needs to be done.

Now, let's talk about the person I had talked to. I'm not going to list their name, the social media platform, or their social media handle, because that would be an invasion of privacy and I don't feel comfortable talking about them that way. I asked them seven questions, and they responded to them and thanked me for making a public podcast about this issue, and I'm glad they did give me answers because it can give the listeners an idea of what someone with an eating disorder deals with.

My first question asked what disorder they dealt with; I do not know if they are diagnosed since they didn't disclose that information and I wasn't going to get too much into the person's business, since they could tell me as much or as little as they wanted to. He responded saying he struggled with b/p and restrictions. I then asked if he was seeing anyone for treatment and he said he met with a therapist weekly, which is a good sign; if someone is struggling with an eating disorder, a therapist is definitely a good sign towards them seeking some professional help for recovery. I then asked how long he had dealt with disordered eating, and he said that about four years ago it started with just skipping lunch daily and escalated from there. I asked if he had any goals for weight and daily calorie intake and if he had any rewards (some people will set rewards for weight loss, so like "if I lose 10 pounds, I can buy some new makeup or a new outfit or whatever else"), and he said he had some weight goals, but not rewards and that he stayed under 1000 calories usually. He said he was not vegan/vegetarian and I asked if he was in the LGBT community, (because a great amount of people struggling with eating disorders are actually in the LGBT community to cope with the hate, bulling, and issues they face daily), and he said he was a transgender person, like I am, and that he's gay. My final question was whether anyone in his personal life knew about his disordered eating and he said his family was aware. I hope that he managed to one day make a full recovery because it is 100 percent worth it to recover and make a better life for yourself if you struggle with any of these.

I just wanted to throw out some hotlines for eating disorders:

USA: 800-931-2237

CANADA: 1-866-633-4220

UK:

adult: 0808 801 0677

student: 0808 801 0811

youth: 0808 801 0711

Okay guys that's all for now, thanks so much for reading. (:

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About the Creator

Scott Lavely

I am a transgender individual trying to bring light to LGBTQA+ in the USA and other areas of the world

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