Eating Disorders Flashcards
What are Eating Disorders?
Eating disorders are a group of mental health conditions that affect a person’s relationship with food and their body image.
Abnormal Eating Behaviours: Individuals with eating disorders may engage in behaviours such as restricting food intake, binge eating, or purging to control their weight.
Unhealthy Preoccupation: People with eating disorders often have an obsessive focus on food, weight and body image.
Causes of Eating Disorders
Genetics: Genetic factors may predispose individuals to developing eating disorders
Trauma
Societal Pressure: Unrealistic societal expectations and ideals about appearance and body image can lead to disordered eating behaviours
Mental Health Issues: Conditions such as depression, anxiety and low self-esteem can increase the risk of developing an eating disorder
Risk Factors for Eating Disorder
Gender: Females are more likely to develop eating disorders, accounting for up to 90% of cases
Age: Eating disorders typically onset during adolescence and young adulthood, with the peak incidence between 15 and 19 years old.
Emotional Eating
Emotional Eating: the practice of consuming food to cope with emotions such as stress, anxiety or depression.
Triggers: Negative emotions, boredom, social situations and a lack of coping mechanisms, social situations and lack of coping mechanisms.
Conseuquences: Weight gain, feelings of guilt and shame, and a dependence on food as a way to manage emotions, associated medical conditions.
Binge Eating Disorder
A serious mental health condition characterized by recurrent episodes of uncontrolled overeating, often accompanied by feelings of shame, guilt and distress.
Symptoms: may experience a loss of control during eating, consume large amounts of food in a short period, eat when not physically hungry on a regular basis.
Causes: The exact causes are not fully understood, but believed to be influenced by combination of genetic, biological, psychological and environmental factors.
Bulimia Nervosa
An eating disorder characterized by a cycle of binge eating and purging, often through self-induced vomiting or the misuse of laxatives and compensatory behaviours like purging, fasting or excessive exercise.
Causes: Linked to a combination of genetic, psychological and sociocultural factors including distorted body image and desire for control.
Risks: Electrolyte imbalances, tooth erosion and increased risk of depression and anxiety.
Anorexia Nervosa
A complex mental health condition that affects an individual’s relationship with food, weight and body image. It is characterized by an intense fear of gaining weight, leading to restrictive eating, excessive exerise and a distorted perception of one’s body size and shape.
Anorexia: Prevalence and demographics
Anorexia Nervosa is predominantly seen in adolescent girls and young women, with the highest prevalence rates in this demographic
The estimated lifetime prevalence of Anorexia Nervosa for women is .9%. Indicating that nearly 1% of women will experience this eating disorder at some point in their lives.
The estimated lifetime prevalence of Anorexia Nervosa for men is .3% suggesting that the disorder is less common in the male population.
Causes and Risk Factors of Anorexia Nervosa
Genetic Factors: individuals with a family history of eating disorders are at a higher risk of developing anorexia nervosa.
Psychological Factors: Personality traits such as perfectionism, obsessive-compulsive tendencies and low self-esteem contribute to development of anorexia nervosa
Social/environmental factors: Societal pressures and cultural norms that emphasize thinness and appearance can lead to development of disordered eating behaviours and body image disturbances.
Traumatic experiences
Pre-existing Mental Health Conditions: Anorexia is often comorbid with depression,anxiety and OCD which can exacerbate the development of the eating disorder
Food Addiction
A behavioural disorder cahracterized by a compulsive and uncontrollable desire to consume certain foods, typically high in sugar, fat,carbs
Food Addiction Factors
Biological Factors: Food addiction is influenced by the brain’s reward system, where certain foods trigger the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reinforcement.
Psychological Factors: Emotional factors, such as stress, depression and anxiety can contribute to development of food addiction as individuals use food as a coping mechanism.
Consequences: Weight gain, obesity and associated health problems as well as social and emotional difficulties.
Treatment and Management: Effective treatments for food addiction may include cognitive-behavioural therapy, nutritional counselling and support groups as well as addressing underlying psychological and emotional factors.
Night Eating Disorder
(NED) is a type of disordered eating characterized by excessive food consumption in the evening and night, often accompanied by a lack of appetite during the day.
Causes: Believed to be influenced by a combination of biological, psychological and environmental factors such as stress, irregular sleep patterns and emotional eating.
Symptoms: Difficulty falling asleep, waking up in the middle of the night, and feeling a strong urge to consume a significant amount of food in the evening or at night.
Consequences: Weight gain, disruption of circadian rhythms, nutritional imbalances and other health problems such as increased risk of metabolic disorders and cardiovascular issues.
Treatments: Dietary modifications, behavioural therapy, and potentially medication.
Impact of Eating Disorders
Eating disorders can have devastating effects on an individual’s physical, emotional and social well-being. Malnutrition, organ damage, and depression are common consequences, while strained relationships and social isolation often follow.
AN
Hypotension and low heart rate, heart arrhythmias, pancreatitis, decreased brain volume, kidney failure, amenorrhea, hepatitis, osteoporosis, anemia, constipation, seizures and death.
BN:
Any of the above plus esophagitis, Barrett’s esophagus, hernias, salivary gland swelling, tooth erosion, gastric rupture
BED
Heart disease, congestive heart failure, arthritis, hernias, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol
Nutritional Counseling
Provides individuals with personalized guidance on developing a healthy, balanced diet. This includes education on proper nutrition, meal planning and the importance of regular eating patterns to restore and maintain a healthy weight.
Seeking Help and Support
Consult a health care provider: speak to a doctor, therapist or registered dietitian who specializes in eating disorder. They can provide a comprehensive assessment and develop a personalized treatment plan.
Inpatient or Outpatient treatment: For severe cases, seek treatment in a specialized eating disorder facility, either as an impatient or through an intensive outpatient programs, depending on the individual’s needs
