The Effects of Eating Disorders and the Danger it Brings

Eating disorders are detrimental to a person’s overall wellbeing, both physically and mentally, this article briefly demonstrates the possible causes of both anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, their effects on the patient, presentation, management and the danger it brings about.

Eating disorders generally consists of two main types:

• Anorexia nervosa

• Bulimia nervosa

Anorexia Nervosa

• Is an eating disorder that is characterised by a distorted body image with an unfounded fear of being overweight. 🥲
  

• Typically, anorexia nervosa is found to occur more often in females as compared to males. ♀️

• The age of onset ranges from 13 to 19 years in young adolescent girls. 👧

Aetiology

There are several theories that in a way, gives an understanding as to the causes of anorexia. These include:

• Experiences from their early childhood (neglect and abuse) which resulted in the person being traumatised. 😢
  

• Personality type ♍
  

• Judgemental family members 👨‍👩‍👧‍👧
  

• Hypothalamic dysfunction which leads to the chemical imbalances of hormones thereby, resulting in weight loss and anorexia. 🧠
  

• Peer pressure and the stress of adolescence. 👯

Effects Associated with Eating Disorders 🛏️

• There is an intense fear of becoming obese even when they are already severely underweight.

• Body-image disturbance, the inability to perceive their body size.

• Amenorrhoea (cessation of menses), which can be primary or secondary in women.

• Prominent weight loss

• Insomnia

• They are irritable and normally withdrawn from their family and friends.

• Depression

• Most anorexic patients impose very strict dietary restrictions on themselves and eat very little but take up vigorous exercises to lose weight.

Presentation 🔎

• On examination, an anorexic patient normally presents with weight loss, fine hair on their scalp and extremities, cold hands and feet, dry skin, a slow pulse (50-60 min) and hypotension.

• Vomiting is often used to avoid weight gain, and so because of the high acidity of their vomitus, it can lead to the erosion of the tooth enamel.

Bulimia Nervosa

Is also an eating disorder like Anorexia nervosa, except that it includes recurrent episodes of ‘’binge eating’’ which is characterised by the following features:

• Most people with this eating disorder, would normally eat at a discrete-time and consume large amounts of food within a short time interval. 🍴⏱️
  

• They lack a sense of control while eating during this episode, for example, their eating behaviour is shameful. 😞
  

• After this episode of overeating, they tend to use excessive means to counteract the effects of overeating, these include self-induced vomiting, use of certain drugs and laxatives, vigorous exercises and so on. 🤮
  

• During this period of purging, they feel relief that they have gotten rid of the food consumed, but soon after comes the feelings of regret, self-disgust and frustration. 😩

Ways to Overcome and Treat Eating Disorders 💪

Includes a multidisciplinary approach

• Behavioural therapy: these behavioural treatments are based on providing positive reinforcements, sometimes negative reinforcements as well, dependent on weight gain by the patient.

• Individual Psychotherapy and Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT)

• Antidepressants

• Group therapy and family therapy: can help educate the patient and their family members about the nature of eating disorders.

Dangers of Eating Disorders 🛑

• Can be life-threatening and lead to hospitalisation in cases of severe weight loss.

• Dehydration and malnutrition

• Suicidal tendencies and self-harm

• Obsessive-compulsive personality traits

• Death, which may be due to hypokalaemia as a result of self-induced vomiting.

Summary

• Anorexia nervosa often occurs in adolescent girls.

• A possible cause might be the result of child neglect, abuse or hypothalamic dysfunction.

• These patients have an unwarranted fear of being obese even when they are severely underweight.

• Bulimia nervosa includes recurrent episodes of binge eating and later on, there is vomiting or the use of certain drugs like diuretics and laxatives to counteract the effect of overeating.

• Treatment includes psychotherapy, behavioural therapy, antidepressants and so on.

• Overall, the patient should be encouraged to gain weight and their nutritional deficiencies corrected where possible.

By Jessica Otoide

I-Medics Ambassador