We all need food to survive and get the energy to run our daily tasks. However, do you know that eating disorders have become extremely common these days? Many people think that an eating disorder is only when you overeat and cannot seem to control your intake. However, that is not really the case.
There are different types of eating disorders, including;
- Anorexia nervosa- This is whereby an individual extremely fears gaining weight. Asa result, they end up ‘dieting,’ which often is starving themselves. This condition usually develops mainly in adolescence, and people who suffer from it are generally underweight.
- Bulima nervosa- This condition is whereby one eats a lot of food in cycles, then they try different methods to compensate for the overeating. Often, you will find them overexercising and over dieting. These people are also extremely fearful of gaining weight.
- Binge eating disorder- As the name suggests, binge eating disorder is when one cannot seem to stay away from food even for a single minute. These people want to eat all the time and will do anything to get the food. They eat at all times, and even when they are painfully full, they still want to eat more.
That said, what exactly causes eating disorders?
Causes of eating disorders
Eating disorders are a very sensitive topic that goes beyond desiring too much food or not wanting to eat at all. In fact, most people who suffer from any of the above-mentioned eating disorders do not usually realize it until it is too late. Some of the causes include;
- Mental issues
Did you know that mental issues are one of the leading causes of eating disorders? When a person is battling a mental health iss8ue such as depression or anxiety, they tend to either start loving food too much or not eating at all. For example, if a person has gone through a rough patch in life, such as losing a job, you might notice that they have lost weight so fast because they are not eating anymore. On the other hand, another one may gain weight due to binge eating.
- Emotional distress
What we feel plays a crucial role in how we react to different things, including how we eat. There are days when you might feel thrilled and want to eat all of your favourite foods, and on other days, you may want nothing to do with food at all.
- Genetics
Have you ever seen families where all of them are underweight or overweight? Well, genetics is also another major cause of eating disorders. Some of these eating disorders are hereditary.
After realizing that you are suffering from any of the eating disorders, it is imperative that you find the necessary help from an eating disorder dietitian. Sometimes the eating disorders can be so severe and even become life-threatening.
There are different treatment plans for the different types of eating disorders. It is therefore advisable to get the proper diagnosis and start the treatment as soon as possible.
