An eating disorder is a mental condition characterized by odd eating behaviors that negatively influence a person’s physical and mental health. It is a complicated and possibly life-threatening disorder when ignored. Primarily, an eating disorder (ED) starts with an obsession with food, affecting the body’s shape, and ultimately body weight.
ED can affect people from all walks of life. In the U.S., ED ranks second as the deadliest mental illness, next to opioid overdose.
There are different types of ED, however, and it is crucial to identify them. What are the types of eating disorders and the symptoms that come with it? Here are the six common EDs and their symptoms:
1. Anorexia Nervosa — widely known as anoxia, persons suffering from this think they are overweight. They religiously monitor their weight and they self-starve by avoiding some kinds of food and limiting their calorie intake.
Anorexia Nervosa has two subtypes:
Restricting type – losing weight by dieting and having extreme exercise routines
Binge-eating/purging type – as the name implies, this act is engaging in erratic binge-eating large amounts of food, then doing purging activities such as vomiting or taking laxatives or diuretics to flush out the intake.
Symptoms of anorexia nervosa are:
- Repressed eating patterns
- Fear of gaining weight
- Insomnia
- Fatigue
- Thinning and falling hair
- Low blood pressure
- Constipation and abdominal pain
2. Bulimia Nervosa — this disorder is characterized by overeating in a specific period of time followed by purging. Also called bingeing, this type of ED is associated with the loss of control over food.
Symptoms of bulimia nervosa are:
- Persistent sore throat
- Gastric acid-induced dental decay that erodes tooth enamel
- Heartburn and reflux of the stomach
- Frequent toilet visits right after meals
- Experiencing lightheadedness or fainting due to severe purging habits that cause dehydration
3. Binge eating disorder — people with this condition consume large quantities of food in short periods, especially when they are stressed or upset. They feel they can’t stop eating even when they are full and binge at least once a week.
Symptoms of binge eating are:
- Eating to the point of discomfort and beyond contentment
- Emotional eating (eating in response to emotional stress)
- Obsessive food thinking and cravings
- Eating alone and eating more quickly than normal
- No purging behaviors to compensate for binge eating
4. Pica — an eating problem in which an individual ingests non-food things such as soap, paper, dirt, pebbles, and the like.
Pica is most commonly observed in people with mental health disorders and intellectual disabilities.
5. Rumination Disorder — this is the practice of repeatedly swallowing food and then bringing it back up into the mouth to be chewed, swallowed again, or spat out after eating.
6. Avoidant/ Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) — known before as “feeding disorder of infancy and early childhood,” this eating disorder is usually associated with children under the age of
7. Sometimes also called a selective eating disorder, ARFID is a completely new diagnosis and can also affect an adult individual.
Symptoms of ARFID are:
- Lack of interest in food
- Declining to try new foods
- Avoiding food based on shape, texture, color, smell
- Muscle weakness
Eating disorders are a serious matter that can greatly affect one’s mental and physical health. It can happen to any person regardless of sex, status, age, shape, and size.
If you know someone who is struggling with any of these EDs, even yourself, you should ask questions and professional help from a health professional immediately.
Finally, for those silently suffering from ED, keep this quote in mind: “I am beginning to measure myself in strength, not pounds. Sometimes in smiles.” – Laurie Halse Anderson
