How do you know if you have an eating disorder? 8 symptoms

Many people have heard the term “eating disorder”, but few know the differences between the main types, how to deal with this diagnosis correctly and who not to turn to for help. Let’s look at each question.

What is an eating disorder?

Eating behavior disorder (EBD) is a condition in which a person’s relationship with food and assessment of his appearance is disturbed. For these people, their own figure becomes the main focus of attention. They begin to perceive their normal weight as something wrong, necessarily requiring improvement.

In order to achieve the desired result, they adhere to unhealthy eating behavior: severely reduce the caloric content of the diet, starve themselves, take certain drugs. Over time, these behaviors lead to a loss of control and can be life-threatening.

According to official data from the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Related Disorders (ANAD), this disease affects about 9% of the world’s population. It is worth noting that the statistics were gathered from the number of referrals to specialists. Many people ignore medical help, living with the problem for years. This is extremely dangerous.

What types of RPP are there?

Unfortunately, there are so many varieties, but the main ones are the following.

Anorexia nervosa, characterized by severe food restriction, choosing rigid diets and intense exercise to lose weight. This is a type of RPP in which the person has a strong fear of gaining weight, although people with this condition are usually underweight for their parameters.

Bulimia nervosa, which is overeating followed by purging through vomiting or the use of laxatives or diuretics.

Compulsive overeating, in which a person eats large amounts of food in a short period of time without feeling satiated. The criteria is overeating at least once a week for three months.

Avoidant-Resistant Food Intake Disorder (ARFID). The patient may refuse to eat foods for a number of irrational reasons. For example, not liking the appearance or texture of the food, fear of choking.

Orthorexia nervosa. Manifests itself in the form of a strong obsession with healthy eating. Thus, a person specifically avoids “harmful” products, feels shame for their use and eats strictly according to a rigid schedule.

Who is at risk?

It is believed that such problems are suffered by ordinary people seeking to reduce weight. In fact, athletes are also at risk. Those athletes who compete in sports that equate thinness with performance enhancing, appearance-emphasizing, slim-focused sports are more likely to start a pattern of disordered eating behavior. It can eventually develop into dangerous RPP.

What symptoms indicate the presence of RPP?

physician, addiction psychiatrist, Harmony Clinic

The symptoms of RPP vary and depend on the nature of the person. The problem is that you may not even realize that you have the disease. Or, on the contrary, hide it from others for years. However, there are general patterns of the disease.

• Strict restriction of food in terms of calories, volume of food consumed or “allowed” foods on a permanent basis. With RPP, a person can live on 500-600 calories;

• A fixation on one’s own weight and physical fitness;

• obsession with food and eating habits. A person with RPP may obsessively photograph their body every day and engage in self-harm if they have gained extra pounds;

• Narrowing the diet (avoiding certain foods or food groups without medical reasons), which progresses over time;

• avoiding events where there will be treats. A banal trip to a café seems like a tragedy for a person with RPP;

• abuse of laxatives, provoking vomiting after meals;

• exhausting hours of training outside of preparation for sports competitions. The patient may visit the gym every day in the hope of getting immediate results;

• emotional instability caused by eating or avoiding certain foods.

Patients with RPP look different from healthy people. They are accompanied by weakness and fatigue, pain or numbness in the extremities, cramps, pre-syncope or fainting, digestive disorders (bloating, flatulence, diarrhea or constipation) and menstrual irregularities.

What causes RPPs?

doctor-nutritionist “LabQuest” + “Q-Clinic”, Ph.

RPP is most often diagnosed in adolescence. The reasons for this can be different. As a rule, it is stress, unfavorable family environment (single-parent family), bullying at school, rejection of one’s adult body, natural pubertal gain, etc. All of these have a psychological basis.

Physiological causes are related to hypothalamic and/or suprahypothalamic disorders. They lead to an imbalance at the level of neurotransmitters. For example, many people associate the occurrence of RPP with disturbances in the metabolism of serotonin, the pleasure hormone.

How is RPP treated?

The disease is treated with a set of measures developed by a psychiatrist in conjunction with a nutritionist. As a rule, they include diet therapy, psychotherapy, taking medications (tranquilizers or antidepressants).

With the help of a nutritionist, a balanced diet is selected to meet the body’s needs, taking into account food preferences. Psychotherapy can be both individual and family. The second option is more suitable for adolescents. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is considered an effective tool in the fight against RPP.

Is it possible to do without the help of a nutritionist?

Alyona Denisova: When faced with one of the forms of RPP, many patients make the mistake of seeking help from a nutritionist or a nutritionist. Of course, there is a connection between the treatment of this disease and the correction of diet, but it is important to know that with such a problem can help in the first place only a specialist of the appropriate direction: a psychologist, psychiatrist or psychotherapist.

Already after consultation with one of these experts, a person can be referred to a nutritionist. A nutritionist does not help in treatment, does not give recommendations, but promotes normalization of the diet, weight gain, taking into account the individual characteristics of each person.

When detecting symptoms of RPP in yourself or your loved ones, it is very important to immediately seek help from a doctor. Early treatment increases the likelihood of recovery.