Symptoms Of The 6 Most Common Eating Disorders

Jan 03, 2019

Eating is something that we all do, and yet there are so many variations to this activity. While many of us view food as fuel, and we enjoy the occasional indulgence from time to time, some of us just are not wired to use food appropriately.

This is when problems develop with its use and abuse. While some of the more recognizable disorders such as anorexia and bulimia are known of and warned against, there are other, lesser-known disorders that can develop.

Being aware of the potential pitfalls and traps of developing an eating disorder is key to being able to stop unhealthy behavior before it starts.

It is estimated that almost 30 million Americans have had an eating disorder at some point in their lives. Having an eating disorder can be very damaging, taking its toll in mental, emotional, physical, and even social ways as it slowly seeps in and takes control of the affected person. In some cases, these consequences can be lethal.

Eating disorder development can occur independently of age, gender, sexual identity or orientation, ethnic, or socioeconomic background. They are characterized by an extreme relationship with food, including irregular eating habits and distress over body image and shape. While dangerous on many levels, an eating disorder can be treated and even prevented, provided that you know what to look for, and when to ask for help.

Let's look at six of the most common disorders and their symptoms in hopes of raising awareness and preventing illness.

Anorexia Nervosa is a very common eating disorder that strikes young women, usually teens and young adults. Men can also be affected, but fewer fall victim to anorexia. A characteristic of anorexia is an extreme restriction of food intake, so much so that a person becomes dangerously thin. People with anorexia have an irrational fear of gaining weight, and they will often see themselves as overweight or fat even though the scale is going in the opposite direction.

Anorexia has a high risk of mortality, as dangerously underweight individuals can experience brain damage, multi-organ failure, bone loss, heart issues, and infertility. Symptoms common to anorexics include:

• Severe food restriction
• Extreme weight loss and thinness
• An obsession with becoming as thin as possible, no matter what the consequences
• Intense and irrational fear of gaining weight
• A distorted body image that cannot be rationalized

In severe cases, anorexia can cause the following issues to develop:

• Bone loss
• Anemia, muscle wasting and weakness
• Brittle hair that falls out
• Severe constipation
• Dangerously low blood pressure
• Brain damage
• Organ failure
• Drop in internal body temperature

Someone suffering from bulimia nervosa has the opposite problem; they cannot seem to stop eating. This obsessive need to eat larger than normal quantities of food must balance itself out somehow, so the bulimic tries a number of tactics including forced vomiting, taking laxatives, fasting, and exercising more than usual to offset all of the extra calories.

Like those struggling with anorexia, they have an obsessive need to lose weight and a distorted body image, and they resort to desperate measures to control their food compulsions. A bulimic would exhibit the following symptoms:

• Swollen salivary glands in the neck and along the jawline
• An inflamed and sore throat
• Acid reflux
• Worn and decaying teeth
• Severe dehydration
• Intestinal distress
• Electrolyte imbalances

Binge eating disorder is the most common eating disorder in the United States. A close cousin of bulimia, it involves eating large quantities of food in a relatively short time, but there are no efforts to eliminate or compensate for doing so. A person who suffers from binge eating might:

• Eat unusually large quantities of food in a short time
• Eat even when not hungry
• Eat fast during bingeing
• Eat to discomfort
• Eat in secret and feel guilty or ashamed at the behavior
• Diet frequently without losing weight

While this type of eating disorder closely mimics anorexia nervosa, there is not the same obsessive drive for thinness present with anorexia. Restrictive disorder is a compulsive need to control food intake or to only eat certain types of foods, often not meeting their nutritional needs with their lack of food variety. A person who suffers from restrictive food intake disorder might exhibit the following:

• Dramatic weight loss
• Gastrointestinal distress and pain
• Cold intolerance and lethargy
• Drastic restrictions in the amounts and types of food eaten
• Avoiding foods with certain smells and textures
• Fears of choking or vomiting
• Lack of interest in food; low appetite
• Anemia and thyroid problems
• Dizziness
• Sleep problems
• Dry skin, hair, and nails
• Muscle weakness; impaired immune function

Rumination is a disorder where a person vomits partially digested food almost effortlessly and painlessly into the mouth to be then swallowed or expelled. Most rumination takes place within 30 minutes of food ingestion. Young children are most affected by this disorder, although it is present in a small percentage of adults. Symptoms of rumination disorder include:

• Repeated regurgitation
• Repeated chewing and swallowing partially digested food
• Weight loss
• Bad breath and tooth decay
• Indigestion, abdominal pain, and stomach problems
• Dry, cracked, or chapped lips

Latin for "magpie", pica is a disorder indicative of eating large quantities of non-nutritive or inedible substances. As one can imagine, this can have some serious medical implications depending on the type of substance that is preferred.

Pica most commonly affects small children--these children may attempt to ingest substances such as stone, bricks, chalk, dirt, paper, and other dangerous substances. Some physicians believe that vitamin and mineral deficiencies may cause people to gravitate toward these potentially harmful substances. While symptoms are dependent on the type of substance ingested, some of the symptoms that may be present with pica are:

• Manifestations of toxic ingestion
• Gastrointestinal distress
• Dental decay and damage
• Infections and parasitic infestation

Knowing what to look for and how to treat eating disorders will dramatically reduce their incidence and improve quality of life for both the affected and their family members. Being proactive and having discussions with family and friends will bring awareness to these issues and hopefully reduce their occurrence and the resulting emotional and physical damage they can cause.

Pass this important list on to any friend or family member who needs to see it. Eating disorders are not something to take lightly.

Our content is created to the best of our knowledge, yet it is of general nature and cannot in any way substitute an individual consultation by your doctor. Your health is important to us!