The Missouri Eating Disorders Association states, “an estimated 575,000 Missourians suffer from a serious eating disorder.”
This is National Eating Disorders Awareness Week. Some people may see eating disorders as phases, fads or lifestyle choices, but they’re actually serious mental disorders which are recognized by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
Eating disorders affect people physically, psychologically and socially and can have life-threatening consequences. Eating disorders may be caused by several factors, including genetics, brain biology, personality traits and cultural ideals. There are different types of eating disorders. The National Eating Disorders Association lists the most common:
*Anorexia, which is characterized by weight loss and distorted body image
*Bulimia, which is distinguished by a cycle of binge eating and behaviors, such as self-induced vomiting designed to undo or compensate for the effects of binge eating and
*Binge eating disorder, which is the most common eating disorder in the United States and characterized by recurrent episodes of eating large quantities of food and a feeling of a loss of control during the binge.
There are also categories of eating disorders, such as Pica, which involves eating items that are not typically thought of as food and Other Specialized Feeding or Eating Disorder, which was developed to encompass individuals who do not meet strict criteria for anorexia or bulimia but still have a significant eating disorder.
Resources:
Eating Attitudes Test: https://psychology-tools.com/eat-26
National Eating Disorders Association Helpline: 1-800-931-2237
http://moeatingdisorders.org/
https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/get-involved/nedawareness
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/common-eating-disorders#section2
