Eating disorders involve irregular eating habits and disturbing thoughts and emotions. People with eating disorders have severe distress or concern about body weight or shape. There are three main types of eating disorders: anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder.
People suffering from anorexia nervosa will have an obsessive fear of gaining weight and limit their food quantity even when they are underweight.
Patients with bulimia nervosa binge eat frequently followed by behaviours that compensate for the overeating, such as forced vomiting, excessive exercise among others. People who suffer from binge eating disorder will lose control over his or her eating. They may be obese and at an increased risk of developing conditions, such as cardiovascular diseases.
Eating disorders can be caused due to a number of factors. It can be biological factors like irregular hormone functions, nutritional deficiencies, and so on. Negative body image and poor self-esteem can also lead to these kinds of disorders.
It is important to include general medical care, nutritional management, and nutritional counselling in the treatment of these disorders. These measures begin to rebuild healthy eating practices.