Eating Disorders

Eating Disorders

Eating disorders such as Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa affect millions of Americans, male and female, with devastating results. Eating disorders affect people of all ages, but most commonly start during adolescence.

In the United States, as many as 10 in 100 young women suffer from an eating disorder. Overeating related to tension, poor nutritional habits and food fads are relatively common eating problems for youngsters. In addition, two psychiatric eating disorders, anorexia nervosa and bulimia, are on the increase among teenage girls and young women and often run in families. These two eating disorders also occur in boys, but less often.

Eating disorders are of great concern for the following reasons:

  • They can cause a variety of serious medical complications and, if left untreated, can even be fatal.

  • They often impair a person’s ability to function at school and/or at work.

  • They can affect and damage social and family relationships.

  • They have a profound impact on mental health and quality of life.

  • People who suffer from these illnesses can experience poor self-esteem and problems such as anxiety and/or depression.

What are the types of eating disorders?

Eating disorders are characterized by a preoccupation with food and a distortion of body image.

Anorexia Nervosa

A teenager with anorexia nervosa is typically a perfectionist and a high achiever in school. At the same time, she suffers from low self-esteem, irrationally believing she is fat regardless of how thin she becomes. Desperately needing a feeling of mastery over her life, the teenager with anorexia nervosa experiences a sense of control only when she says "no" to the normal food demands of her body. In a relentless pursuit to be thin, the girl starves herself. This often reaches the point of serious damage to the body, and in a small number of cases may lead to death.

Bulimia Nervosa

The symptoms of bulimia are usually different from those of anorexia nervosa. The patient binges on huge quantities of high-caloric food and/or purges her body of dreaded calories by self-induced vomiting and often by using laxatives. These binges may alternate with severe diets, resulting in dramatic weight fluctuations. Teenagers may try to hide the signs of throwing up by running water while spending long periods of time in the bathroom. The purging of bulimia presents a serious threat to the patient's physical health, including dehydration, hormonal imbalance, the depletion of important minerals, and damage to vital organs.

Binge Eating Disorder

Binge eating can also occur on its own without the purging of bulimia and can lead to eventual purging.  Children with binge eating disorder also require treatment from a mental health professional.

Treatment

Because eating disorders are complex and typically involve psychological, family, social, nutritional and medical issues, effective treatment must address all of these issues. The best treatment comes from a multi-disciplinary approach where medical health professionals, mental health professionals and nutritionists are all working together. With comprehensive treatment that includes some form of psychotherapy, careful attention to medical and nutritional needs, and, in some cases, psychopharmacology, most teenagers can be relieved of the symptoms or helped to control eating disorders.

Many adolescents with eating disorders also suffer from other problems including depression, anxiety, and substance abuse. It is important to recognize and get appropriate treatment for these problems as well.

Research shows that early identification and treatment leads to more favorable outcomes. Parents who notice symptoms of anorexia or bulimia in their teenagers should ask their family physician, pediatrician or adolescent medicine specialist for a referral to reputable mental health professionals, such as psychiatrists, clinical psychologists and clinical social workers, who are trained in working with teens with eating disorders.

 

For more information on eating disorders, go the General Information webpage of the NEDA (National Eating Disorders Association) website.

 

Resources:

If you live in New Jersey you can contact the Eating Disorders Program at Goryeb Children’s Center at 908-522-5757 for information or to schedule an appointment. The Eating Disorders Program works with children and teens, ages 8-21.

Outside of New Jersey, you can contact the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) Helpline at 800-931-2237 if you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder. You can also go to the NEDA website to find treatment referrals, support groups and more.