Eating disorders are serious conditions related to abnormal eating behaviours that negatively impact your health, both physical as well as psychological and will interfere in all areas of your life.

 

The causes for eating disorders are multi-factorial. These include: genetic factors running in families, perinatal factors like pregnancy and birth stress or complications, personality factors like increased rigidity and perfectionism, increase sensitivity to criticism and poor stress regulation and social and media influence.

 

The most common eating disorders are Anorexia Nervosa (AN), Bulimia Nervosa (BN) and Binge Eating Disorder (BED).  Disorder eating that doesn’t meet all criteria for one of the diagnosis will be classified as atypical eating disorders or EDNOS (Eating disorders not otherwise specified). Half of people will have this diagnosis and it is in general less serious illness but that still deserving of management and treatment.

 

Most people with an eating disorders focus too much on weight, body shape and food, leading to disturbed eating behaviours. These behaviours will impact the mind as well as the body's nutrition, harming the heart, digestive system, bones, as well as teeth and mouth, and lead to other diseases. The mental and physical consequences of starvation, purging and binging will require close monitoring, the later frequently with regular blood investigations, ECG (heart tracings) and bone scans (DEXA scan).  

 

Eating disorders frequently develop in adolescence or early adulthood, although they can develop at other ages. Frequently life events or stress will triggers the onset of illness. Dysfunctional coping mechanisms maintain the illness and are the target of treatment.  

 

These illnesses frequently become chronic if not treated promptly. Early intervention and treatment is crucial for full recovery to be possible and should take place in the first 3 years of onset of symptoms, ideally in the first year. 

 

With treatment, you can return to healthier eating habits and sometimes reverse serious complications caused by the eating disorder.