An is a complex compulsion to eat, or not eat, in a way which disturbs physical and mental health. The eating may be excessive (compulsive over-eating); too limited (restricting); may include normal eating punctuated with episodes of purging; may include cycles of binging and purging; or may encompass the ingesting of non-foods. The most heard about eating disorders are
Anorexia Nervosa and
Bulimia Nervosa . The most widely and rapidly spreading eating disorder is compulsive overeating or
Binge Eating Disorder . These are also the three most common eating disorders. All three have severe consequences to a person's immediate and long-term health and can cause
Death . There are numerous theories as to the causes and mechanisms leading to eating disorders.
Eating disorders are characterized by an abnormal obsession with food and weight. Eating disorders are much more noticed in women than in men. This can be attributed to the fact that society is seen to put an emphasis on women to be thin, and men to be 'bulked up'. This can lead to pressure on women to be 'picture perfect', and an eating disorder prevails as a result of stress of not being able to reach unattainable goals related to this 'picture perfect' ideal. Also, it can be due to the fact that men are less likely to seek help.
Patients with eating disorders may also have a and
Substance Abuse disorders.
Sexual Abuse is also frequently reported among those with eating disorders. Women with eating disorders show poorer eating
Self-efficacy ,
Psychological Distress ,
Disinhibition , low
Self-esteem , less helpful
Coping Strategies , more frequent sensations of
Hunger , and less cognitive restraint when compared to
Control Groups .
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Some psychologists also classify a syndrome called
Orthorexia as an eating disorder, or, more properly, "disordered eating" - the person is overly obsessed with the consumption of what they see as the 'right' foods for them, to the point that their nutrition and quality of life suffers (although due to cultural and political factors which influence food choices, this idea is considered controversial by some). In addition, some individuals have food
Phobia s about what they can and cannot eat, which can be characterized as an eating disorder. The
UK broadcaster
BBC Three have shown a series called
Freaky Eaters that deals with such topics.
Somewhat qualitatively different from those conditions previously mentioned is
Pica , or the habitual ingestion of inedibles, such as dirt, wood, hair, etc.
The
American Psychiatric Association recognizes eating disorders.
Environmental factors have a large influence on developing eating disorders but more research is being performed on hormonal imbalances, brain lesions and their effects on , such as
Serotonin ,
Dopamine , and
Norepinephrine , are released as you eat Kalat, James W. (2004). Biological Psychology (8th ed.). Houston: New Leaf Publishing Services.
Researchers have also found low . Leptin is released by fat cells and is known to decrease eating. Research found the majority of people who overate produced normal amounts of leptin but they might have complications with the
Blood-brain Barrier preventing an optimal amount to reach the brain Kalat, James W. (2004). Biological Psychology (8th ed.). Houston: New Leaf Publishing Services, p. 316.
Cortisol is a hormone released by the
Adrenal Cortex which promotes blood sugar and increases metabolism Kalat, James W. (2004). Biological Psychology (8th ed.). Houston: New Leaf Publishing Services, p. 366. High levels of cortisol were found in people with eating disorders. This imbalance may be caused by a problem in or around the hypothalamus Long, Phillip W. (1993). Eating Disorders. Retrieved March 3, 2006, from the National Institute of Mental Health website: http://www.mentalhealth.com/book/p45-eat1.html. A study in London at Maudsley Hospital found that anorexics were found to have a large variation of serotonin receptors and a high level of serotonin Yager, Joel & Anderson, Arnold E. (2005). Anorexia Nervosa. The New England Journal of Medicine, 353 (14), 1481-1488, Retrieved March 3, 2006, from Ovid web: http://mutex.gmu.edu:2076/gw1/ovidweb.cgi
Many of these chemicals and hormones are associated with the
Hypothalamus in the brain Uher, R., & Treasure, J. (2005). Brain Lesions and Eating Disorders. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, & Psychiatry, 76 (6). June 2005, pp 852-857..Damage to the hypothalamus can result in abnormalities in temperature regulation, eating, drinking, sexual behavior, fighting, and activity level Kalat, James W. (2004). Biological Psychology (8th ed.). Houston: New Leaf Publishing Services, p. 90. Uher & Treasure (2005) performed a study researching brain lesions effects on eating disorders. They evaluated 54 formally published cases of eating disorders and brain damage. They found many correlations between eating disorders and damage to the hypothalamus. People with brain lesions in the hypothalamus had abnormal eating behaviors; unprovoked and self induced vomiting, over concern with becoming fat, cheating with eating, frequent sleepiness, depression, obsessive compulsive behavior and diabetes insipidus Uher, R., & Treasure, J. (2005). Brain Lesions and Eating Disorders. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, & Psychiatry, 76 (6). June 2005, pp 852-857.
The same personality factors that place individuals at risk for substance abuse are often found in individuals with eating disorders. With addiction and eating disorders there is a need to discharge affective experience through action rather than feeling or being able to talk about them, an inability to regulate tension, the need for immediate gratification, poor impulsive control, and a fragile sense of self. Often in those with eating disorders and substance abuse problems drugs or alcohol is used in attempts to avoid binge eating. Similarly, those with eating disorders may deny their problem or attempt to keep it a secret, much like addicts try to conceal their drug and alcohol usage. Similar to genetic components of addiction, there is a large genetic component to body type.
Research from a
Family Systems Perspective indicates that eating disorders stem from both the adolescent's difficulty in separating from over-controlling parents, and disturbed patterns of communication. When parents are critical and unaffectionate, their children are more prone to becoming self-destructive and self-critical, and have difficulty developing the skills to engage in self-care giving behaviors. Such developmental failures in early relationships with others, particularly maternal empathy, impairs the development of an internal sense of self and leads to an over-dependence on the environment. When coping strategies have not been developed in the family system, food and drugs serve as a substitute.
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- 3: An excellent current article on the consequences of eating disorders, the costs to families and institutions.
