Eating Disorders – Myths and Facts
A common misconception about eating disorders is that they are only a problem for those that are insecure or overly concerned with their body image. It turns out that those concerns are merely ways to physically manifest a severe inner struggle and a symptom of underlying issues.
Eating disorders are a serious mental illness. They do not discriminate against age, race, or gender and affects people with all different body types/sizes. Eating disorders can be deadly but can be treated and requires the dedicated efforts of a team of professionals (i.e.: therapists, registered dietitians, psychiatrists, internists).
The spectrum of eating disorders includes anorexia nervosa (restricting type and binge/purge type), bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) and other specified feeding and eating disorders (OSFED).
Facts to know:
- 25 million Americans struggle with an eating disorder.
- 35% - 40% of dieters will develop an eating disorder. This is based on the following:
- If an individual has a family history of an eating disorder or substance use disorder, and never embarks on a weight loss diet, they then have a protection factor.
- If an individual has a family history of an eating disorder or substance use disorder, and embarks on a weight loss diet, this activates the reward pathway, like drug and alcohol addiction.
- A reward pathway, or reward system, refers to a group of brain structures that are activated by rewarding stimuli.
- The most crucial reward pathway in the brain is known as the mesolimbic dopamine system. Though there are other existing reward pathways, the dopamine reward system is a key detector of rewarding stimuli.
- In this way, eating disorders may be classified as an addiction.
- In turn, at least 60% of individuals diagnosed with eating disorders also abuse alcohol and other illicit drugs.
- 7 million of those struggling with eating disorders are males. Male eating disorders often go undiagnosed.
- LGBTQ individuals are more likely to experience eating disorders and their symptoms at a higher rate than their straight and cisgender peers.
- Eating disorders frequently co-exist with other psychiatric disorders such as depression, substance abuse, OCD, PTSD, ADHD, or anxiety disorders.
- Eating disorders are increasing among diverse ethnic and sociocultural communities, despite the erroneous beliefs that this only affects affluent, Caucasian teens.
- More women struggle with eating disorders than with breast cancer.
- Eating disorders have the second highest mortality rate of all mental health disorders, surpassed only by opioid addiction.
A multidisciplinary approach to eating disorders treatment is the standard of practice in the industry. It’s of paramount importance that you act early when you or your loved one shows signs of an eating disorder. Early intervention is key to successful treatment.
