Eating Disorders

What is an eating disorder?

Eating disorders are types of mental health disorders where you are very concerned about your weight and shape, and follow unhealthy eating behaviours, like eating too much or too little.

Most people base their self-worth on many different things, such as their relationships, jobs, school work, creativity and so on. With an eating disorder, however, you base your self-worth mostly or entirely in terms of your shape and weight, and how well you are able to manage these. This leads you to constantly think about or change the ways you eat, exercise and control your shape and weight. If these thoughts and behaviours impact your daily life and relationships, you might need support.

Any person of any age, gender or background can develop an eating disorder, but teenagers and young women are more often affected.

It is important to know that, with the right treatment and support, you can recover from an eating disorder.

What are the signs of an eating disorder?

Some common symptoms of eating disorders include:

• following strict rules around food, like counting calories, limiting how much you eat, or avoiding certain foods  
• avoiding social situations which involve food or meals
• making yourself vomit or using laxatives after you eat
• binge eating
• exercising very often or with strict routines
• spending a lot of time checking and worrying about your shape and weight
• feeling very unhappy with your body or seeing it differently to others
• stopping your usual social activities and hobbies
• being upset by any comments about exercise, food, or body shape and weight

 There are also physical symptoms of eating disorders, which include:

• losing or putting on a lot of weight
• having digestion problems
• feeling very tired, dizzy or cold
• noticing changes to or loss of your period
• getting swollen cheeks or damage to your teeth from vomiting.

If you have an eating disorder, you can go through any mix of these symptoms. You may also have some of these symptoms without having an eating disorder.

It can sometimes be difficult for you or your family and friends to recognise if you have an eating disorder. This is because a person with an eating disorder might be a healthy weight, not only underweight or overweight. They can feel shame or guilt and do a huge amount to hide how they think and act. They also may not realise they have a problem, or might not want to change their behaviour because it feels important to them at the time.

If you, your friends or family are in any way unsure or worried about your relationship with food or your eating behaviours, it is a good idea to talk to your doctor for advice and support.

What causes eating disorders?

There is no single cause for eating disorders. However, you might be more likely to develop an eating disorder if you:

• have a family history of eating disorders, depression or addiction
• have a personal or family history of obesity
• were teased or bullied, especially about your weight and shape
• went through physical or sexual abuse
• have low self-esteem or anxiety
• have a competitive, obsessive or perfectionist personality
• avoid conflict or find it difficult to express your emotions.

How are eating disorders treated?

You can recover from an eating disorder with the right support.

Eating disorders have both mental and physical health effects. If you have an eating disorder, it is important to know that the sooner you get help, the better the chance you have of making a full recovery.

Recognising or accepting you have an eating disorder can be a big step. It might feel overwhelming for you and your family to know what to do at first. You might find it helpful to see a medical professional, especially someone who specialises in eating disorders; they will be able to assess you, check how serious your symptoms are and recommend the best treatment options with you and your family.

Types of treatment

The most suitable treatment for you is based on what physical and psychological symptoms you have and how severe these are, along with other factors like your age, your support networks, and the underlying causes of your eating behaviours.

You may need to see a few different professionals to help you with the range of your symptoms. The main focuses of treatment for eating disorders are:

• improving your nutrition
• restoring and maintaining your physical health
• recovering and managing your mental health.

Your treatment can take place in different settings, depending on your needs: you might be treated as an inpatient in a medical or psychiatric hospital; take part in day patient and outpatient programmes; or attend self-help programmes or support groups.

Treatment and recovery take different lengths of time for everyone. Your treatment might be effective in a short space of time, or you might find that your eating disorder is a longer-term difficulty that needs more recovery time.