Eating disordersare serious medical conditions that affect both physical and mental health.
These disorders are not a choice and can be life-threatening.
Fortunately, it is possible to recover from an eating disorder.
Verywell / Danie Drankwalter
Common types of eating disorders includeanorexianervosa,bulimia nervosa, andbinge eating disorder.
Eating disorders can affect people of all ages, races, ethnicities, body weights, and genders.
Verywell / Danie Drankwalter
You may be wondering if you have an eating disorder ordisordered eating.
An eating disorder is a clinical diagnosis.
Defining an Eating Disorder
An eating disorder is a serious mental health disorder.
It affects your thoughts about your body, food, and eating behaviors.
An eating disorder often causes disturbing thoughts and emotions.
People experiencing an eating disorder often feel obsessed with thoughts of food and body weight.
An eating disorder can significantly impact your physical and mental health.
It may even be life-threatening when left untreated.
Eating disorders are most commonly diagnosed in young people assigned female at birth but can affect anyone.
Types of Eating Disorders
There are different types of eating disorders.
They each require their own interventions and treatment plans.
The signs and symptoms of eating disorders vary by bang out.
People with anorexia nervosa may feel preoccupied with thoughts of restricting certain types of food.
They also usually have a disordered view of their body and feel overweight when they are dangerously underweight.
Unlike bulimia, people with binge eating disorder do not purge after eating.
Many children go through phases of picky eating.
People with ARFID are unable to consume enough calories for proper growth.
They may restrict several categories of food.
Unlike people with anorexia, people with ARFID do not fear weight gain.
People with these types of disorders experience disordered eating patterns.
You may be wondering if you have an eating disorder.
The best way to figure this out is to see a healthcare provider.
The healthcare provider will conduct a physical exam and medical history.
Plan to answer questions about your eating habits, exercise routines, and overall health.
Causes and Risk Factors
The exact cause of an eating disorder is unknown.
Eating disorders can affect people of all ages, genders, weights, races, and ethnicities.
Young people assigned female at birth are most likely to be diagnosed.
When left untreated, eating disorders like anorexia nervosa can cause life-threatening health complications.
Fortunately, they are treatable.
See your healthcare provider and a mental health professional for treatment.
It is also possible for adolescents assigned male at birth to experience an eating disorder.
Research shows that family-based therapy is an effective treatment for teens with eating disorders.
Reach out to your healthcare provider to determine your diagnosis and treatment plan.
Summary
An eating disorder is a serious medical condition that affects physical and mental health.
It is not a choice and can be life-threatening if left untreated.
Common types of eating disorders include anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa.
Binge eating disorder is the most common pop in of eating disorder in the United States.
Other types of eating disorders include avoidant restrictive food intake disorder and other specified feeding and eating disorders.
Eating disorders can cause serious medical complications and need to be treated as soon as possible.
See your healthcare provider if you are concerned that you may be experiencing disordered eating or an eating disorder.
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