Sovereign Health presents EATING DISORDERS: EFFECTS AND POTENTIAL ORIGINS
20 MILLION WOMEN. 10 MILLION MEN. According to the National Eating Disorders Alliance (NEDA), that s the population of American men and women who will deal with a clinically significant eating disorder at some point in their lives.
These disorders include anorexia, where patients starve themselves; bulimia, where patients subject themselves to periods of bingeing on food and then purging it; and binge eating disorder, where patients consume vast amounts of food very quickly. All of them have terrible effects on health.
ANOREXIA NERVOSA S EFFECTS Dry hair and skin, along with hair loss Fainting and weakness Osteoporosis A slow heart rate and low blood pressure both are risk factors for heart failure Kidney failure due to dehydration NEDA reports anorexia is the deadliest psychiatric disorder.
BULIMIA NERVOSA S EFFECTS Repeated, deliberate vomiting can damage the teeth, gums and mouth due to stomach acid exposure Vomiting can cause dehydration as well as the loss of salts and minerals like potassium and sodium. In serious cases, this can lead to heart and kidney failure, which are fatal Bingeing can cause gastric ruptures Abusing laxatives damages the digestive system
BINGE EATING S EFFECTS Obesity High blood pressure and cholesterol levels Diseases including cardiovascular disease, gallbladder disease and type 2 diabetes
WHY? A good question without a good answer. The fact is, we re not sure what causes eating disorders. However, researchers from NEDA, Mayo Clinic and other organizations think a combination of factors may contribute to eating disorders.
BINGE EATING S GENETICSEFFECTS According to Mayo Clinic, people who have first-degree relatives (parents and siblings) with eating disorders may be more likely to have eating disorders themselves.
BINGE MENTAL EATING S HEALTH EFFECTS The American Psychological Association (APA) reports certain personality and psychological traits are linked to eating disorders. Anorexia is associated with perfectionism, for example. Additionally, the APA warns trauma such as abuse and rape can trigger eating disorders.
BINGE SOCIAL EATING S PRESSURES EFFECTS NEDA warns social pressures which glorify thinness or muscular bodies as the ideal shape can make some people feel less valued.
Underneath the eating disorder is depression, anxiety, self-hatred, these feelings of post-traumatic stress... unless we can get to those feelings that are underneath the eating disorder, even if we get patients eating right, they re not going to get better. We need to get to the bottom of those feelings. JANET WHITNEY, MFT Eating Disorder Program Consultant, Sovereign Health
Sovereign Health s mission is to provide a broad spectrum of high-quality behavioral health treatment services for adults and adolescents, including support services for family members. One factor that differentiates Sovereign from other treatment providers has been the company s ability to offer separate mental health and addiction or dual diagnosis treatment programs at its facilities. For more information, visit www.sovhealth.com.
American Psychological Association Mayo Clinic National Eating Disorders Association National Institutes of Health BINGE EATING S SOURCESEFFECTS
BINGE AUTHOR EATING S / DESIGNER EFFECTS Brian Moore is a writer and designer for Sovereign Health. A 20-year veteran of the newspaper industry, he writes articles and creates graphics across Sovereign s portfolio of marketing and content products. Brian enjoys music, bicycling and playing the tuba, which he s done with varying degrees of success for over 25 years. For more information and other inquiries about this media, contact the author and designer at news@sovhealth.com.