Eating disorders are more common than most people think. In fact, at least 9% of the world population is facing it now; this figure doesn't account for those that have fought through an ED. The 3 most common EDs are anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and the binge-eating disorder.
People with anorexia nervosa have the tendency to view themselves as overweight, even if they aren't. Most people with anorexia nervosa tend to be in the healthy weight range and has had success in losing weight. Common symptoms of anorexia nervosa are being underweight when compared to one's peers, employing restrictive eating patterns because of the distorted view towards their own body, fear of gaining weight, denial of being underweight/in a healthy weight range, and the relentless effort to stay thin. Having anorexia nervosa can lead to brittle hair/nails, loss of bone density(in more serious cases, can lead to osteoporosis due to the lack of dietary calcium), uncontrolled hair growth around the body, and in serious cases, organ failure and death.
People with bulimia nervosa have the tendency to unconsciously binge huge amounts of food and then vomiting/fasting to compensate for the calories they binged. On the contrary to beliefs, most people with bulimia nervosa are in the healthy/overweight range while some are rarely obese, because of the outrageous strategies used for compensation. Some of the most common strategies are vomiting, going on prolonged periods of fasting/starvation, over exercising, using laxatives or diuretics or hurt themselves if they binge. Common symptoms of bulimia nervosa are reoccurring binges followed by unorthodox compensations, fear of gaining weight, and the relentless effort to stay thin. Having bulimia nervosa can lead to hormonal disturbances, frequent gut irritation, dehydration, loss of electrolytes, and in serious cases, a stroke.
People with the binge-eating disorder have the tendency to binge eat, but doesn't employ unorthodox purging methods to compensate. Despite popular beliefs, most people with this ED are usually overweight. Common symptoms of the binge-eating disorder are having uncontrolled urges of stuffing oneself with food, distress/shame/guilt when thinking about the binge, being overly influenced by one's body image, and the denial of having the ED. Having the binge-eating disorder can lead to obesity and in serious conditions, one can experience heart diseases, type 2 diabetes, and a plethora of health complications.
What can you do if you are seeing these symptoms within yourself?
No matter what type of eating disorder you are currently experiencing, the most important step is mental transparency. It takes a lot to truthfully acknowledge the situation that you are currently facing because sometimes the truth can be overwhelming. Once you are able to transparent to yourself, a lot of psychological stress will be taken off your shoulders and you would start to feel a lot better. Change can come afterwards but acknowledgement comes first.
With anorexia nervosa, the advice that I am currently using is to find an app that calculates your basal metabolic rate and the maximum calorie consumption you can take in a day. Here are 2 calculators I have used that works: Calculator.net and MayoClinic. Once I have the calorie calculations, I use MyFitnessPal to track all the calories I consume and make sure that I stay within a ±100 calorie from the target.
With bulimia nervosa, the advice that I think would work best is to stick with the 3 meal-a-day plan. Include light snacks(a glass of milk, a protein bar or an apple) in between meals to satisfy your cravings. I would also advise to buy less snacks and substitute for healthier versions (healthy nuts or fruits), so that if you are craving, you don't end up binging something that is unhealthy(although not binging is the best).
With the binge-eating disorder, the advice given is quite similar. What worked for me was that I removed all the chips and candy that I had stored, and changed them for a healthier alternative, nuts. My hatred for nuts most probably resulted from this. Also, eat more vegetables and protein in each of your meals, as they contribute to your satiety, and the more satiated you feel, the less you would crave.
Another very important piece of advice is to be patient, anything that takes a quick time to change is temporary. Once you fall into a healthy habit, these problems will be resolved and the EDs will be a memory to showcase your will and determination. It will be hard and its okay to have rest days, as they help with your psychological state, but do not fall into the habit of having multiple repeated rest days.
Disclaimer: By no means am I an accredited dietitian/nutritionist/therapist that can give you the best information. I am giving you the best advice that I can find or from the bottom of my heart because personally, I have experienced both the binge-eating disorder(from a young age) and currently facing anorexia nervosa(although I have been improving). I would still recommend going to visit your family medicine doctor to have tests taken if your symptoms are more severe.
Information is taken from HealthLine
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