“Everybody knows somebody.” “Be comfortable in your genes.” “I had no idea.” “3 minutes can save a life.” And most importantly, “It’s time to talk about it”.
These have all been slogans intended to raise eating disorder awareness over the years. The latter of these is the theme of this year’s National Eating Disorder Awareness Week. This week of body positivity, awareness, education, and support is an annual tradition of the National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA) and it is taking place February 26th through March 4th. The events of this week aim to help individuals, families, and communities who may be struggling with disordered eating and body image.
Did you know that 10 million men and 20 million women are likely to suffer from eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder or a specified or unspecified eating disorder in their lifetime? Or that Anorexia has the highest mortality rate of all mental illnesses?
Eating disorders are a class of diagnoses that describe unhealthy relationships with food, weight, and body image. These illnesses can have a negative impact on one’s physical health, their social relationships and their emotional well-being. Sometimes people with eating disorders, or those who show symptoms of disordered eating, may also struggle with depression, shame, guilt, or anxiety. Eating disorders, or difficulty with food and weight, impact individuals across all ages, races, genders, and socioeconomic statuses.
Eating disorders can develop as a result of biological, environment (e.g. seeing others exhibiting an unhealthy relationship with food, or dieting often) or emotional factors (e.g. having a people-pleasing temperament). If you are concerned about yourself or a loved one, you may benefit from reviewing the symptoms of common eating disorders and the warning signs written by NEDA provided below.
Symptoms
Warning Signs
In general, behaviors and attitudes indicating that weight loss, dieting, and control of food are becoming primary concerns.
Symptoms
Warning Signs
In general, behaviors and attitudes indicating that weight loss, dieting, and control of food are becoming primary concerns.
Symptoms
Binge eating occurs, on average, at least once a week for 3 months. Binge eating is not associated with the recurrent use of inappropriate compensatory behaviors (e.g. purging) as in bulimia nervosa and does not occur exclusively during the course of bulimia nervosa or anorexia nervosa
Warning Signs
Treatment for eating disorders may involve medical stabilization, nutritional counseling, or therapeutic intervention that addresses the relationship between the underlying thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that maintain the illness.
To help raise awareness, prevent eating disorders, and assist those struggling, here are some things you can do!
Eating disorders are serious mental illnesses but help and healing are available! While Fairmount Behavioral Health System does not have a specific treatment program for eating disorders, our facility offers clinicians trained in therapeutic, evidenced-based interventions for eating disorders. We have resources to provide treatment to those struggling with food and weight and associated conditions, as well as a desire and ability to help individuals find appropriate resources for recovery.
Erin Hopkins, M.A.
References
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Washington, D.C: Author.
National Eating Disorder Association (2016) Learn. Retrieved from http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/learn
If a psychiatric disorder or chemical dependency affects you or a loved one, please call 215-487-4100. We are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to perform no-cost assessments and answer questions on programs and admissions.