English 240
27 April 2020
Eating Disorders: Causes and Treatment
The requirement of research on eating disorders (EDs) is quite significant because eating disorders are significantly connected to mental health illnesses, and therefore, their symptoms and treatment must be explored and researched thoroughly. The patients who experience eating disorders demonstrate a consistent irregular pattern of their eating habits such as binge-eating or lack of food intake, which may result in illnesses such as anorexia, depression, and bulimia. For this purpose, a brief report was published to test the validity of the specifiers for the eating disorder to predict the treatment outcomes of EDs. The aforementioned research area is very much interesting yet problematic as it illustrates general eating habits of people, and in turn, it helps to determine the causes and the treatment of the same (Lydecker et al. 172). In some previous researches, network analysis on the core symptoms of the eating disorders was done to escalate its treatment procedures further. The study showed that the symptoms of eating disorders greatly depend upon the developmental stages of a person. Thus, as an individual grows up, his or her symptoms also increase with age. The following research presented a great concept of categorizing individuals based on their age groups so that their symptoms can be effectively managed. The study also explored the central symptoms of EDs and observed that the symptoms are related to cognitive functioning to a great extent (Christian et al.).
The previous research, however, failed to represent the specified causes of EDs. The previous study about network analysis of symptoms did not investigate the regimen for treating the symptoms, and neither did it explore the interconnection between the causes and symptoms of the diseases across various developmental stages. However, it demonstrated that EDs impair the cognitive functions of the brain, and hence, it may give rise to several mental health problems such as depression, binge-eating, excessive exercise, etc. (Christian et al.). One more previous study particularly targeted and scrutinized the symptoms of EDs in the adolescent males and females, but this study also possesses some gaps as it did not debate on the causes and treatments of such disorders. Though, this study has discovered that adolescents are the primary precursors of developing eating disorders, and therefore, this age group of individuals can be monitored for the most accurate results (Verschueren et al. 410).
Hence, the rationale of the following research paper is to thoroughly assess, evaluate and analyze the causes, symptoms, and the treatment of the eating disorder as it may be responsible for causing disorders such as mental health issues. The mental health issues that are directly linked to eating disorders are depression, anxiety, frustration, etc. Moreover, the emotional vulnerability of patients with eating disorders has also been found to be quite higher than the people who are not suffering from such complaints. Besides, mood swings, shame, and sadness due to conditions such as obesity, emaciation, loss of appetite, or binge eating can also result from several types of eating disorders (Korn et al. 1097). Therefore, the proposed paper aims to systematically evaluate the reasons because of which eating disorders occur. In addition, the projected paper also aims to discuss the symptoms because of which these disorders are caused in several developmental stages. This can be done by examining the cognitive functioning of such patients and doing statistical analysis of the obtained results. Subsequently, this may also help in finding management methods to resolve unreasonable eating habits.
Eating disorders manifest themselves differently depending on the society. The sociocultural contributors to EDs exist based on the availability of food within the society as well as the obsession with a given shape or size of the body. A major feature of EDs is slimness, especially observed in cultures where food is abundant. In regions where food is scarce, it is likely that the ideal body shape is round. This indicates that the ideal body shape of a culture is affected by the difficulty in achieving this ideal. Thus, cultures with a surplus of food look at slimness as the ideal body, while those with scarcity will see a rotund shape as difficult to achieve and, therefore, ideal. This sociocultural effect, however, does not encompass all cases of EDs observed in patients but presents a background that offers patients the opportunity to start doubting their eating habits and the need to conform to a given body type (Verschueren et al. 412). While the culture may value slimness, it is up to the individual to decide whether they will use this valuation to extreme pathological states, as is seen in EDs. Body dissatisfaction and the extent of such dissatisfaction, therefore, depends on the level on which the individual internalize the culture of slimness.
Whereas EDs were especially common among individuals from the highest strata in society, they are now more evenly distributed across the different income groups. The media is blamed for this increase in EDs at all levels. The promotion of a thin body physique within a highly homogenized society leads individuals to try and achieve this slimness for themselves. This distortion of reality is now common across most cultures, with television being a mainstream form of entertainment in most cultures. In their broadcasts, the media portrays celebrities and models that do not represent the normal distribution curve of body weight. Such models are both very tall and thin due to natural reasons which put them at the ends of the weight curve, or are unnaturally thin, achieving this by exerting their bodies to a large degree. However, the media portrayal of beauty and slimness is not sufficient to explain why there is a crisis of EDs since if that were the case, the many people who watch television would have developed EDs. The media, therefore, presents a background just like other sociocultural factors.
Individual elements are likely to be the main risk factors for developing EDs. While the media, peers, and society may drive an individual to EDs, psychological challenges in the person may enhance their likelihood to develop the conditions. Self-esteem, childhood abuse, and extreme body dissatisfaction may be due to the mental inability of the person to love them for who they are. This may stem from cognitive needs that make the individual want to be perfect since they are obsessed with their image and how they are perceived.
Biological factors may also be responsible for causing EDs. Neuroendocrine factors are likely to affect the production of enzymes as well as hormones involved in the regulation of food. Appetite, for example, is related to the body’s hormonal controls, which will influence how an individual responds to food around them. Further, genetics are involved in the hormonal and enzyme systems, since diseases like obesity and diabetes have a genetic predisposition. Problems with the digestive systems may also lead individuals to develop EDs.
The symptoms of eating disorders are different depending on the individual. The two main EDs, anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN), are opposites in the ED spectrum, AN for individuals pursuing slimness and BN for patients wanting a rotund shape. People with AN display symptoms of low weight, often less than the minimum for healthy individuals of their height and age. This is shown as a body mass index (BMI) of less than 18.5 for adults, and BMI less than 50% for their age group. Many of these individuals do not regard their ED as a problem and often remain with the condition for some while before contacting a medical professional.
AN patients will seek to maintain the lowest possible weight, often by regulating their energy balances. This is mostly done by controlling the amount of food they consume. Other individuals show signs of reducing intake as well as increasing energy use. This is done through purging food, chewing and spitting, exercise, exposing themselves to cold, and using medications such as diuretics, laxatives, and stimulants (Christian et al. 186). Psychologically, patients reveal symptoms of low self-esteem and the need for perfection, often resulting in the desire to control.
BN is concerned with excessive weight control behavior and increased concern over their body shape and weight. Individuals have a surging need to binge eat, where they consume a lot of food with feelings that they have lost control. Binge eating then brings the fear of excessive weight gain, and the person starts displaying compensatory behavior, including vomiting and the misuse of medicines to reduce the impact of their eating. Individuals with BN often end up gaining more weight, and any weight lost in between the binges is often regained (Lydecker et al. 173). BN patients who have lived with the disorder for a long time show symptoms of moodiness, poor relationships, and low self-esteem.
Some individuals may indicate a combination of EDs that makes it hard to distinguish the exact disorder they have. This makes it difficult to diagnose the problem since the exhibit symptoms of both AN and BN. Such patients are said to have an atypical eating disorder where certain AN or BN features may be emphasized while others are absent for a full diagnosis. Purging disorder is one of such cases where the individual constantly wants to induce vomiting after eating. Night-eating syndrome is also common and points to the same concern and fears over the shape, weight, and eating habits. Most of these individuals often go on to develop AN and BN if their condition is not diagnosed and treated early.
The diagnosis of EDs is as important as any treatment efforts made. As pointed out in the aforementioned paper, most individuals suffering from EDs fail to recognize their eating behavior as problematic until it leads to extensive psychological distress. Caregivers and individuals involved in caring for such people should ensure that they can spot such problems earlier on so as to commence treatment as soon as possible. The patient can then begin guided management of the condition at home, or they can receive n patient care for severe cases.
The choice of the treatment plan depends on the extent of the ED, as well as any co-morbidities and psychological problems. Often, individuals with EDs hardly seek help due to the lack of awareness of programs to help them, and family members and caregivers are the ones who report such issues to medical professionals. Dentists often diagnose such issues since patients with EDs may develop symptoms of erosion in the teeth. Inpatient care for such patients is often aimed at reducing the risks posed by poor nutrition and observation of the patient for a short while. This is followed by community-based patient care where the patient is offered care by trained staff. This helps the patient develop normal meal-time routines to help ease the anxiety that individuals display before and during meals.
Within inpatient care, tube feeding may be used for patients who are not able to take in nutrition through the mouth. This is especially common for young adults and children with AN, although adults may be put on nasogastric feeding if required. Caregivers within the hospital and at home require to understand the right amount of calories as well as the re-feeding rate to avoid malnutrition. Within the care setting, staff should enhance the ability of the patients to reduce the anxiety associated with meals through a non-negotiable meal-time routine. Patients also require to see psychologists and other nutritional specialists (Korn et al. 1097) to ensure that the root of the problem is dealt with and enhance reintroduction to society.
In conclusion, EDs mostly affect young adults who may experience deeper psychological issues that escalate the ED. The causes of the EDs may vary from psychological, biological, and even social factors that affect the relationship between the individual’s body and their eating habits. Although the symptoms of AN and BN are different, the underlying psychological symptoms are rather similar, and care should be offered from a nutritional and psychological perspective to enhance the quality of life for the individual after treatment.
Work Cited
Christian, Caroline, et al. “Eating disorder core symptoms and symptom pathways across developmental stages: A network analysis.” Journal of abnormal psychology (2019).
Korn, Julia, Fanny Alexandra Dietel, and Andrea Sabrina Hartmann. “An Experimental Study on the Induction of an Eating disorder-specific Interpretation Bias in Healthy Individuals: Testing the Interpretation Modification Paradigm for Eating Disorders (IMP-ED).” Cognitive Therapy and Research 43.6 (2019): 1097-1108.
Lydecker, Janet A., Valentina Ivezaj, and Carlos M. Grilo. “Testing the validity and clinical utility of the severity specifiers for binge-eating disorder for predicting treatment outcomes.” Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 88.2 (2020): 172.
Verschueren, Margaux, et al. “Eating Disorder Symptomatology in Adolescent Boys and Girls: Identifying Distinct Developmental Trajectory Classes.” Journal of Youth and Adolescence 49.2 (2020): 410-426.