Early Signs of Eating Disorder Revealed; Here are 5 Eating Disorders One Should Know of

A new study, published in the British Journal of Psychiatry by the Royal College of Psychiatrists, revealed that people diagnosed with a disorder had higher rates of other conditions and of prescriptions in the years before their diagnosis.

While eating disorders have the highest mortality of all mental illnesses, both from physical causes and from suicide, the findings may give doctors a better chance of detecting eating disorders earlier.

According to the researchers from the Swansea University Medical School, anonymous electronic health records examination of 15,558 people in Wales with eating disorders between 1990 and 2017 found:

Higher levels of other mental disorders

Higher levels of accidents, injuries and self-harm

Higher rate of prescription for central nervous system drugs such as antipsychotics and antidepressants

Higher rate of prescriptions for gastrointestinal drugs (e.g. for constipation and upset stomach) and for dietetic supplements (e.g. multivitamins, iron)

Looking out for one or a combination of these factors can help GPs identify eating disorders early.

Here are a few eating disorders one should know of.

Anorexia Nervosa: Most well-known eating disorder, it develops during adolescence or young adulthood and tends to affect women more than men. People with anorexia generally view themselves as overweight, even if they’re extremely underweight. They avoid eating certain types of foods and severely restrict their calories.

Bulimia Nervosa: People with bulimia nervosa uncontrollably consume large amounts of food in short periods of time, then purge. They are afraid they will gain weight despite being at a normal weight.

Binge Eating Disorder: Binge eating disorder typically begins during adolescence and early adulthood, although it can also develop later on. People with this condition they typically eat unusually large amounts of food in relatively short periods of time and usually feel a lack of control during binges.

Contrary to the two previous disorders, people with binge eating disorder do not restrict calories or use purging behaviors such as vomiting or excessive exercise to compensate for their binges.

People with pica crave non-food substances such as ice, dirt, soil, chalk, soap, paper, hair, cloth, wool, pebbles, laundry detergent or cornstarch, They tend to crave and eat non-food substances. The disorder affects children, pregnant women and individuals with mental disabilities.

Rumination Disorder: Another newly discovered disorder like Pica, It describes a condition in which a person regurgitates food they have previously chewed and swallowed, re-chews it and then either re-swallows it or spits it out.