Eating Disorders

Eating is controlled by many factors, including appetite, food availability, family and age character, social norms, and attempts at voluntary control. Contemporary fashions, specialty food sales promotions, and certain activities and professions, also encourage people with normal weight and body circumference in terms of health to enter the fashion of diets. Eating disorders include serious disturbances in eating behaviors, such as an extreme and unhealthy reduction in the amount of food eaten or alternatively significant overeating, as well as a feeling of extreme distress and worry about body shape and weight. Researchers are examining how and why behaviors that are initially voluntary, such as eating smaller or larger portions than usual, get out of control at some point in some people, thus actually becoming eating disorders. Studies regarding the basic biology of appetite control and change following starvation or alternatively overeating over time have revealed enormous complexity, but in the long run they have the potential to lead to new pharmacological treatments for eating disorders. Eating disorders are not caused by failure of willpower or behavior; These are real treatable diseases in which certain losing eating patterns develop and seem to take on a life of their own. The main types of eating disorders are anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. A third type, binge eating, has been proposed but has not yet been approved as an official psychiatric diagnosis. Eating disorders often develop in adolescence or early adulthood, but there are also studies that suggest the possibility of their onset during childhood or later in adulthood. Eating disorders are often found to occur in combination with other psychiatric disorders such as depression, drug use, and anxiety disorders. Also, people with eating disorders may suffer from a wide range of physical health complications, including heart disease conditions and kidney failure that can even lead to death. Recognition of eating disorders as a real and treatable disease, therefore, is of critical importance. The female sex has a much greater tendency to suffer from eating disorders. Only 15% -5% of those suffering from anorexia or bulimia and 35% of those suffering from binge eating disorder are males.

It is estimated that between 0.5% and 3.7% of women suffer from anorexia nervosa during their lifetime.

* Resistance to maintaining or overweight body weight at normal weight by age and height * Strong fear of weight gain or obesity, despite being underweight * Concern about body weight or appearance, unreasonable effect of body weight or appearance on self-esteem, or denial of severity of underweight condition -Weight * in women - the onset of menstrual cycles Rarely or not at all suffer from this disorder consider themselves overweight even though they are extremely thin and dangerous. The eating process becomes an obsession for them: they develop unusual eating habits, such as avoiding eating at meal times, choosing a limited variety of foods and eating them in small amounts, or careful distribution and careful weighing of food portions. Anorexics repeatedly check their body weight, and many are involved in developing various techniques to reduce it, such as strenuous and compulsive exercise, or 'purification' through proactive vomiting and excessive use of laxatives, enemas and diuretics. The onset of the first menstrual cycle in anorexic girls is usually delayed. The course of anorexia and its consequences differ from one patient to another: some recover from it completely after a single episode; Some experience a certain pattern of weight gain followed by anorexic weight loss, and so on and so forth; While others undergo a long course of gradual deterioration that often lasts for many years. The death rate among anorexia patients was estimated at 0.56% per year, or 5.6% per decade. This rate is about 12 times higher than the annual death rate among women aged 15-24 from all other causes. The most common causes of death from anorexia are complications of the disease, such as cardiac arrest or electrolyte imbalance, as well as suicide.

It is estimated that the proportion of women suffering from bulimia nervosa at some point in their lives ranges from 1.1% to 4.2%. Symptoms of bulimia include: * Recurrent episodes of binge eating, characterized by eating an excessive amount of food at a given time and a feeling of lack of control over eating during binge eating * Repetitive and abnormal compensatory behavior to prevent weight gain - such as induced vomiting or use of laxatives, diuretics or enemas ( 'Purification'); Fasting; And excessive exercise * binge eating and compensatory behaviors both occur at least twice a week for an average of 3 months * Self-esteem is overly related to body weight and / or appearance because 'cleansing' or other compensatory behaviors follow binge eating, people with binge eating tend to be overweight. Average considering their age and height. However, like their anorexic counterparts, they may fear weight gain and feel deep dissatisfaction with their bodies. Absorbers thus tend to do their deeds in secret, with a sense of self-loathing and shame in their binges, and yet a sense of relief after the 'purifications'. Eating Disorder According to community surveys, it is estimated that between 5% and 2% of Americans suffer from an eating disorder in any period of 6 months. Symptoms of the disorder include: * Repeated episodes of binge eating, which are characterized by eating excessive amounts of food for a unit of time, and a feeling of lack of control during the episode. * The binge episodes are linked to at least 3 of the following factors:> Eating much faster than normal> Eating to the point of feeling uncomfortable> Eating large amounts of food without feeling hungry> Eating alone due to shame in eating mode> Self-loathing, depression, or heavy guilt after Eating> Heavy distress following binge eating> Eating binges occur on average at least two different days a week for 6 months> Eating binges are not accompanied by regular use of compensatory behaviors (i.e., 'purifications', fasting, or excessive exercise) People with this disorder often experience episodes of Uncontrolled eating, with the same binge symptoms as those with bulimia. The main difference between binge eaters and those who suffer from binge eating disorder is that binge eaters use compensatory-purifying behaviors while binge eaters do not do voluntary actions to get rid of excess calories. Thus, many binge eaters are overweight. Feelings of self-loathing or shame over the disorder may lead to a new round of binge eating, and thus a vicious circle of improper eating may form.

It is estimated that the proportion of women suffering from bulimia nervosa at some point in their lives ranges from 1.1% to 4.2%. Symptoms of bulimia include: * Recurrent episodes of binge eating, characterized by eating an excessive amount of food at a given time and a feeling of lack of control over eating during binge eating * Repetitive and abnormal compensatory behavior to prevent weight gain - such as induced vomiting or use of laxatives, diuretics or enemas ( 'Purification'); Fasting; And excessive exercise * binge eating and compensatory behaviors both occur at least twice a week for an average of 3 months * Self-esteem is overly related to body weight and / or appearance because 'cleansing' or other compensatory behaviors follow binge eating, people with binge eating tend to be overweight. Average considering their age and height. However, like their anorexic counterparts, they may fear weight gain and feel deep dissatisfaction with their bodies. Absorbers thus tend to do their deeds in secret, with a sense of self-loathing and shame in their binges, and yet a sense of relief after the 'purifications'. Eating Disorder According to community surveys, it is estimated that between 5% and 2% of Americans suffer from an eating disorder in any period of 6 months. Symptoms of the disorder include: * Repeated episodes of binge eating, which are characterized by eating excessive amounts of food for a unit of time, and a feeling of lack of control during the episode. * The binge episodes are linked to at least 3 of the following factors:> Eating much faster than normal> Eating to the point of feeling uncomfortable> Eating large amounts of food without feeling hungry> Eating alone due to shame in eating mode> Self-loathing, depression, or heavy guilt after Eating> Heavy distress following binge eating> Eating binges occur on average at least two different days a week for 6 months> Eating binges are not accompanied by regular use of compensatory behaviors (i.e., 'purifications', fasting, or excessive exercise) People with this disorder often experience episodes of Uncontrolled eating, with the same binge symptoms as those with bulimia. The main difference between binge eaters and those who suffer from binge eating disorder is that binge eaters use compensatory-purifying behaviors while binge eaters do not do voluntary actions to get rid of excess calories. Thus, many binge eaters are overweight. Feelings of self-loathing or shame over the disorder may lead to a new round of binge eating, and thus a vicious circle of improper eating may form. Therapeutic approaches Eating disorders can be treated and the normal weight restored. The earlier these disorders are diagnosed and treated, the better the chances of achieving better results. Due to their complexity, eating disorders require a serious treatment plan that combines treatment and medical supervision, psychosocial intervention, nutritional counseling and sometimes - as needed - management of medication. At the time of diagnosis, the clinician must decide and determine if the patient is at risk requiring immediate hospitalization. Treating anorexia requires a specific three-step program: (1) restoring the weight lost due to the diets and 'purifications'; (2) psychological treatment of perceptual distortions such as misguided body image, low self-esteem, and interpersonal conflicts; And (3) achieving relaxation and return to norm and then rehabilitation, in the hope of perfect recovery. Early diagnosis and treatment increase the chances of recovery. The use of psychotropic drugs for anorexics should be considered only after the weight has returned to normal. There is research evidence that certain selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) help maintain weight and solve the problems of mood swings and anxiety associated with anorexia. Intensive care for severe underweight is usually given while hospitalized, where feeding programs are tailored to the person’s medical and nutritional needs. In some cases, intravenous feeding is recommended. After correcting the malnutrition condition and regaining the missing weight, psychotherapy (cognitive-behavioral or interpersonal) may help the anorexic overcome the problem of low self-esteem and deal with the distorted thought and behavior patterns they have become accustomed to. Sometimes families are also included in this therapeutic process. The primary and primary goal of treating bulimia is to reduce or eliminate the behavior of binge eating and 'cleansing'. For this purpose, nutritional rehabilitation, psychosocial intervention, and medication management approaches are most often used. Among the focused goals of this approach are to create a pattern of orderly, non-binge meals; Improving access to food and the disruptions surrounding it; Encouraging healthy but not excessive exercise; And resolving simultaneous situations such as mood disorders or anxiety disorders. Individual psychotherapy (especially cognitive-behavioral or interpersonal), group psychotherapy in a cognitive-behavioral approach, and family or couple therapy were found to be effective. Psychotropic drugs, especially antidepressants, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), have been found to be effective for bulimia patients, especially those who have had significant symptoms of anxiety or depression, or those who have not responded positively to psychosocial therapy alone. These medications may also help prevent recurrence of the disease. The goals and means to achieve them in the context of binge eating disorder are similar to those of bulimia, and ongoing studies are underway to test and evaluate the effectiveness of the various interventions. People with eating disorders generally do not tend to acknowledge or admit that they are ill. As a result, they may resist and resist persistent treatment. Family members and friends whom the patient trusts can help by ensuring that the person with the eating disorder receives the care and rehabilitation he or she needs. Some patients will need long-term care. Findings and research directions Contemporary research contributes to advances and insights regarding the treatment of eating disorders. Researchers continue to investigate the effectiveness of psychosocial, pharmacological intervention, and the combination of therapies with the goal of improving outcomes for those suffering from these disorders. Studies on stopping the pattern of eating binge eating have shown that from the moment a structured pattern of eating takes root, the person feels less hungry, less deprived, and there is a decrease in the level of his negative emotions regarding food and eating. The two factors that increase the chance of binges - hunger and negative emotions - are reduced, which lowers the frequency of binges. The phenomenon has been studied in families and among twins, and a high heritability has been found for anorexia and bulimia. Researchers are looking for genes that predict predispositions to these disorders. It seems that some genes, and not necessarily a specific gene, combine with environmental and other factors to increase the risk of developing these diseases. Identification of such genes will enable improvements in the development of treatments for eating disorders. Other studies deal with the study of the neurobiology of emotional and social behavior associated with eating disorders, and the neurological contexts of nutritional behavior. The researchers found that both appetite and energy expenditure are regulated by an intricate network of nerve cells and relay cells, the same molecular 'messengers' called neuropeptides. This discovery and future discoveries will provide potential targets for the development of new pharmacological treatments for eating disorders. Additional insights will likely emerge from researching the role of gonadal steroids whose association with eating disorders emerges as a possibility from the clear distinction between different sexes' predispositions to these disorders, from early adulthood or slightly later, and the increased risk of eating disorders in girls after menstruation.