Purging Disorder and Other Little-Known Eating Disorders –

Changes in eating behavior, excessive concern with the body, Eating Disorders (EDs) are emotional conditions in which the person has a change in their relationship with food and the way they see themselves.

It is estimated that the approximate worldwide prevalence of EDs is around 1% of the population, and the main affected group is composed of young women. Due to the high impact that these conditions have on the lives of those who suffer from a relationship with food, this type of behavior cannot be neglected.

Then the psychiatrist Maria Francisca Mauro, specializing in the area of ​​Eating Disorders and Obesity, lists the 11 main Eating Disorders so you can learn to identify them and know when it’s time to seek help from an expert. Check out:

1

ANOREXIA NERVOSA

Within the psychiatric conditions, anorexia is the one with the highest lethality, since it is characterized by weight loss that can lead to death.

It mostly happens in young girls, between the ages of 13 and 15, but it can also occur later in life. Also, data has been reported so that greater attention is paid to the LGBT public, which can be considered a population with greater vulnerability, due to the concern regarding physical standards, cult of the body and excellent physical shape.

It is characterized by a thought that you need to lose weight, as food becomes a threat. Throughout the evolution of the disease, not eating is the main objective of life. In this path of illness, some may initially assess that the person is extremely “focused”, managing to follow a “diet” and this is strongly encouraged by family members and the social environment.

For the most part, people suffering from anorexia nervosa do not realize the problem and those around them need to be able to drive them to specialist help.

It is important for society to learn not to encourage diets and the culture of a body pattern, or even associate the value of being thin. Families need to be aware when young people change their food choices, increasingly restricting them, or assuming a rigidity that prevents them from having interests other than food, body and exercise to lose “what they ate”.

two

BULIMIA

Bulimia is not just what is so widespread about people who vomit after eating. In reality, bulimic conditions, being more subtle, can take years before the person seeks help.

It is characterized by solitary attacks on food, followed by intense suffering and, in order to minimize what they have lost control of eating, they do something. Within these compensatory or purgative behaviors, food attacks can include vomiting, the use of diuretics or laxatives, fasting and even exercise.

It is worth mentioning that the person suffers for years judging himself by his appearance and always thinking that he has no value for not being able to be thin enough. For the most part, they open up about their bulimia and seek help in the second or third decade of life after years of silent suffering. Many of these people are victims of the miraculous slimming industry, with a history of various treatments done impulsively, using radical methods, spa fans and a high rate of accordion effect.

3

BINGE EAT DISORDER

Unlike bulimia, people who suffer from this disorder do not engage in any compensatory behavior after binge eating. Most seek weight loss treatments, they weigh more than people with bulimia, and their discomfort with their bodies is not as intense.

4

PURGATIVE DISORDER

It is characterized by changes in behavior related to “compensating” for what was ingested. In it, there is a constant search for trying to eliminate what you couldn’t restrict when eating. In this context, the person may use medication to lose weight, have episodes of vomiting, starve to compensate, exercise excessively or in some obsessive way that impairs their routine and causes suffering.

5

NIGHT EATING SYNDROME

In this food frame, the person ingests around 75% of their caloric intake at night. There is a report that throughout the day he is not hungry, but when a certain time of night arrives, there is a constant need to eat, in an exaggerated way.

There are no episodes of binge eating. It is found within the emotional symptoms associated with depression, poor quality of sleep and a difficulty in regularizing your meals throughout the day.

Other eating conditions that are not yet considered diagnostic:

1

ADDITION BY FOOD

Some people call themselves “food addicts”, as if they had a “blind” search for certain foods, without limits, and that they could not live without a certain type of food. They claim that they cannot control themselves through some food groups, when they do not have access to them they get irritated or even feel emotionally bad.

Clinically and scientifically, addiction to food is still being better investigated so that it can be defined whether it is not a consequence of a behavior secondary to another food diagnosis, or even another psychiatric condition, such as depression.

two

ORTOREXIA

Orthorexia is a Greek term that refers to “correct eating”. In this food frame, the person may focus too much on just eating certain foods that he believes are healthy.

However, this rigidity can determine a true obsession with eating that way and within that belief. It is still a term that has controversy within the academic environment, however it is increasingly used to configure this type of eating behavior.

3

Pinch

Consists of distracted eating of small portions outside of planned meals or snacks, with or without eating disorder.

This interest is due to the increase in bariatric surgeries around the world and the impact that this type of eating can have on post-surgical weight gain. Some studies have shown that in addition to weight gain, this behavior can also be a marker of “some more” emotional distress, such as depression or anxiety.

4

VIGOREXIA

It refers to an obstinate behavior in pursuit of an athletic body, in which it becomes an obsession and limits other interests in that person’s life.

It is used more to frame people who, in addition to the health benefits of exercise, start to do it obsessively, especially weight training and the use of “associated medications”, in search of what they believe to be the perfect body. In many cases, they even put their health at risk in order to obtain results that they believe will make them happier.

5

DRUNKOREXIA

Term used to characterize a restrictive eating behavior, in which the person restricts what they are going to eat in order to use their allowed calories for alcohol consumption. Consequently, they are exposed to greater risks, such as drunkenness and harmful use of alcohol.

Very common behavior among young people with anorexia or bulimia, in which they start not eating in order to drink. It does not constitute an isolated diagnosis, but it can be an aggravating factor within other risk behaviors of these eating conditions.

6

FATOREXIA

Term used to classify in a layman way some people who are obese, but cannot perceive their body size within their real proportion.

There is a current of people who report that it would be the opposite of “anorexia”, but what is reported by those who experience this disorder is that only at some point do you realize that you are bigger.

In order to advance as a category, or grouping of people who possibly suffer from this issue, it is necessary to better describe what they would suffer and what they would have suffered from damage. Still very controversial.