Mental illness is a disorder, not a trend
Eating disorders are some of the most common mental illnesses affecting students today. Just like anxiety or depression, an eating disorder can be left undiagnosed and untreated for months or even years, since individuals who suffer from mental illnesses often do not seek help.
The reluctance to seek help is especially problematic for those with eating disorders, because among all types of mental illnesses, eating disorders have the highest rate of mortality. According to the National Eating Disorder Information Centre (NEDIC), an estimated 10 per cent of individuals affected by anorexia die within 10 years of the onset of the disorder.
Types of eating disorders include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge-eating disorder (BED), as well as other specified feeding or eating disorders (OSFED).
Anorexia is recognized by a person’s reluctance to eat enough food, or any food at all, accompanied by a fear of weight gain. Bulimia is considered to be a type of BED, where the consumption of food is distinctly overcompensated for through behaviour such as self-induced vomiting, fasting, or over-exercising. BEDs are characterized by recurring constant cravings that lead to binge-eating.
A number of other eating disorders are categorized under the term OSFED. This includes any variation of eating disorders that do not fit the standard diagnoses, such as night eating syndrome which is a variant of BED that is differentiated by the fact that sufferers of the disorder only binge-eat during the night.
While eating disorders can affect males and females alike, females are more likely to develop an eating disorder. NEDIC reports that eating disorders are also most prevalent among those aged 15 to 24, affecting an estimated 1.5 per cent of Canadian women at least once in their lifetime.
Individuals who develop eating disorders often have low self-esteem and a poor body image; the media is frequently the target of blame for facilitating or amplifying these negative thoughts.
Although eating disorders typically manifest during teenage years, unhealthy attitudes towards one’s body image usually begins much earlier on. In a Nutrition Today article by Jeanne B. Martin which focused on the development of ideal body image perceptions, a survey of American elementary school girls found that about 69 per cent of those that read magazines stated that their perception of the ideal body shape was influenced by the pictures in the magazines. Furthermore, 47 per cent of those surveyed admitted that the pictures made them want to lose weight.
Symptoms of eating disorders can vary from person to person, but there are a few shared symptoms between anorexia, bulimia, and BEDs that are easily recognized. These include a distorted image of one’s body image, fear of eating, excessive exercise, dehydration, and an irregular heartbeat. Those who have an eating disorder can sometimes also have depression or an anxiety disorder.
If you or someone you know are suffering from an eating disorder or other mental illness, please seek assistance as soon as possible. Recovery can be slow and support from your loved ones is essential, but the effort you put into getting better will be worth it.
Photo by Benjamin Watson via CC BY 2.0.