Eating disorders can be complex situations that may lead to some serious serious consequences. These disorders are real and they are devastated. They can impact a person’s overall health, productivity, and even strain their relationships. Many like to think that an eating disorder is just a phase that someone is going through or a lifestyle choice, but this is not the case. These are conditions that are life-threatening and affect a person’s physical and emotional health. This is why people who have an eating disorder often need to seek professional help to overcome their circumstances.
Here are some important facts about eating disorders that you may not have already known so that you can get the full picture of what may be going on in a loved one’s life.
1. It’s A Mental Illness.
Eating disorders have been classified as a mental illness. It occurs when someone develops what ultimately becomes an unhealthy relationship with the foods they eat. There are a number of reasons why someone may develop this unhealthy relationship. Most commonly, however, people struggle with their body image and resort to strange eating habits so that they are able to alter their appearance in their quest to find personal satisfaction.
2. There’s Not Just One Eating Disorder.
There are three primary eating disorders that affect people around the world. Anyone can develop an eating disorder and it does not affect just one racial or affect demographic. Even 10 million men suffer from eating disorders every year. The three primary disorders are anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating. Binge eating is different from bulimia because people suffering from this disorder do not try to purge or vomit the food they have eaten. They simply eat until they are uncomfortably full at every meal.
3. It Can Be A Genetic Condition.
Eating disorders are generally associated with psychological issues, like trouble coping with a difficult situation or relationship problems. Genetics can also be the foundation of certain eating disorders. The simple fact is that each type of eating disorder that a person suffers from on any given day has a multiple layer of possible causes to it, which is why these disorders can be so difficult to treat. There is an 80% chance that the risk of developing an eating disorder will be determined by a person’s genetics solely.
4. Many Who Have Eating Disorders Do Not Seek Out Any Treatment.
Only one out of 10 people who have an eating disorder will ever seek out professional treatment to overcome the issue. If you grouped all of the people who will seek out professional treatment together, only about 35% of them would seek out treatment from professionals or facilities that specialize in the treatment of an eating disorder.
5. There Are Multiple Issues Going On.
50% of the people who suffer from an eating disorder also qualify from a clinical standpoint as suffering from another mental disorder. The most common issue that people who have an eating disorder suffer from on a daily basis is depression. Although it affects about 20 million women every year, 91% of women admit that they control their weight in some way by dieting at least once per year. 22% of women say that they diet often for all of time so that they can keep their body image the way they want it.
6. Eating Disorders Are Deadlier Than You Think.
When eating disorders are compared to every other mental illness, they have the highest mortality rate of them all. This is especially true for girls and women in the 15 to 24 age demographic. Anorexia in these girls and women has a mortality rate that is 12 times higher than any other cause of death.
7. Many Kids Might Have An Eating Disorder And Not Even Realize It.
Half of all teen girls that they use at least one unhealthy method of keeping weight off so they can achieve their “perfect” body image. Another 33% of teen boys admit to doing the same thing. What are these unhealthy body shape modifiers that are being practices? Intermittent fasting on a regular basis, binging, vomiting, smoking cigarettes, and taking laxatives are the most common methods of weight manipulation.
8. We Might Be Causing The Problems Ourselves.
Despite the fact that we tell teen girls and young women that beauty comes from the inside instead of the outside, about 70% of girls between the ages of 10 to 18 say that images of celebrities and models that they see every day have inspired them to pursue their own desired body shape that is similar. This is why the photo altering movement of advertising campaigns is so dangerous. Girls are being exposed to unnatural examples of body shape and size that they are attempting to replicate for real.
9. The Treatment of Eating Disorders Can Be Incredibly Expensive.
For professional treatment options, an eating disorder may cost someone $2,000 per day in order for them to overcome their mental illness. In real value terms, it may cost someone over $100,000 per year to have the medical monitoring and psychological help that is required to keep an eating disorder at bay.
10. There Is Very Little Research Going On Into The Cause and Treatment of Eating Disorders.
The National Institutes of Health have allocated just $1.20 in research funding for every person who is affected by an eating disorder in the United States. Compare that to schizophrenia, which receives $159 per person who suffers from it, and the funding gap becomes very apparent.
Eating disorders can be deadly, but they can also be effectively treated. Although these disorders affect most people before they have reached the prime of their lives, those who suffer from them, with proper treatment, can overcome the issue and live a happy and full life. Early recognition and treatment is the key to success. The faster than an eating disorder can be found and worked on, then the faster a person can recover from their eating disorder.