Different Types Of Eating Disorders In All Age Groups

Eating disorders refer to a health condition where a person eats abnormally and often requires medical assistance to treat. Eating disorders can affect people of all ages, sexes, and races of different body weights, shapes, and sizes. Its causes and symptoms may vary from person to person and by different types of eating disorders. In this blog, we will share a piece of thorough information about eating disorders, including its different types, causes, and symptoms. Let’s start with its meaning!

What Is An Eating Disorder?

An Eating disorder is a complex mental health problem that affects a person mentally, physically, and emotionally. People with eating disorders have very poor eating habits; they either restrict their eating due to some reason or eat irregularly. These conditions often lead to severe physical and psychological consequences, including malnutrition, depression, and anxiety. However, different types of eating disorders are characterised differently. 

Here are some common types of eating disorders that everyone should know. 

7 Types Of Eating Disorders

Eating disorders are a group of disorders that involves weight and issues, but each disorder has unique causes and symptoms. We will discuss them after different types of eating disorders. 

1. Anorexia Nervosa

People with such type of eating disorder often restrict their food intake. The reason behind this is they have a fear of gaining excessive weight or a distorted body image. It can result in severe health complications and is associated with a high mortality rate. 

2. Bulimia Nervosa 

Bulimia Nervosa revolves around a cycle of binge eating disorder followed by behaviours like purging or excessive exercise. People with Bulimia often maintain a normal or slightly above-average weight. This secretive nature makes it challenging to identify this disorders among different types of eating disorders. 

3. Binge Eating Disorder

Binge Eating Disorder (BED) is a disorder where people consume excessive amounts of food in a short period. People with BED do not have control over their eating. They do not engage in purging behaviour, but they may eat when they are not hungry in order to fight emotional distress. Binge is the most common eating disorder in the United States, affecting millions of people. 

 4. Pica

One of the most different types of eating disorders is Pica, which involves habits of eating non-food items, such as dirt, chalk, paper, or hair. It sounds weird, but its true. This disorder is often associated with nutritional deficiencies or underlying mental health conditions that may lead to serious health complications. 

5. Orthorexia

Another name on the list of different types of eating disorders is Orthorexia, which is simply an obsession with healthy eating that eventually becomes unhealthy for the person. In this, the extreme focus of the person is on the quality and purity of the food, often leading to strict dietary restrictions. People with this disorder wants to eat a healthy and balanced diet, which turns out to be a bad idea.

6. Rumination Disorder

Rumination Disorder is a unique condition where indigestive food from the stomach comes up, which is then re-chewed, re-swallow, or expelled. It typically occurs 30 minutes after the meal. This is among the different types of eating disorders that are often linked to stress or anxiety. 

7. Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder 

ARFID is a relatively newly recognised eating disorder characterised by an extreme urge to consume a wide range of food. Similar to picky eating in children, ARFID persists in adults, and it is not driven by taste preferences. This disorder can hinder daily life, lead to nutritional deficiencies, and impair social functioning. 

After knowing different types of eating disorders, now read the causes and symptoms to take further action. 

Causes Of Eating Disorders

Eating disorders have complex and multifactorial causes, while biological and genetic factors are also a reason. Some common causes of different types of eating disorders are- 

• Low self-esteem
• Traumatic experience 
• Family dynamics
• Emotional distress
• Cultural pressure 

Symptoms Of Eating Disorders

If you have any of the different types of eating disorders, you may experience- 

• Refusal to eat certain food
• Frequent dieting 
• Follow food rituals (do not touch or eat particular food groups)
• Discomfort with eating when in a crowd
• Extreme mood swings
• High concern with body shape, size and appearance
• Skipping meals or eating only small portions

As soon as you identify the problem, seek treatment to improve the condition. 

Treatment Of Different Types Of Eating Disorders

An eating disorder is a must to treat before it becomes a severe problem. Some common treatments for different types of eating disorders are- 

• Psychotherapy
• Nutritional counseling 
• Medications
• Support Groups 
• Inpatient or residential treatment for severe conditions

It is important to understand that eating disorders are more about foods; they are complex conditions that affect the body and the mind. Understanding the different types of eating disorders is important, and their causes are the first step toward their treatment. If you even remotely struggle with any of the eating disorder mentioned above, then seeking professional help will be a very good thing for you. With the right treatment, it is possible for a person to heal and develop a  healthy relationships with food and their body.