Eating disorders are conditions that cause a person to have unhealthy thoughts, feelings, and behaviors related to food and body image.
Some people with eating disorders severely restrict their food intake (anorexia nervosa), while others eat excessively (binge eating disorder or compulsive overeating). They may also vomit, take laxatives, or exercise excessively to try to prevent weight gain after binge eating (bulimia nervosa).
The cause of eating disorders is not clear, but experts believe that it is related to a number of physical, psychological, cultural, and social factors. Eating disorders are most common in teenage girls and young women, but they can occur at any age and in both sexes.
People who have eating disorders may develop health problems, such as dehydration and malnutrition. Eating disorders also increase a person's risk of other health problems related to a poor diet. These other health problems can include menstrual period changes, thinning of the bones (osteoporosis) and, in severe cases, heart and other organ problems.
Eating disorders are treated primarily with counseling. Sometimes medicines also are used.
Teens who have an eating disorder often strongly deny that they have one. They do not see or believe that they do. But there are some feelings and actions that are common with each type of eating disorder.
Teens who have anorexia may:
Teens who have bulimia may:
Teens with binge eating disorder may:
Treatment for eating disorders includes counseling, medicines, or both. Cognitive behavioral therapy helps change how teens think about food and their bodies. Nutritional counseling teaches healthy eating habits. Antidepressants may help reduce bingeing and purging. Eating disorders can cause serious health problems if they're not treated.
There is no known way to prevent an eating disorder. But knowing the early signs and seeking treatment right away can help prevent problems caused by an eating disorder. Early treatment may be the best way to prevent it from getting worse.
As a part of the physical exam for eating disorders, a doctor may order certain tests to see whether your body is generally healthy. These may include blood or urine tests to check:
A doctor may also test whether you have difficulty digesting certain foods, such as milk and dairy products.
When you're recovering from an eating disorder, it's important to take good care of yourself. Stick to your treatment plan, and listen to what experts say about healthy eating. Find ways to manage stress. Be kind to yourself. Work on one goal at a time, and remember that recovery is a process.
Experts don't know for sure what causes someone to have an eating disorder such as anorexia, bulimia, or binge eating. But certain things put a person at greater risk for getting an eating disorder. Some of these things include:
Having risk factors for it doesn't mean a person will get an eating disorder. But knowing some of the things that can add to the risk may help to see a problem early when it is easier to treat.
Eating disorders cause people to have unhealthy thoughts and behaviors about food and their bodies. With an eating disorder, how much you weigh and how you look have a severe effect on how you feel and think about yourself—and how you think others view you.
If you think you might have an eating disorder, talk with a doctor. Eating disorders can cause serious health problems and even death. Treatment includes counseling and sometimes medicines. Some people need treatment in a hospital or eating disorders clinic.
Negative thoughts are part of having an eating disorder. Changing negative thought patterns may not be easy. But our minds can be trained to be stronger and healthier—just like a muscle. A technique called thought reframing can help.
Thought reframing is the process of replacing negative thoughts with more helpful thoughts. It's a skill taught in a type of counseling called cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). There are also books and apps that can help you learn thought reframing on your own.
With practice, you can get better at choosing healthier thoughts to replace negative thoughts.
Negative thoughts can be hard to silence. While nobody can stop all their negative thoughts, you can reduce them. And you can start choosing healthier patterns of thinking. Here are some tips to get started.
When you know some of the common types, it's easier to spot them when they happen. Here are a few to watch out for.
Write down negative thoughts throughout the day. Then rewrite them to be more encouraging. Over time, choosing more positive thoughts in the moment will get easier.
An eating disorder is a condition that causes some people to have unhealthy thoughts and behaviors about food and body image. Teens with eating disorders often base how they feel about themselves on how much they weigh and how they look.
Common eating disorders include:
People who have eating disorders are often very self-critical. Try some of the following ideas to feel better about yourself.
Everything you do may take more time and effort.
These thoughts may include feeling bad about yourself, feeling hopeless, and feeling uncomfortable in your body. Counseling can help you work through your feelings.
Your body needs time to adjust. As you begin to eat in a healthier way, you may feel better and have more energy.
Find things that make you feel good. For example, some people like to spend time with others or some like quiet time to read.
If you think your child has an eating disorder:
If you're worried about someone you know:
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