Eating Disorder Awareness Week-Know the Signs
Shared by Brandy Strub, Dietitian, Veterans Memorial Hospital
Monday, February 24 through Sunday, March 2 is National Eating Disorder Awareness Week. Eating disorders is definitely something to be concerned about. There are many health complications associated with an eating disorder such as heart attacks, kidney failure, electrolyte imbalances, osteoporosis and premature death, including suicide.
The sooner an eating disorder can be detected and treated, the better. The following information is shared from the “Report: Economic Costs of Eating Disorders”, conducted by Strategic Training Initiative for the Prevention of Eating Disorders (STRIPED), in collaboration with the Academy for Eating Disorders (AED) and Deloitte Access Economics. They state approximately 9% of the U.S. population, or 28.8 million Americans, and 9% (277,830) of Iowans will have an eating disorder in their lifetime.
Please review the following from their report to learn how to recognize an eating disorder:
An eating disorder is a mental illness, that can affect anyone. They are caused or influenced by biological factors such as family history of eating disorders or mental illness, history of dieting, type 1 diabetes, or genetic predisposition, as well as psychological factors including perfectionism, body image dissatisfaction, history of mental illness or substance abuse, impulsivity, cognitive inflexibility; and social factors of weight stigma, bullying/teasing, cultural norms that overvalue appearance, drive for perceived ideal body type, and historical trauma.
Some common warning signs of an eating disorder may include:
- Preoccupation with weight loss, food, calories, and dieting,
- Extreme concern of body shape and appearance,
- Refuses to eat certain foods, and often eliminates whole food groups,
- Excessive exercising,
- Makes excuses to avoid mealtimes or situations involving food,
- Food rituals (e.g., eating foods in certain orders, excessive chewing, rearranging food on a plate)
- Social Withdrawal,
- Extreme mood swings,
- Noticeable weight fluctuations (both up and down),
- Complaints of bloating, nausea, constipation, acid reflux,
- Menstrual irregularities,
- Difficulty concentrating,
- Sleep problems,
- Poor teeth, skin, hair and nails health,
- Weakness, dizziness upon standing, and/or fainting,
- Feeling cold all of the time,
- Poor wound healing and/or impaired immune functioning
The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) also has a screening tool on their website: www.nationaleatingdisorders.org that can help determine if someone is at risk for an eating disorder and can help to determine if it’s time to seek professional help.
The sooner an eating disorder can be identified and treated, the better. Don’t delay. Talk to your medical provider about any concerns. For additional information or set up a nutrition consultation, please contact Brandy Strub, Dietitian, at Veterans Memorial Hospital at 563-568-3411.
