What Is The Impact Of Eating Disorders On Health?

Eating disorders generally refer to unhealthy thoughts, feelings, and behaviors related to food and eating. However, disordered eating can affect more than just a person’s relationship with food. In this article, we’ll explore some of the most common eating disorders, as well as their potential impacts on mental and physical health. We’ll also discuss eating disorder treatment options, including therapy.

What does it mean to have an eating disorder?

An overview of common eating disorders

Different eating disorders can have different effects. Familiarizing yourself with these effects may be helpful for understanding the impacts of eating disorders on health. In this section, we’ll explore some of the most common eating disorders and how they can affect people’s behaviors. 

Anorexia nervosa

People with anorexia nervosa usually severely restrict the amount and types of food they eat. These behaviors are often tied to a fear of gaining weight, which may develop due to low self-esteem or a desire for control. People with anorexia may:

• Eat very little or nothing
• Obsess over their body size and shape
• View themselves as overweight even when their body weight is low
• Exercise excessively 
• Create obsessive rituals around food
• Try to hide their disordered eating from others

It can be important to note that not all individuals with anorexia are underweight. Those with anorexia who are not underweight may receive the diagnosis of atypical anorexia nervosa.

Binge eating disorder (BED)

In contrast to anorexia, people with binge eating disorder (BED) typically consume extreme amounts of food at one time. This behavior is known as “binging.” While overeating once in a while can be common, people with BED typically binge regularly (at least once a week) for three months or more. People with binge eating disorder may:

• Eat extremely quickly
• Eat past the point of fullness
• Believe that they can’t control their eating
• Experience guilt or shame about their eating habits
• Binge in secret

Bulimia nervosa

Like people with BED, people with bulimia nervosa may regularly binge on food. However, people with bulimia usually also practice “purging,” or behaviors meant to compensate for the amount of food they’ve eaten. People with bulimia may:

• Eat excessive amounts of food at a time
• Obsess over their body size or shape
• Misuse laxatives, water pills, or diet pills to prevent weight gain
• Fast or exercise excessively 
• Try to make themselves throw up the food they’ve eaten

Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder

Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) is a recent addition to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-V). People with ARFID may excessively limit the amount and types of food they eat. However, unlike anorexia, ARFID does not normally develop in response to a fear of gaining weight and tends to have other causes. People with ARFID may:

• Have a general lack of interest in eating
• Have an extreme fear of choking, vomiting, or other negative outcomes of eating
• Be extremely particular about the taste, texture, or smell of their food
• Struggle to eat in social settings 

The impact of eating disorders on physical health

These and other eating disorders can have significant effects on people’s physical health, ranging from malnutrition to metabolic health problems. Some examples include the following:

• Vitamin and mineral deficiencies
• Diabetes
• Obesity or extremely low body weight
• Electrolyte imbalances
• Insomnia
• Fainting, nausea, or dizziness
• Hormonal imbalances
• Tooth decay
• Infections
• Kidney failure
• Heart failure

The impact of eating disorders on mental health

In a paper from 2023, researchers analyzed data from 18 studies to look for a relationship between eating disorders and mental health. They found that mental illnesses like social anxiety disorder, OCD, depression, and ADHD were usually more common among people with eating disorders. 

Eating disorders themselves may also have negative impacts on mental health and emotional well-being. These effects may include the following:

• Irritability 
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Feelings of anger, shame, or guilt
• Social withdrawal
• Distorted body image
• Obsessive thoughts and behaviors
• Low self-esteem

Binge eating, restriction, and other warning signs of an eating disorder

Recognizing the signs of an eating disorder can be the first step toward getting help and avoiding negative health impacts. Although different eating disorders can have different symptoms, you may want to watch for the following signs:

• Severely limiting the amount of food you eat
• Continuing to eat even when you’re full
• Removing whole food groups from your eating habits
• Feeling guilty, ashamed, or embarrassed of your eating habits
• Experiencing a perceived lack of control over your eating
• Obsessing over food, calories, or body shape and size
• Taking action to “get rid of” the food you’ve eaten, such as vomiting or using medications
• Hiding your eating behaviors from others
• Feeling irritable, depressed, or anxious most of the time
• Noticing changes in your sleep or menstrual cycle
• Noticing large or rapid changes in your body weight
• Experiencing challenges in your relationships or daily life due to your eating habits

How are eating disorders treated?

Eating disorders can often be treated, despite their potential negative health impacts. Successful treatment often involves addressing both the physical health effects of disordered eating and the mental health factors that may contribute to these behaviors. 

For this reason, it can be common for people with eating disorders to work with a treatment team that includes doctors, dieticians, and therapists. 

Treating the physical health effects of eating disorders

Improving your physical health is often one of the first steps when you seek help for an eating disorder. Your doctor may order medical tests to rule out serious side effects, like heart problems or kidney failure. 

Stabilizing your health may also involve close monitoring, nutritional education, and (in severe cases) hospital stays. While specific medical treatments vary, your care team will likely prioritize getting you back to a healthy body weight and addressing any other health concerns. 

Treating the mental health effects of eating disorders

Although medical treatment may help improve physical health, it often doesn’t treat the underlying causes of eating disorders. Because thoughts, feelings, and beliefs often contribute to disordered eating behaviors, changing your relationship with food often requires mental health treatment. 

Your doctor or psychiatrist may prescribe certain medications to reduce mental health symptoms that can play a role in harmful eating habits. Always talk to your doctor before starting, stopping, or changing the way you take medication, and let them know if you experience any side effects.

Beyond medication, several types of therapy may effectively treat eating disorders:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): Cognitive behavioral therapy generally focuses on helping people change the thoughts, beliefs, and feelings that may be contributing to their unwanted behaviors. 
• Family-based treatment (FBT): A popular treatment for adolescents with eating disorders, FBT usually involves a patient’s family in the treatment process, which may take place in several phases. 
• Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT):Originally developed to treat borderline personality disorder, DBT typically aims to help patients learn to manage their emotions and find healthy ways to cope with challenges. 
• Interpersonal therapy (IPT):Often a shorter-term treatment, interpersonal therapy normally aims to help patients address challenges in their relationships, which may contribute to eating disorders in some cases. 
• Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT): The goal of acceptance and commitment therapy is generally to identify unhealthy coping mechanisms (like disordered eating) and find new, healthier ways of managing challenges. 

Getting help for an eating disorder

Studies have found that as many as two-thirds of people with eating disorders can recover with proper treatment. If you’re having challenges or concerns related to eating, you may want to start by talking to your doctor. They may be able to create a more personalized treatment plan or refer you to the right specialists for your situation. 

Mental health treatments, including therapy for eating disorders, may not always be accessible at affordable rates, even for people with insurance. According to a 2019 report, patients tend to be more likely to have to seek mental health treatments outside their insurance networks than medical or surgical treatments. 

Online therapy may be a more affordable alternative, offering live counseling sessions starting at $65 per week. Clients can attend sessions with licensed mental health professionals from the convenience of their homes at times that work for them.

Studies have found that virtual eating disorder therapy can have similar effects to in-person therapy. In a 2022 study, researchers compared treatment outcomes among two groups of eating disorder patients: one receiving therapy in-person and the other receiving therapy online. Both groups showed similar improvements in their eating disorder symptoms.