What are Eating disorders?
Eating disorders are complex mental health conditions that are characterized by severely disrupted eating behaviors and a preoccupation with weight, appearance and body shape. It is a mental health condition where you use the control of food to cope with feelings and other situations. Anyone can experience eating problems. This is regardless of age, gender, weight or background.
Types of eating disorders
The most common eating disorders are:
- Anorexia nervosa – trying to control your weight by not eating enough food, exercising too much, or doing both
- Bulimia – losing control over how much you eat and then taking drastic action to not put on weight
- Binge eating disorder (BED) – eating large portions of food until you feel uncomfortably full
Traits of people with eating problems
People experiencing eating problems often share common traits. Certain traits may make you more vulnerable to developing an eating problem. Some common traits include:
- a desire for perfection
- rarely being satisfied with what you've done
- being very critical of yourself
- being overly-competitive about things
- obsessive or compulsive behaviors
- a lack of confidence in expressing yourself.
Do you identify with the following statements?
- I am preoccupied with a desire to be thinner.
- I am terrified about gaining weight.
- I feel out of control around food.
- I feel guilt or shame after eating.
- I obsess about calorie intake and/or weight.
- I vomit after meals.
- I use laxatives, diet pills or diuretics to control weight.
- I avoid particular foods or food groups.
- I frequently skip meals to control weight.
- I rarely take a day off from exercise.
- People are concerned with my eating and/or exercise.
If you answered “yes” to any of these statements, we urge you to seek help from professionals.
What common treatment options are available?
Therapy
During an initial consultation with a clinician, you will be asked questions regarding your eating behaviors, thoughts and emotions, and you will discuss further treatment options. Therapy can help improve your mental health through developing healthier coping mechanisms, increasing self-esteem and working through various issues that may contribute to your eating concerns.
Nutrition counseling
Your dietitian will work with you to understand your eating behaviors and patterns as well as thoughts about weight, body and food. Individualized recommendations will be made in regards to nutritional needs, meal planning, and weight restoration or stabilization. Your dietitian will provide nutrition education on a variety of topics and areas of concern.
To seek support
You can look for the National Eating Disorder Information Center. They provide information, resources, referrals and support to Canadians affected by eating disorders.
