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Irish Times

Eating disorders: What are they and how do they affect patients?

Eating disorders are serious mental health conditions which are defined as having atypical eating behaviours that adversely affect a person's mental or physical health. The exact reason why people develop such disorders is unknown, although the Health Service Executive (HSE) says several things make a person more likely to develop one. These include low self-esteem, trauma, a history of sexual abuse, being a perfectionist, or a history of criticism about the person's appearance. Here are some of the most commonly diagnosed eating disorders in Ireland: Anorexia Nervosa is a condition in which people try to keep their weight as low as possible. Individuals diagnosed with anorexia do this by not eating enough food, exercising too much or both. READ MORE There can be devastating health consequences, up to and including death, because the body is starved of the food it needs to keep the person safe and healthy. Bulimia is an eating disorder that often involves a cycle of binge eating and purging. A person diagnosed with bulimia often sets strict rules for themselves about dieting, eating or exercising. When a person is unable to keep to these strict rules, he/she overeats. Guilt and shame often follow, leading to purging to get rid of the calories, creating an unhealthy and damaging cycle. Health complications associated with bulimia include heart, kidney or bowel problems, dental decay and bone problems, among others. Binge eating disorde r (Bed) involves regularly eating large portions of food all at once until a person feels uncomfortably full. This is often followed by feelings of upset or guilt. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, people with Bed are at a higher risk for high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, gallbladder disease, heart disease and some types of cancer. [ How eating disorders are changing: 'I'm not the stereotype. I'm a man, I'm plus-sized' Opens in new window ] Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder, or Arfid, is a disorder in which a person avoids or restricts foods to such an extent that they do not take in a sufficient quantity or variety of food to meet adequate energy or nutritional requirements. This can result in significant weight loss, significant nutritional deficiencies, dependence on oral nutritional supplements or tube feeding or has otherwise negatively affected the physical health of a person. It can often be diagnosed in people who are neurodivergent. Other specified feeding or eating disorder, or Osfed, is when a person has symptoms that are similar to one or more of the above eating disorders, but may not meet all the criteria for these conditions.