are eating disorders diseases
Signs and symptoms of disordered eating may include, but are not limited to: 1  Chronic yo-yo dieting. 2  Frequent weight fluctuations. 3  Extremely rigid and unhealthy food and exercise regime. 4  Feelings of guilt and shame when unable to maintain food and exercise habits. People with eating disorders experience serious disturbances in their eating patterns, such as a severe and unhealthy reduction in their food intake or overeating, as well as extreme concern about body shape or weight. Eating Disorder Information and Referral Center. Reviewed by Arefa Cassoobhoy, MD, MPH. Sept. 12, 2014 -- Several autoimmune diseases have been linked to, and may even play a role in the development of, eating disorders, new research suggests. In a large study of more than 2,000 Finnish people with eating disorders, investigators found they were more likely to have an autoimmune disease compared with healthy people. When you have an autoimmune disease, your immune system incorrectly attacks and destroys healthy cells in your body. Eating disorders require a comprehensive, long-term treatment plan that usually involves individual or family therapy, and that may include medication and even immediate hospitalization. Unfortunately, many people with eating disorders will not admit they are ill and refuse treatment. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-Text Revision), disordered eating is defined as a wide range of irregular eating behaviors that do not warrant a diagnosis of a specific eating disorder.. Disordered Eating vs. Eating Disorder. The most significant difference between an eating disorder and disordered eating is whether or not a person's symptoms and experiences align with the criteria defined by the APA. Disordered eating is a descriptive phrase, not a diagnosis. Eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa (AN) or bulimia nervosa (BN), are diagnosed according to narrow criteria. This excludes most people and the majority of people suffering with disordered eating. Many individuals with disordered eating symptoms are diagnosed with Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (EDNOS). Also, the people with eating disorders were more than twice as likely to have endocrine diseases, especially type 1 diabetes, and GI disorders, particularly Crohn's disease. The study was published online Aug. 22 in PLoS One. Disordered eating is a serious health concern that may be difficult to detect since a person with disordered eating patterns may not display all of the classic symptoms typically identified with eating disorders.
Yes