Facts about Eating Disorders

Eating disorders widespread among young women in our modern society.  In fact more than 7% of college-aged females suffer from a diagnosable eating disorder requiring treatment.  Eating disorders involve serious disturbances in eating behavior, such as extreme and unhealthy reduction of food intake or severe overeating, as well as feelings of distress or extreme concern about body shape or weight.  Other behavioral practices may emerge such as vomiting following eating, excessive episodes of exercise to get rid of calories,  food obsessions and many others. Researchers are investigating how and why initially voluntary behaviors, such as eating smaller or larger amounts of food than usual, at some point move beyond control in some people and develop into an eating disorder. Studies on the basic biology of appetite control and its alteration by prolonged overeating or starvation have uncovered enormous complexity, but have helped us to understand that eating disorders are not due to a failure of will or behavior.  They are real, treatable illnesses in which certain maladaptive patterns of eating take on a life of their own. The main types of eating disorders are anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa.  Binge eating Disorder has also been considered to be syndrome of its own, requiring treatment.

Eating disorders frequently co-occur with other disorders including depression, anxiety, personality disorders and substance abuse.  People who suffer from eating disorders can experience a wide range of physical health complications, including serious heart conditions and kidney failure which may lead to death. Recognition of eating disorders as real and treatable diseases, therefore, is critically important.

Approximately one in ten individuals identified as suffering from an eating disorder are male, although there is some reason to believe that young men with eating disorders are more reluctant to seek treatment than young women.  The Eating Disorder Clinic has extensive experience treating both male and female clients with eating disorders.

Eating disorders can be treated; a  healthy weight can be restored and eating can be normalized. The sooner these disorders are diagnosed and treated, the better the outcomes are likely to be. Because of their complexity, eating disorders require a comprehensive treatment plan sometimes involving medical care and monitoring, psychological therapy (notably cognitive therapy) and, when appropriate, medication. At the time of diagnosis, the clinician must determine whether the person is in immediate danger and requires hospitalization.

Many treatment options are available for clients at the Eating Disorder Clinic.  The treatment is generally staged to the state of recovery.  Often in the early phases the goal is weight recovery and normalizing eating behavior, later in treatment the goal may be directed to issues related to body image.  At times therapy will progress to other issues that co-occur including depression, anxiety or personality issues.  Where hospitalization is required, patients are referred to an established inpatient program. 

There are many people with eating patterns that do not meet the full diagnostic criteria for an eating disorder.  These people will often benefit from the counseling and cognitive therapy offered at the Eating Disorder Clinic.  This includes people with body image disturbance, weight management problems, below threshold binge frequency, chronic restrictive dieting etc.  Contact the Eating Disorder Clinic if you believe you have a problem requiring treatment.