Eating disorders: more than meets the eye.

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Eating disorders are hardly mentioned in reality as compared to epidemics such as the swine flu and dengue fever, but are they that insignificant? Lim Li Ying, Rachael looks into detail of the backstory.

Struggling for several years before coming out to the public, Demi Lovato finally made it known that she was suffering from bulimia nervosa in the year 2010.

Little do people know eating disorders are actually considered as mental disorders as many see them with the lack of food consumption. There are many potential causes of eating disorders, and with one that many might either be aware of or not at all.

With the media portraying the ideal body figure especially with celebrities, many have thus have the perception of a beautiful figure as someone slim and slender. Not only that this has ignited the way youths perceived the definition of a perfect figure, celebrities too have the pressure to either maintain their “perfect” body figure or have the need to loose weight to meet the expectations of the industry. As such, it is known that a handful of celebrities do face eating disorders and to name a few they are Lady Gaga, Victoria Beckham, Mary-Kate Olsen and Demi Lovato.

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The famous singer, songwriter, actress and philanthropist Demi Lovato was diagnosed with bulimia nervosa and along with that she was later sent to rehab for substance abuse and self-harm.

Even though the Health Promotion Board Singapore refers to eating disorders just as abnormal eating habits that threaten one’s health and even life, Demi Lovato thinks otherwise.

In an interview with Fitness Magazine, Demi states that, “It’s a common misconception that eating disorder are just about food. But they’re actually about so much more than that.”

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There are three common eating disorders and they are namely anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder. Anorexia nervosa is a condition whereby the one thinks that they are fat when they are already dangerously thin. They restrict their consumption of food to the point of starvation and too exercise compulsively.

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Bulimia nervosa is a condition in which one eats excessive amounts of food and then makes themselves vomit, use laxatives or exercise vigorously. Even though they feel disgusted and ashamed as they binge, they feel a sense of relieve from the tension and negative emotions once their stomach is empty. And with this, binge eating disorder is more known as having out-of-control eating patterns.

Primarily, the females are more susceptible to be diagnosed with eating disorders but males can be vulnerable to it too.

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The exact causes of eating disorders are still unknown but researchers believe that it could be due to a complex interaction of biological, psychological, family, genetic, environmental and social factors.

The most common causes of eating disorders are the following: family history of eating disorder and the genetic link; psychological issue with relation to having a low self-esteem, perfectionism, impulsive behavior, family conflicts and troubled relationships; and lastly socio-cultural issues such as the intense focus on the appearance and body shape in the media, peer pressure, especially towards teenage girls. But nonetheless, the actual causes are still unknown and are not limited to the above.

From how Demi Lovato mentioned that having an eating disorder will continue to affect her for the rest of her life and she is still proud to say that she got the help she needed, indeed having an eating disorder would continue to affect you for the rest of your life. But all in all, there is no eating disorder that is too small to be treated.

Professional help should be sought after when one’s eating behaviors starts to have a destructive impact on your functioning or self-image. Eating disorders are deadly and without professional help from psychologists, it can affect one greatly to the point of death.

It has been proven that individuals suffering from anorexia nervosa have the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric disorder. Not only that, eating disorders can also devastate the body.

With anorexia, one would be more likely to suffer from anemia, constipation, and osteoporosis and eventually cause damage to the heart and/or the brain. As for bulimia nervosa, one would be more susceptible to suffer from a bad sore throat and worth away tooth enamel, acid reflux and worst case, a heart attack. Lastly, one with binge eating disorder would have an increase in chances to suffer from high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and other health problems associated with obesity.

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Ultimately, eating disorders are known to coexists with other illnesses and diagnosis such as depression, anxiety disorders and substance abuse to name a few.

Not only it is important to seek professional help, it is also vital in the process of recovery for those suffering from eating disorder to have emotional and spiritual support. The Support for Eating Disorders Singapore (SEDS) is a support group for survivors as well as supporters of those coping with an eating disorder. For more details visit http://www.samhealth.org.sg/support-for-eating-disorders-singapore-seds/ .