Why are Eating Disorders so dangerous?

EDs are among the most severe psychiatric disorders; let's see why.

Eating disorders, also known as Eating Behavior Disorders (ED), are serious illnesses that chronically disrupt the patient's dietary behaviors, sometimes with fatal effects. When we think of these clinical entities, the first things that come to mind are anorexia and bulimia, but in reality there are other internationally recognized conditions associated with caloric intake.

For example, pica, rumination syndrome, food avoidance/restriction disorder and binge-eating disorder, among others, have recently been included among the EDs. Eating problems are no longer just a matter of not eating or vomiting, as overeating for very specific periods of time, counting calories at all times or chewing food and then spitting it out are also clinical entities that should be taken into account.

Beyond psychiatric terms, it is worth noting that 1 to 2% of women and 0.2 to 0.4% of men worldwide suffer from eating disorders, mainly in the form of anorexia and bulimia. It is necessary to normalize these diseases and to talk about them openly so that the patient can receive the necessary help without stigma, but we must never lose sight of the fact that Eating Disorders are extremely dangerous.. Here we tell you why.

The diagnosis of Eating Disorders

Before discussing the prognosis of some Eating Disorders, it is necessary to define them. As stated by the U.S. National Library of Medicine, EDs are serious mental health conditions, involving serious problems with how you think about food and how you eat, EDs are serious mental health conditions, involving serious problems with how people think about food and their individual dietary behavior on a day-to-day basis..

For now, included within this group are the clinical entities already cited, but not those related to obesity or stemming from other factors (such as pregnancy or alcoholism).

The American Psychological Association (APA) publishes from time to time its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, which sets the standard for the diagnosis of psychiatric illnesses. According to the fifth edition, published in 2013, anorexia nervosa is diagnosed on the basis of the following criteria:

• Restriction of caloric intake relative to physiological needs, resulting in a body mass index (BMI) below what is expected, taking into account the patient's age, sex, physical health and developmental trajectory.
• Intense fear of gaining weight or "becoming fat". Also included in this category are those behaviors that interfere with weight gain.
• Alteration in the way weight or body shape is experienced. Lack of recognition of the seriousness and problematic nature of low body weight.

In addition, disorders such as anorexia nervosa can be classified as mild to extreme based on Body Mass Index (BMI) and also based on the patient's behaviors (restrictive type or restrictive type). (restrictive type or compulsive/purge type). The other EDs follow equally strict diagnostic criteria and are also divided into different categories: for example, the severity of bulimia is quantified by the number of compensatory episodes (laxatives, diuretics, self-inflicted vomiting, etc.) that the patient performs, from 1 to 14 per week.

Why are TCAs so dangerous?

First of all, we want to make it clear that EDs have a solution, as long as you go to the clinic promptly and seek help, both from professionals and from the family nucleus. It is not our intention to generate fear in a patient with an eating disorder, since it has been demonstrated thousands of times that it is possible to get out of the destructive cycle that these clinical entities represent.

However, we cannot ignore the reality either: according to professional clinics, anorexia nervosa is a serious illness, anorexia nervosa is the psychiatric illness with the highest mortality rate in the world.It is estimated that 2 out of every 10 untreated patients end up dying from their condition, either by suicide or by physiological consequences. It is estimated that, no more and no less, 2 out of 10 untreated patients end up dying because of their condition, either by suicide or physiological consequences.

No wonder: anorexia and bulimia prevent the proper functioning of the organism in every way, since without energy, cells cannot continue with their metabolic reactions necessary for existence. Caloric intake reduced to a minimum causes osteoporosis (due to calcium resorption), loss of muscle tone, Gastrointestinal problems, electrolyte abnormalities, kidney damage and, ultimately, cardiac pathologies that can lead to death.

In addition to the harmful effects of TCAs on the body, it should also be noted that the healing process is very slow and emotionally costly.. Clinical studies such as "Current approach to eating disorders: a clinical update" state that, after 9 years of professional care, half (50%) of patients with anorexia nervosa achieve complete remission of their condition, not counting the permanent effects of the disorder at the physiological level.

The results for bulimia are somewhat more encouraging, with up to 75% (or more) of patients estimated to recover completely at some point, reflected in a significantly lower mortality rate. Ruminant syndrome, pica and other conditions do not have conclusive long-term results in all cases, but are also associated with a better prognosis.

These pathologies have a solution, but they must be tackled quickly

In general, it is estimated that the prognosis is worse the later the disorder is diagnosed, the lower the Body Mass Index (BMI) and the more associated diseases the patient presents, such as depression, anxiety and other clinical entities. For all these reasons, the conclusion is more than clear: in the face of an Eating Disorder, every second counts. That is why it is important to seek professional help as soon as possible. it is important to seek professional help as soon as possible.

As these conditions have been studied, human beings have come to realize that eating for the sake of eating food without energy repeatedly, counting calories all the time, spitting out food after chewing it or applying compensatory mechanisms to avoid gaining weight after eating are not normal behaviors. Beyond vomiting and lack of food intake, if you have seen yourself reflected in these lines, go to therapy as soon as possible.