Society has put pressure on people to look and act in a certain way, and some people might do everything to look like that. The media praises the images of perfectly sculptured bodies, and navigating these images and understanding that the ideal human body comes in different shapes leads to eating disorders. To achieve the perfect body, some people can forgo food so that they achieve a thin frame while others might binge eat to gain the desired weight. Eating too much or too little harms the health of an individual. If you suspect a loved one has an eating disorder, contact a Huntington Beach eating disorder specialist for treatment.
What Causes Eating Disorders?
Genetics
The study of separated identical twins adopted by different families at birth indicates that eating disorder might be inherited. Scientists are yet to pinpoint the gene that causes an eating disorder, but someone with the disorder might have a closely related relative with the same disorder too.
Personality traits
People who are perfectionists are likely to develop an eating disorder as they want to have the perfect body endorsed by the fashion industry. Impulsive people, as well as those with neuroticism, might develop an eating disorder too.
Culture
The pressure to be thinly promoted by western societies might have an impact on an individual. Eating disorders might be non-existent in societies that have not been exposed to the western ideals of thinness.
Diagnosis of Eating Disorders
Although the eating disorder is a severe condition that leads to physical complications, there is no laboratory and scientific screening for the disorder. Medical practitioners use different assessment tools such as questioners to figure out the illness, and they might also watch out for the weight gain and weight loss in patients. Some patients might even deny that they have an eating disorder, and the doctor will examine their blood, bone density, and conduct electrocardiogram analysis.
Treatment of Eating Disorders
Psychological therapy
A mental therapist might help the patient overcome eating disorder and related complications by normalizing the eating pattern, help the patient achieve a healthy eating program, and develop problem-solving skills. Psychological treatment encompasses cognitive behavioral therapy, family-based therapy, and group cognitive-behavioral therapy.
Nutrition education
Registered dieticians help patients better understand their disorder and the importance of eating a balanced diet on their health. The goals of a dietician involve working towards a healthy weight gain for the patient, helping the patient understand how a balanced diet affects the body. A dietician may help the patient plan their meals and correct any eating problem.
Medications for eating disorders
Medications on its own cannot treat eating disorders, and your doctor might recommend using them with nutritional education as well as psychological therapy. Taking antidepressants might help improve moods and curb the eating disorders in some patients.
Conclusion
If you think that your loved one has an eating disorder, you should talk with them about it and help them get diagnosis and treatment. For patients that might not accept that they have an issue, the doctor can conduct a blood test, bone density analysis, and other diagnostic measurements. A medical practitioner should ensure that a patient with an eating disorder gets psychological therapy and nutritional education to help improve their condition. Although medication on their own might not cure eating disorders, when combined with the therapy they might improve the condition for most patients.
