Eating disorders affect all races and ethnic groups. Genetics, environmental factors, and personality traits all combine to create risk for an eating disorder.

What are Eating Disorders?

Eating disorders are illnesses in which the people experience severe disturbances in their eating behaviors and related thoughts and emotions. People with eating disorders typically become pre-occupied with food and their body weight.

Eating disorders affect several million people at any given time, most often women between the ages of 12 and 35. There are three main types of eating disorders: anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder.

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Types of Eating Disorders

Anorexia nervosa is diagnosed when patients weigh weigh less than the normal BMI (body mass index) healthy weight expected for their height. Hallmarks of anorexia include:

  • Limited food intake/ binge-eating purging behavior
  • Fear of being “fat”
  • Denial of low body weight
  • Distorted body image

Many people don’t know when a family member or friend has bulimia nervosa because people almost always hide their binges. Since they don’t become drastically thin, their behaviors may go unnoticed by those closest to them.

Patients with bulimia generally have a restrictive eating pattern or binge-eat and then purge but remain in normal BMI.

Binge eating disorder involves frequent overeating during a discrete period of time (at least once a week for three months), combined with lack of control and associated with three or more of the following:

  • Eating more rapidly than normal
  • Eating until feeling uncomfortably full
  • Eating alone because of feeling embarrassed by how much one is eating
  • Feeling disgusted with oneself, depressed or very guilty afterward

Behind Eating Disorders?

Eating disorders frequently appear during the teen years or young adulthood but may also develop during childhood or later in life. These disorders affect both genders, although rates among women are higher than among men. Like women who have eating disorders, men also have a distorted sense of body image. For example, men may have muscle dysmorphia, a type of disorder marked by an extreme concern with becoming more muscular.Researchers are finding that eating disorders are caused by a complex interaction of genetic, biological, behavioral, psychological, and social factors. Type A personalities have a greater incidence of eating disorders. Researchers are using the latest technology and science to better understand eating disorders.One approach involves the study of human genes. Eating disorders run in families. Researchers are working to identify DNA variations that are linked to the increased risk of developing eating disorders.

How we treat Eating Disorders?

Adequate nutrition, reducing excessive exercise, and stopping purging behaviors are the foundations of treatment. Treatment plans are tailored to individual needs and may include one or more of the following:

  • Individual, group, and/or family psychotherapy
  • Medical care and monitoring
  • Nutritional counseling
  • Medications

Scientific Understanding of Eating Disorders

usnews

An article over the unhealthy viewing of social media outlets and body image.

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medpage

Looking at future mental issues associated with eating disorders.

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psychology

Understanding some reasons why that people develop eating disorders.

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Key Benefits of Therapy at Exult

Adolescents are going through high-stress times. At Exult, we have multiple professionals who are licensed in helping your child.

  • Group therapy
  • Individual therapy
  • Access to on-site psychiatrist
  • Providers work together
  • Tailored programs
  • Afternoon and weekend hours
  • Yoga and Mindulness

We only offer binge-eating therapy where during therapy you control the impulses of binge-eating and nutritional counseling.

We do take multiple insurances such as United, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aetna, and Medicare but we suggest you discuss any major medical decisions with your insurance provider.

We offer therapy for binge-eating only currently.

We offer medication management but we try to keep an open discussion between the client, therapist, and psychiatrist as to the needs of the client.

We offer screening and measurement of BMI to help determine if you need further assistance.

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