Food has medicinal properties; we can be addicted to certain foods such as sugar and pasta, some foods can be soothing, such as foods that contain lots of B vitamins like salmon and leafy greens, some are antioxidant and antiinflammatory as strong as medicine, such as pomegranates, blueberries, turmeric, and kale.
Our relationship with food is as complicated as our lives. If we eat only when we are hungry and happy with it, and if we feel our food nourishes us, it means we have a healthy relationship with food. This also means we are happy, healthy people. However, our life is not always rainbows and butterflies. When we miss something that we need for our emotional fulfillment when we are under pressure, or if we had unresolved trauma, we tend to compensate these voids by food. If this behaviour becomes chronic, it may lead to eating disorders. We will briefly list these disorders below:
1| Anorexia Nervosa: Anorexia nervosa is characterized by weight loss, significant restriction of food, and extreme fear of putting on weight. Individuals suffering from anorexia typically have a distorted concept of body image. This condition is more common in women than men, and adolescent and teen girls are disproportionately affected.
2| Bulimia Nervosa: This disorder is characterized by cycles of binging -consuming high calories in a short amount of time- and then purging, often through self-induced vomiting; laxatives or diet pills may also be used. Individuals suffering from this condition are preoccupied with body image.
3| Other Specified Feeding and Eating Disorders.
This diagnosis may include a combination of symptoms, including binging and purging, food restriction, and excessive eating at night. Individuals suffering from this condition have a clinically recognized eating disorder but don’t quite fit into the diagnostic criteria for anorexia or bulimia.
Eating Disorders Versus Disordered Eating
Eating disorders and disordered eating are not the same. Disordered eating refers to a range of erratic dietary habits that don’t fit into the diagnostic specifications for the eating disorders listed above. However, that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be taken seriously. Symptoms can include emotional eating, frequent dieting, rigidity around food choices, binging and purging, extreme exercising, use of laxatives or diet pills, and/or food restriction. Disordered eating habits can lead to eating disorders if not addressed.
How Can They Be Healed?
Anorexia and bulimia need psychological therapy with an expert specified in this field. Emotional eating and other minor eating disorders can be fixed with the help of a health coach who will look into your state of mind, when and how you show such behaviour. It all boils down to our emotions and unresolved issues that have nothing to do with food. Food in this case becomes a tool to self-medicate instead of addressing the root cause. A health coach can help you to discover the reason for the eating disorder and support you to address it without feeling guilt and shame.