Eating disorders: causes and symptoms

Eating disorders usually appear during adolescence or early adulthood and are more common among young people in industrialized societies. However, eating disorders, especially anorexia, are present in all kinds of cultures, even those where the cult of thinness is absent.

Anorexia and bulimia affect more girls and women than boys and men. Men represent about 10% of affected persons. The bulimic overeating is better distributed among the sexes and assigned 2 men to 3 women about. It affects older people, who are on average in the quarantine.

As in other industrialized countries, the rate of eating disorders among Quebecker women and girls  aged 13 to 30 years is approximately 3% (30,000 persons).  This figure can be tripled if one adds the partial forms of these disorders, which nevertheless have a significant impact on those who suffer.

The experts agree that there are more and more people with eating disorders. If the statistics allow us to reach a higher incidence among western school age women, it is also true that no one is immune to the turmoil of the power supply.

• Eating disorders occur even in the developing countries, although they are more present in the industrialized societies.
• They affect equally all socioeconomic classes.
• In North America, the racial or ethnic differences have little impact on the prevalence of eating disorders.

The causes

The research of Steiger and Bruce, those of Treasure and those of Striegler-Moore show that eating disorders are caused by a combination of biological, psychological, social and environmental factors.

Specifically, the genes would affect the mood, the control of behavior, reward mechanisms, metabolism and appetite.

Environmental factors, such as a perinatal stress or a traumatic event during childhood also would have an impact. Similarly, the mental and nutritional condition of the person as well as the social pressure to make schemes would play a role.

The biological factors

 They include among others: the heredity, family history of depression, anxiety, eating disorders and weight problems.

Several research projects have helped to demonstrate the role of genetic factors in eating disorders. In effect, they are clearly transmitted to the inside of a family, that is to say that heredity plays a role. However, these data cannot prove that eating disorder is automatically transmitted from mother to daughter, but allow you to say that there may be transmission of traits of temperament or a vulnerability to other disturbances that would increase the risk of developing such a disorder.

Some anomalies at the neurotransmitters level regulating appetite and mood, would have an influence on the development of eating disorders. In addition to their research on neurotransmitters, the researchers of the research group on eating disorders are also interested in genetic factors and to the brain activity of people with eating disorders.

The social factors

 It has always conveyed ideal model beauty, but with the years, this model has become increasingly thinner, even meager. The media contribute to convey several images and standards who are putting pressure on women and often grow to follow draconian regimes harmful to their health.

The cult of thinness is inscribed in a marketing strategy of several trillions of dollars. The woman must be issued subject: we value the woman-object, fragile and dependent. In short, these thinness ideals are marketing tools that allow one to run a prolific industry.

The social pressures are related more to the different forms of bulimia, rather than to the anorexia. In effect, it is a disorder that seems to have increased significantly over the past few years and who would be more localized in the industrialized societies. Anorexia in contrast is present everywhere, on all continents and for a very long time; it is therefore associated with less social factors as the cause.

The regimes

The media broadcast a lot of advertising as regards the famous miracles regimes and other diets infallible. In fact, in the case of persons whose genetic predispositions are favorable to eating disorders, the regimes often act as a trigger of the disorder. The first gesture to ask is without doubt to stop the regimes.

The regimes also have a harmful physical effect : a moderate regime of 3 weeks alters brain functions and reduces the substances that control the mood, thought, and satiety.

The family influence

The Academy of Eating Disorders (2010) admits that family factors may play a role in the emergence and the maintenance of an eating disorder, but they are in no case the sole cause or even the principal of the development of an eating disorder.

The psychological factors

Eating disorders often coexist with affective disorders, anxiety disorders and the control pulses disorders. Sometimes, eating disorders also coexist with the problems of controlling the behavior, negative emotion, self-criticism or  Maladaptive Perfectionism.

However, there are enormous differences between individuals:

About one-third of those who suffer from an eating disorder are frankly "offset": they are impulsive and unstable emotionally
Another third are "onset ": they are inhibited and in extreme control of their emotions and finally the last third presents no psychopathology
In other words, eating disorders affect all kinds of people. These differences suggest that the disturbances of the supply resulting from different exposures to various types of risk, and more importantly, that the treatment must be individualized.

The consequences

Psychological Consequences

Anxiety
Impulsiveness
Introversion
Sleep disturbance
Obsessive thoughts
Emotional changes
Concentration Problems
Dietary concerns
Depressive moods, irritability
Intellectual capacity deteriorated
Physical Consequences
Anorexia
Bulimia