What does ED mean in PHYSIOLOGY

Definition

Eating Disorder (ED) is an umbrella term for various psychological illnesses which disrupt healthy eating patterns in sufferers. The three main types include Anorexia Nervosa (AN), Bulimia Nervosa (BN), and Binge Eating Disorder (BED). Other subtypes may also be present such as Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), Night Eating Syndrome (NES), Pica, Rumination Disorder or Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorders (OSFED). Common traits among these disorders include intrusive thoughts about food; an obsession with controlling body weight; distorted body image; struggling with hunger and fullness cues; drastic changes to eating habits; guilt surrounding food choices; fear of certain foods or textures; and extreme dissatisfaction with one’s appearance. Many individuals with ED struggle to find balance between attaining a “healthy” body size while still satisfying emotional needs through eating habits. These feelings often accompany shame, isolation, stigma, and secrecy due to the highly personal nature of the illness.

Causes

The precise causes of ED are unknown but there are several potential contributing factors such as biological makeup, social stressors/pressures and environmental influences like media images about body shapes/weight expectations. For some people the illness might be biologically predisposed e.g., genetic predisposition towards developing EDs under certain conditions such as environmental stressors. In other cases dieting – either intentional or unintentional – may trigger disordered eating patterns, especially if sustained for more than a few weeks or months at a time. Furthermore, due to its highly influential power in our lives today it is thought that modern-day media images play a role in setting unrealistic standards of beauty which many individuals feel they need to aim for in order to fit into society's ideals of attractiveness.

Symptoms

The most common symptoms of ED include dramatic change in weight without any medical cause – either drastic weight gain or loss over a short period of time – along with preoccupation with food/calorie counting/dieting talk amongst friends/family members , avoiding meals/eating only certain approved foods, significant increase/decrease in physical activity levels , unwillingness or inability to eat around others or with family & friends , using laxatives or diet pills excessively , disturbed sleep pattern srecurrent binge eating & purging episodes . Additionally individuals may experience frequent fluctuations between periods where they starve themselves followed by episodes where they overeat uncontrollably then purge afterwards.

Treatments

Treatment for an ED typically includes both psychotherapy and nutrition counseling from licensed professionals such as registered dietitians and therapists who specialize in treating EDs . Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) has been found effective at helping individuals manage their intrusive thoughts related to food & their self image issues as well as challenging underlying distorted beliefs & replacing them with healthier ones . Family therapy is another commonly used tool which helps patients understand how their relationships have impacted their behaviors & allows loved ones to be part of the recovery process by providing support . Medication may also be prescribed depending on the individual’s specific diagnosis & situation but pharmacologic management alone isn’t enough–it should be supplemented by behavioral therapies too.