Eating Disorder Treatment | Causes of Eating Disorders

Treatment for Eating Disorder

Healthy Diet Plans >> Eating Disorders >> Treatment for Eating Disorder

The number of people suffering from eating disorders has been on the rise in the last two decades. There are two main causes of eating disorders: a different way of viewing foods as well as a different lifestyle. Earlier, the most important aspect of any dish was its nutrition value; however, food has now come to be regarded as a source of enjoyment. This view of food has led to an increase in the variety of tastes and flavors in common foods along with a decrease in their nutritive value. Chemical preservatives, dyes, and taste enhancers are common to almost all packaged foods.

In addition to this unhealthy view of food, most of us have a rather unhealthy lifestyle. Most people have sedentary jobs and prefer to relax by watching television or surfing the internet. Kids and teenagers too prefer computer games to outdoor games. This type of a lifestyle results in an inadequate amount of daily physical exercise. Eating disorders are now rampant as people fall prey to advertising gimmicks and media influence. Eating disorders in kids is extremely common as they are constantly bombarded by both advertisements for delicious looking goodies as well as media focusing on thin being fashionable. The eating disorder treatment method would vary according to the type of disorder.

One of the most common eating disorder today is anorexia nervosa. This condition is generally referred to as anorexia and it can have an immense impact on the quality as well as the quantity of life for an individual. This means that an individual suffering from anorexia leads an unhealthy lifestyle which causes them to fall sick more easily. It will also increase the person’s risk of dying at an earlier age than most people. Anorexia causes the individual to have a distorted view of their body wherein they consider themselves to be fat and ugly despite their actual looks. Most people who suffer from anorexia are actually emaciated and refuse to eat food as they fear that they will put on weight. This condition should not be ignored as anorexia eating disorder treatment is essential for their survival. Immediate psychiatric help is recommended and there are several specialists who work with people suffering from this condition. A person suffering from an eating disorder will also need to consult a dietician for a healthy diet plan. This is very important as it will help the individual to follow healthy eating habits and slowly regain their health. The dietician will recommend a healthy eating plan according to the individual’s eating disorder and according to their nutritional requirements. People suffering from anorexia will need to start including a larger quantity of food in their daily diet as this will help to prevent nutritional deficiencies. The dietician may recommend only vegetarian food products for the first few weeks as this will allow their digestive system to get used to the larger quantities of food. After this, they can include homemade chicken broths and soups. People who suffer from bulimia and binge eating disorders may be required to keep an adequate quantity of healthy snacks on hand. This substitution will help to reduce their cravings for junk foods and will help to stabilize their eating habits.

Most eating disorders have emotional causes or triggers and so emotional support is essential. There are several support groups for people with anorexia as well as their families to help them cope with this eating disorder. Other common eating disorders include binge eating and bulimia. When it comes to the treatment of eating disorders, emotional support is very important to help the individual overcome their disorder and live a full and happy life.

Submitted on August 4, 2010