Food for Thought (part 3): The Harmful Impact of Eating Disorders
Struggling with any form of eating disorder can be very consuming and taxing, quite literally as it can significantly impair our emotional, physical, and mental/cognitive functioning and overall health and well-being. There are many negative, harmful consequences when it comes to disordered eating/exercise patterns to be aware of, and it may be surprising to find that these issues you may be experiencing are actually likely linked to your negative relationship with food/exercise. Below is a list of various types of issues you may encounter/have encountered within your eating disorder:
Heart irregularities, can lead to shrinking muscles in the heart where it beats slower and thus pumps less blood; has the potential to be fatal
Blood work from the lab indicates abnormalities including but not limited to anemia (low iron/bruising easy), low thyroid/hormone levels, low potassium, low white and red blood cell counts
Tinnitus (ringing in the ears)
Edema (swelling in the body tissue due to water retention based on malnutrition)
Growth impairment
Lanugo (fine hair that grows in the body’s attempt to preserve heat with lack of fat)
Headaches, migraines
Lack of energy; exhaustion, fatigue
Weakened or impaired immune system
Wounds have a hard time healing
Joint and bone aches/pain/dysfunction
Brittle hair, skin, bones, and nails
Feeling cold most of the time, having cold hands and feet
Troubles with gastrointestinal complications such as cramping in the stomach, acid reflux, constipation, etc
Missing or losing a period, and other variability with the menstrual cycle (not associated with contraceptives)
Dental issues such as cavities, decay, enamel erosion, sensitivity, or tooth discoloration as a result of vomiting
Being fixated/preoccupied on controlling food, exercise, diet, calorie counting, weight, etc and struggling to concentrate or engage with other things
Muscle fatigue, feeling weak
Dizziness, especially standing up after being in a seated/lying position
Fainting/syncope/passing out
Salivary gland swelling
Troubles falling/staying asleep
Weight fluctuating more than average, both up and down
Big mood swings
Tops of finger joints have cuts or marks from purging
Loss of hunger/fullness cues
This can be daunting to look at at first; however, I also hope it can be an eye-opener to see how it’s not just about the food or body image– it goes so much deeper when we are engaging in very unhealthy behaviors. The bright side is, most of these issues can be resolved and healed once you start fueling your body appropriately and participating openly with your treatment team sessions (therapist, nutritionist, and doctor, all with experience treating eating disorders) to learn how to manage these struggles in a healthy way. We’re here to help!
To find out more, you can also visit the National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA) website: https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/.