We speak of an eating disorder when there are abnormal behaviors in relation to food intake, including alterations in weight control. Eating disorders result in physical problems and alterations in the psychosocial functioning of the individual.
Types
The main eating behavior disorders (ED) are anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder, according to the DSM-V (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders of the American Psychiatric Association, 2013).
There are minor disorders: pica, food intake avoidance and/or restriction disorder, night eating syndrome etc.
Diagnosis
As in other mental disorders, the clinical history, examination, psychopathology and, in these disorders, physical examination are the key to establish a diagnosis.
There are also complementary explorations: general analysis, specific hormone, basal metabolism, bone densimetry, etc. Psychological tests are also performed, either general mental health or specific to anorexia and bulimia. In somatic examinations, physical complications are assessed, while tests give us an idea of the intensity of the eating disorder. In either case, they are auxiliary methods.
Complications
At the somatic level, ED can be complicated by digestive diseases of the upper and lower tract, endocrine, metabolic, renal, osteoporosis, etc.
At the psychological level, depressive disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety disorders and micropsychotic episodes may appear. In addition, there is comorbidity with personality disorders, especially in bulimia.
Treatment
In all cases, the treatment must be, on the one hand, somatic and, on the other hand, psychosocial. The somatic treatment will try to restore not only weight and adequate nutrition, but also the complete normalization of the functioning of the organism.
The psychosocial treatments consist of psychotherapies (individual, group, family, etc.), occupational therapy and social interventions.
Prevention
There are preventive campaigns on ED at the school level in its various stages, at the level of health centers and, perhaps to a lesser extent, at the level of the media. The intensity and frequency of these campaigns may vary depending on the material and human resources available, when they are established at state level, and also on the peculiarities of health organization in the various Autonomous Communities.
In all cases, it is necessary to implement primary prevention, through health education, and secondary prevention through early diagnosis.