Eating Disorder Side Effects

Many people have asked, “what can anorexia nervosa be the result of?”. The American Psychiatric Association, broadly defines eating disorders as “illnesses in which people experience severe disturbances in their eating behaviors and related thoughts and emotions.” Though they are most common in girls and women between the ages of 12 and 35, eating disorders affect individuals of all genders, ages, and backgrounds. Eating Disorders frequently develop alongside other severe psychiatric issues, such as the abuse of drugs and/or alcohol, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), anxiety, and many others. Oftentimes, those that develop eating disorders become preoccupied with thoughts surrounding food and their body weight. The American Psychiatric Association says that the three main iterations of eating disorders are bulimia nervosa, anorexia nervosa, and binge eating disorder.

Possible Signs of an Eating Disorder (such as Anorexia Nervosa)

The Mayo Clinic lists a variety of signs to look out for that may suggest someone is struggling with an eating disorder. These could include:

Adopting a hyper-restrictive vegetarian diet
Skipping meals
Making excuses not to eat meals
Exercising in excess
Hyper-focusing on eating healthily
Instead of eating what the rest of one’s family eats, someone is making their own meals
Withdrawal from social activities
Consistently worrying or complaining about being overweight and discussing wanting to lose weight
Frequently looking at oneself in the mirror for perceived flaws in appearance
Calluses on one’s knuckles, which may appear from forcing oneself to throw up
Using laxatives, dietary supplements, or other herbal products to induce weight loss
Going to the bathroom in the middle of a meal
Secretly eating
Issues with losing tooth enamel that may be a result of repeated vomiting
Expressing sadness, depression, disgust, guilt, or shame about one’s eating habits
The repeated consumption of foods that are high in fat, such as sweets
Eating an abnormally large amount of food during a meal or for a snack

Possible Side Effects of Eating Disorders

Though the side effects one may experience from an eating disorder largely depends on what type they suffer from, some broad effects may include:

Severe health issues
Suicidal behaviors or thoughts
Anxiety
Depression
Issues with work or school
Issues with development and growth
Relationship issues
Social issues
Substance abuse disorders
Death

Potential Side Effects of Anorexia Nervosa

Anorexia Nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by an individual refusing to eat an adequate amount. They also could exercise in excess and attempt to lose weight through the use of laxatives or forced vomiting. Some side effects that may arise with anorexia nervosa include:

Hair and nails becoming brittle
The stopping of menstrual periods
Depression
Lethargy
The thinning of bones from losing calcium
Mild anemia
Muscles (including cardiac ones) waste away
Severe constipation
Dry skin
Yellowish skin
A drop in blood pressure
Lowered pulse and breathing rates
Constantly feeling cold due to a dip in one’s internal body temperature

Potential Side Effects of Bulimia Nervosa

Individuals suffering from bulimia nervosa tend to experience a dangerous cycle of binge eating followed by purging, often through induced vomiting or the use of laxatives. Some side effects that may come with bulimia nervosa include:

Severe dehydration
Kidney problems from the use of diuretics
A sore throat from chronic inflammation
Intestinal issues from laxative abuse
Tooth enamel wearing off from exposure to stomach acids
Gastroesophageal reflux disorder from persistent vomiting
Swollen salivary glands below the jaw and in the neck
Puffy cheeks and face
Esophageal tears, cardiac arrhythmias, and gastric rupture, which may be fatal

Potential Side Effects of Binge Eating Disorder

Those who experience binge eating disorder tend to experience episodes in which they consume inordinate amounts of food in a given period of time; during such a binge the sufferer likely feels out of control. Some side effects of binge eating disorder could include:

Physical discomfort
Fatigue
Lethargy
Loneliness, depression, anger
Social isolation
High blood pressure
High cholesterol
Adult-onset diabetes
Gout
Cardiovascular disease
Suffering socially or career-wise

If you or a loved one is experiencing disordered eating, we are here to help at Eating Disorder Recovery Specialists. You may contact us via phone (866-525-2766), email, or by filling out our contact form.