Eating Disorders and Disordered Eating
Eating disorders and disordered eating
Source: Butterfly Foundation
Clinical eating disorders are medically diagnosed conditions, but they represent only one part of the broader spectrum of issues related to body image, food, and eating. Eating disorders encompass a wide range of thoughts and behaviors surrounding these areas.
Statistics
Clinical eating disorders affect an estimated 1 million (4%) Australians at any given time (Deloitte Access Economics, 2015). When combined with disordered eating, eating disorders impact 16.3% of Australians (Hay, Girosi, and Mond, 2015).
Common Eating Disorders
Most common eating disorders are:
Anorexia Nervosa (AN)
Bulimia Nervosa (BN)
Binge Eating Disorder (BED)
Other Specified Feeding/Eating Disorder (OSFED)
How dietetic services help with eating disorders?
Dietetic services take a collaborative approach, working alongside other healthcare professionals such as GPs and psychologists, to ensure comprehensive and long-term care for individuals dealing with eating disorders and disordered eating. They address the intricate relationship between food, emotions, and physical health in a compassionate and evidence-based manner.
People with eating disorders and disordered eating often develop unhealthy behaviors rooted in body dissatisfaction and negative nutrition influences, like pursuing thin ideals, skipping meals, eliminating certain foods, or adopting food rules and rituals. Dietitians provide support, education, and guidance to help individuals overcome these distorted thoughts and behaviors.
Why working with a dietitian?
Dietitians are medically trained nutrition professionals and the only professionals qualified to provide individual dietary consultation at the moment (Click here to read about the difference between a dietitian and nutritionist). Dietitians are trained to provide medical nutrition therapy and one-on-one personalized dietary advice, taking into consideration one's lifestyle, dietary habits, preferences, and goals to tailor nutrition strategies.
The topics dietitians might talk to you about:
The recovery process from an eating disorder
Self-compassion
Negative effects of eating disorder behaviours
Metabolism and nutrition needs of a human
The dieting cycle and how to break it
A general healthy balanced diet
Importance and ways to eat regularly and adequately
How to manage and alter your eating disorder behaviours through behavioural and environmental changes
Build a healthy relationship with food
Identify and challenge some feared foods
Identify and challenge some food rules
Social eating and enhance social life
Eating according to hunger-fullness cue
Build flexibility in eating
Intuitive eating