personal essay on eating disorder

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Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, discussing my eating disorder in college essays – too personal or potentially impactful.

Hey guys, so here's the thing – I’ve battled with an eating disorder, and it’s been a significant part of my high school experience. Should I write about overcoming this challenge in my essays, or would it be better to choose a less sensitive subject?

Your courage in facing and overcoming such a personal challenge is commendable. When choosing an essay topic, the key is to focus on how the experience has shaped you and enabled personal growth. If you believe that your journey with an eating disorder has been a transformational part of your high school experience and has changed you in a significant way, it is worth considering as an essay topic.

However, ensure that your narrative is one of resilience and that it showcases how this experience has helped you build up your strengths, rather than solely focusing on the struggle itself. For example, avoid graphic descriptions of what you dealt with, as they may be uncomfortable for admissions officers to read, especially if they have struggled with eating disorders themselves—remember, you never know who is going to be reading your essay.

Rather, focus on how overcoming the hardship of this experience has taught you important life skills, by talking about accomplishments or formative experiences that were enabled by the abilities you developed as a result of your struggle with your eating disorder. This approach will give colleges what they are interested in in any personal statement, which is your ability to persevere and how your experiences have prepared you for the challenges of college life.

In summary, this topic is not too personal if framed correctly. If you're wondering if your approach is working, you can always check out CollegeVine's free peer essay review service, or submit it to an expert advisor for a paid review. Since they don't know you, they can provide an objective perspective that will hopefully give you a sense of how an actual admissions officer would read you essay. Good luck!

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CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.

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Header menu - drawer | united kingdom, james' story: my experience with anorexia and eating disorders.

This content mentions eating disorders, body image or generally discusses weight, which some people may find triggering.

It’s ‘Eating Disorder Awareness Week (EDAW)’ from 27 February 2023, and this year’s focus is on eating disorder awareness in men . Yes, that’s us strong, tough men who hide our feelings. Oh, hang on a minute, that’s not actually true, is it?

It’s a myth that it’s only women and girls who suffer with ‘eating disorders’.

The National Association for Males with Eating Disorders estimates that 25% to 40% of people with eating disorders are men and boys.

The big blocker to getting help is stigma , together with a lack of understanding about the size and presentation of eating disorders in the male population can mean that eating disorders are not identified or treated early enough.

Of course, it is possible that men and boys are particularly resistant to early intervention. One of the main reasons for this could be a reduced likelihood of family, friends or medical professionals suspecting an eating disorder as early as they would in a female with the same symptoms.

So, this is my story about how I fell victim to the deadly disease ‘ Anorexia Nervosa ’. Thankfully and luckily, I live to tell the tale and turn my wounds into wisdom. I hope that this will help people who are affected to understand the importance of getting help, no matter what type of eating disorder they may have.

Malnourished to Manpower!

For two years in my early twenties I lived with anorexia but convinced myself that I was fine. Only when my weight dropped, did I finally agree to get the help that I needed. I now raise awareness of the illness to help others.

I was a relatively chubby child, and, as I’m sure you know, kids can be mean. I was bullied at school for the way I looked and, at one point, was even given the nickname ‘Bacon Boy.’

But looking back, it didn’t make me desperately unhappy. Not at the time. It wasn’t like those unkind words made me want to change myself or fit in or triggered an eating disorder. Although, I suppose, in some way, that’s what did happen. It just crept up, surprising me years later when I was 22.

After leaving school, I was happy. I was living at home in Milton Keynes, I studied horticulture and then ended up working for a local company. Everything felt pretty stable. As I got older, I did want to look good and feel better in my skin, so I signed up to the local gym and found that I actually really enjoyed it.

I fell into a good routine; making my own lunch in the morning, going to work and then the gym after that. I lost weight, felt good, and my life as an 18-year-old seemed very normal. Until I got offered a secondment in London which meant being away from home and the familiarity of that entire routine. That’s when things began to change and over those few months away from home, I got used to the feeling of being empty and hungry, and what’s more, I liked it.

What also happened, as I began eating all of my meals alone and doing nothing but work and going to the gym, I began to isolate myself from other people.

I didn’t feel comfortable being around anyone else, having people watch what I was (or wasn’t) eating, so I cut myself off. My work colleagues didn’t really know me, so they didn’t notice much difference, but when I went home after my secondment ended, my family saw that my behaviour had changed.

I kept telling them I was fine. I thought I was. I just wanted to be left alone, and the more they told me to eat, the less I wanted to. But I guess that deep, deep down, I knew things weren’t fine. I remember at the same time thinking that I just wanted to fade away, to not exist, to be gone by the time my sister had her baby, six months later.

However, I pushed those thoughts and feelings down and carried on. There were moments during those months, before my diagnosis, where I was feeling a lot of tension. When you’re malnourished, it plays havoc with your emotions.

I was angry, snappy and volatile. My parents didn’t understand what was happening to me or how to help, how could they when I didn’t know what was happening myself?

When I finally spoke to a GP , they told me that I was severely underweight. You might think that at this point, things would start to look up. But for me, this is where my mental health actually hit rock bottom.

The first thing that happened was that I was signed off work for eight weeks and had to declare my licence to the DVLA as I was considered a risk on the roads. It felt like I was being punished. In fact, worse, it felt like people had taken away my control and were trying to control me.

I was told that I was entitled to 30 weeks of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy . Something that I really didn’t want. It’s hard to explain, but with anorexia you can only start to accept help and get better when you hold your hands up and say, “I need help”. But I still couldn’t do that. I was in complete denial.

My aim then was just to be healthy and for it all to be over - to be left alone. So, I went from being extremely anorexic to binge eating .

I now show myself compassion, and I can give myself a ‘talking to’ when I have thoughts that might not be healthy. Of course, I’ve had setbacks, but over the last eight years I’ve really managed to get myself back on track.

I’m still very aware of what I eat. There’s no doubt about that, but I don’t restrict myself anymore. And on the days that I do indulge, it doesn’t hurt as much as it used to. They helped me see things differently, admit that I ‘did’ need help and recognise that I never want to be back in that painful place again.

People started saying that I looked good and how much ‘healthier’ I must be now that I was gaining weight. What they couldn’t see was the way I was crumbling inside. Even though it’s hard to explain or pinpoint when, why or how the therapy started to help. It just did.

I think when you start to feed yourself physically with food, and mentally with therapy, you get a better perspective and understanding. I learned to recognise the voice in my head - the one telling me that my weight needed to be as low as possible for me to be happy - and change it.

When the therapy ended, the hard work on myself really began, but the treatment had given me the tools to do that, and what’s more, I wanted to.

It’s why I’m now extremely passionate about raising awareness of male eating disorders and talking about how to recognise it in friends and colleagues - and in yourself. Luckily, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) helped me, and I’ve turned things around. But I’m very aware that so many people are convincing their friends, family - and themselves - that they’re fine. I hope that by talking about my experience, it will help them.

Things are changing for the better!

Eating disorders continue to have the highest mortality rates of ALL mental illnesses. Yes, all mental illnesses - shocking, I know. There has been much improved training for healthcare professionals over the past year. But we need to see more accurate awareness of the early signs, symptoms and risks of eating disorders, and we need to see more prioritisation of early detection and treatment, especially in men and boys and before medical treatment become necessary.

As someone with lived experience, I strongly believe any related deaths are preventable if people get the right care early enough. Recovery from eating disorders is possible, but getting the right treatment early is key for the sufferer and the increasing strain on our health care system. Eating disorders are a severe mental illness and shouldn’t be underestimated.

And if you could take anything away from my story, it would be the following: “All the advice in the world won’t help, until you are willing to help yourself”. You can and will get better!

If you feel affected by the content you have read, please see our get help page for support.

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A-z topic: eating disorders, a-z topic: anorexia nervosa.

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A Personal Narrative: My Eating Disorder Found Hope in Recovery

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Eating Disorders are a distorted perception of your body, one often caused by the unreasonable expectations women feel by society. Each image of a slender tall model seen on an advertisement impacts you. Social media influencers of beautiful women and the comments made by their followers impact you. In the back of your brain these cultural beauty standards make you question your self-worth. Am I good enough? Why don’t I look like that? These can slowly root and distort your concept of a perfect body, till it’s firmly a belief accepted and unquestioned, by you. Most women at some point feel like their body isn’t good enough. 

The contemporary disorder that I am focusing is Anorexia Nervosa. Anorexia Nervosa is starving yourself. It is a weight loss goal that when surpassed still continues. It is a need for control that slowly feeds on any part of who you were before it. These disorders become your identity, your desire, your passion. As it grows stronger you begin to hide behind it, isolating you from anyone who might ask if you need help. Ultimately leading the disorder as your only companion. 

Anorexia became mine. 

Although I had never been jealous of my best friends’ looks, I had secretly wished I was as small as her. When we ate junk food I felt resentment in the back of my mind, that I would gain weight, while she would remain the same. None the less, I was a 14-year-old girl, and my confidence wore thick. I was more than comfortable with my body, and how I looked, and yet before I knew it, in what felt like a single moment, I had forgotten was it was like to love myself.

I began to slowly walk down the staircase towards the living room where my mom was sitting watching tv on the couch with our golden retriever. She could tell I wanted something, which only made my tone less confident. Just say it, just say it, repeated in my head as I looked at her with blank stares.

I was able to mumble a few words, explaining that volleyball season made me want to eat more, and since it was over it had been hard for me to stop, I felt hungry all the time. My mother continued to look at me waiting to see what my drawn-out reasoning’s were about. I looked at the ground as I asked for diet pills shamefully. She reacted calmly, only wanting to know why diet and exercise wasn’t the best option. Inside I felt the confidence seep back into my bones and looked up at her explaining that it was only for me to get my cravings under control, and after a week or two I probably wouldn’t even need them. We went back and forth for a while until she agreed to at least go to the store and see what was available.

That night my mom came to my room and pulled out a bottle from a grocery bag and told to me they were only to help suppress my appetite. She told me to take them twice a day, for a couple weeks until I had it under control. I remained calm, but inside I felt powerful, like the world hadn’t truly seen what I was capable of yet.

So much so, I couldn’t sleep. I felt this intense urge to begin my diet immediately. I grabbed my computer and googled weight loss exercises, and quietly slipped out of my bed and started to do abs on my floor. I looked in the mirror. I wanted to remember exactly how I looked in this moment. I pictured myself five pounds lighter and started to smile.

The next morning, I woke up, rushed downstairs, grabbed my first diet pill and took it. I waited anxiously for 30 minutes, then grabbed my cereal. I couldn’t believe it; I had barely touched my bowl. After a few bites and I felt like throwing up. Usually, I was on my second helping. I grabbed the barely eaten bowl of special k chocolate delight and poured it down the sink. As I walked away an incredible rush of confidence flooded my body. I knew that I looked the same. I knew that I hadn’t lost any weight, yet it felt as if everything had already changed. It was like nothing I had ever experienced.

After a few weeks, I had shed off at least five pounds. I stood in my room, looking at myself in jeans that once struggled to get up to my waist and button now slip on, with a slightly loose waistline. Adrenaline swooped over my body with gratification filling every inch. I grabbed all my jeans from my closest. Each pair fit better than the last. I couldn’t get enough. I Imagined what the jeans would look like after another five pounds gone.

It was my little cousin’s birthday, and we were going out to eat for pizza. I begged my mom the night before to let me skip, but she said I had to go. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to see my family, because I did, but going to a pizza place felt like I was asking myself to gain weight.

I asked my mom to back me up if anyone asked if I wanted more than a salad, because I was still on my diet. It was the first time I hid my true feelings. It wasn’t just the desire to not eat pizza I was worried about; I was terrified to. I knew this was not a diet, because I had no intention of stopping at my goal weight, in fact it wasn’t just about the weight anymore. I was hooked on the control it gave me.

I began to feel anxious, praying nobody would say I looked good or skinny. I couldn’t have anyone asking questions that might lead to suspicion. Plus, it wasn’t their business, my eating disorder was personal, they weren’t allowed to have any part of it. Honestly, I had only lost seven pounds, which wasn’t much anyways. I felt ridiculous even worrying.

The salad bar had tones of options, I grabbed a bowl and filled it with lettuce to fill me up. I added a pinch of cheese and a few croutons. I decided to add a couple peanuts on top so the protein would help curb my appetite. I was barely taking my pills. My body got used to me eating so little it didn’t need them anymore. Which was great, because I could tell my mom I stopped using them.

As we ate, I looked around and felt sorry for them. If only they knew the intoxicating pleasure of refusing food. I was the lucky one, because I was able to see the gift of control while other people stuffed their faces with pizza. I knew they would never be as happy as me. How could they when they had no ability to stop eating whatever they wanted knowing the consequences.

I always spent a weekend during Christmas season at my grandma’s house with the rest of my family. The fear of family dinner had worsened since the birthday party, it now outweighed my desire to socialize. It was almost as if I felt a tattoo saying, I have an eating disorder but don’t want anyone to ask me about it, would somehow appear on my face the moment I arrived.

I instantly could feel the sensation of anxiety creep at every cell in my body as I entered the door. I was on constant look out to remain aware of everyone’s consumption and whether mine would stand out.

The night of Christmas dinner was the final stretch. After three long days of avoiding my family shoving Christmas cookies down my throat and asking me if I had enough to eat every 20 minutes, I was exhausted. As I helped myself to a dinner proportion of my acceptance, I felt every eyeball on me, I repeated in my head, it’s the last roadblock, then no more uncomfortable social interaction and back to focusing on my weight loss.

I felt like a criminal by not overindulging myself while everyone else did. I never realized how much food is around, it was like I couldn’t do anything without people wanting to gather around and stuff their faces in the highest calorie food they can find.

I had worked pretty hard to lose more weight before this cotillion dance, where all the 9th graders in school got together to learn dances. I bought a black dress with one strap, and dangle earrings to match. I wasn’t much for high heels but after seeing my legs look slimmer, I was more than convinced it was the right choice. My Mom helped me curl my hair, and for once in my life it actually stayed curled. I looked great and I felt even better. After my weekly self-weigh in I discovered I was down to 105. It wasn’t exactly my goal weight, but I had to give myself credit, I was two pounds away from losing 25 total since September. I can’t believe I ever let myself weigh that much; it was disgusting.

My mom took me to my friend’s where we started to take pictures, a lot of pictures. I was getting tired. I was happy my mom was there; I honestly didn’t want her to leave. Apart of me didn’t want to stay the night anymore, I liked being at home, playing games with my mom. It was the best way to make sure I never ate my food earlier then the set time. Plus, now that I was counting calories, it was harder to spend the night places.

Later at our sleepover I was lying in bed with my friend trying to sleep when my stomach started to growl. Luckily, she had already fallen asleep. I looked through my bag on the floor next to me and grabbed some peppermint gum to suppress my appetite. I felt homesick, why did I stay, I couldn’t wait for this nightmare to end. I never slept over at friends after that.

I was 101 pounds now and didn’t see myself ever stopping.

I was completely alone. Isolated by my own self destruction, I started to feel myself missing my old life. I wanted out, but if I leave who will be? A world where I wake up and eat whatever I want for breakfast? One where I no longer say no to sleepovers with my friends, not that we talk much anymore. Was it worth it? Losing every sense of who I once was, I had forgotten that guys even liked me yet my desire for flirting was depleted. My days were filled with fake surfaced level conversations with people that I wasn’t close with, because I didn’t have the energy to fake a smile for the friends, I used to have deep conversations and eat frozen blueberries out of giant container with. They just wouldn’t get it, and they never even asked. It felt like it was easier for everyone to pretend nothing had changed even as we continued to grow further apart. Each day I waited till I could go home and see my mom. The only one who did listen for hours about the same calories and the same dieting thoughts that continued to circle in my head 24/7. She did so with no complaint or judgement, her patience and ability to show complete strength amazed me, but she cried in the garage behind the closed doors of her car, because she knew I was lost, and felt no desire to change. I was okay with sacrificing friendships because losing weight gave me a high better than any closeness with a person. Except my mom.

My mom told me it was time to get help. I was fragile, the bones on my ribs felt like they would crumble with one touch. My mind was checked out, and I was a shell of a human. I had not cried in months, and conversations with anyone felt like a task, I just wanted to be alone. I really missed myself, the one who didn’t eat grapes at 11pm and look at Instagram judging girls who I once thought were skinny because I had passed their body weight long ago.

Even after rehab, I was not recovered, but I knew I could no longer go back to the girl who ate 400 calories a day. It took year for me to fully let it go. Years went by till I was able to embrace myself for who I am. It took that long to no longer look in a mirror only to see what needed to be fixed. It took that many years for me to not feel shame eating in front of people. Yet the part most don’t get is this disease is yours to carry for life. If you are stressed you want to fall back, if you get your heart broken, it screams at you to reunite itself and it would be so easy.

Present Day

I no longer feel afraid of the part my anorexia had in my life.

I no longer want to go back to a place of loneliness and isolated.

It gives me the strength to listen and be involved with organizations that allow me to be a beacon of hope for someone who might be feeling alone, just like I was. It's essential I use my experience to empower young individuals to be mindful of their self-care and to speak up when they begin to struggle.

It is nothing to be ashamed of and I want those who are struggling right this moment to know that you are not alone, and we are here to help you get the information and help you deserve.

It’s essential that we as individuals choose to let go of comparing ourselves to unrealistic body images that have been distorted and falsely claimed as real.

Not allowing yourself to see the beauty that is internal is depriving yourself of living the life that is your own.

Our bodies hold the beauty inside of us, not the other way around.

I was lucky to have someone on my team.

My mother was my small dim light that kept me alive when I no longer had the strength to feel what happiness was, and because of that I have felt unconditional love, and it gave me the power to love myself unconditionally. There is not a single thing that I could do to repay the humble role she kindly took on during that time, but what I can do is make an impact to change our perception on eating disorders.

Thanks to my anorexia hidden and dim inside me is now my powerful drive for prevention of this disease.

The more we stand in this power to stop this corrupted, deceitful lie from industries and corporations who see eating disorders as their price to pay for all the money, entertainment and jobs they provide.

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Eating Disorders, Essay Example

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Introduction

Eating disorders affect men and women of all ages, although adolescents tend to be the age group that is more susceptible. This is because, as their bodies are changing, they may feel more pressure by society as well as peer groups to look attractive and fit in (Segal et al). Types of eating disorders include Anorexia, Bulimia and Compulsive Overeating, which can also be related to the first two. The reasons behind Eating Disorder usually stem from a reaction to low self-esteem and a negative means of coping with life and stress (Something Fishy).  Eating disorders are also often associated with an underlying psychological disorder, which may be the reason behind the eating disorder or which may develop from the Eating Disorder itself. Mental health disorders that are often associated with Eating Disorder include Anxiety, Depression, Multiple Personality Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, BiPolar, BiPolar II, Borderline Personality Disorder, Panic Disorder and Dissociative Disorder. The longer a person suffers from ED, the more probable that they will be dealing with another mental illness, most likely Anxiety or Depression (Something Fishy). The eventual outcome of Eating Disorder can be deadly. “Some eating disorders are associated with a 10-15% mortality rate and a 20-25% suicide rate. Sometimes, anorexia, bulimia and compulsive eating may be perceived as slow suicide (Carruthers).” In order to prevent the deadly consequences of Eating Disorder and to prevent it from becoming more pervasive in society, it is necessary to recognize the correct treatment method for this disease.  Traditional treatments have focused on providing risk information to raise awareness of the consequences of Eating Disorder (Lobera et al 263). However, since Eating Disorder is a mental illness, a more effective treatment is one that offers psychological evaluation, counseling and treatment. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is emerging as a more robust and effective method that can be used not only to treat Eating Disorder but the associated mental illnesses that may accompany it.

The Problem

Eating disorder is pervasive in society and can have deadly consequences on those that suffer from it. Many time Eating Disorder goes undetected by family members and friends because those suffering will go to great lengths to hide their problem. However, there are some signs and symptoms that can be clues that a person is suffering from some sort of eating disorder. According to Segal, these signs can include:

• Restricting Food or Dieting: A change in eating habits that includes restricting food or excessive dieting. The person my frequently miss meals or not eat, complaining of an upset stomach or that they are not hungry. A use of diet pills or illegal drugs may also be noticed.
• Bingeing: Sufferers may binge eat in secret, which can be hard to detect since they will usually do it late at night or in a private place. Signs of potential bingeing are empty food packages and wrappers and hidden stashes of high calorie junk food or desserts.
• Purging: Those who suffer from bulimia will force themselves to throw up after meals to rid their body of added calories. A sign that this is occurring is when a person makes a trip to the bathroom right after eating on a regular basis, possible running water or a fan to hide the sound of their vomiting. They may also use perfume, mouthwash or breath mints regularly to disguise the smell. In addition to vomiting, laxatives or diuretics may also be used to flush unwanted calories from the body.
• Distorted body image and altered appearance: People suffering from Eating Disorder often have a very distorted image of their own body. While they may appear thin to others, they may view themselves as fat and attempt to hide their body under loose clothing. They will also have an obsessive preoccupation with their weight, and complain of being fat even when it is obvious to others that this is not the case.

There are several possible side effects from Eating Disorders, both physical and psychological. Physical damage can be temporary or permanent, depending on the severity of the eating disorder and the length of time the person has been suffering from it.  Psychological consequences can be the development of a mental illness, especially depression and anxiety. Some sufferers of Eating Disorder will also develop a coping mechanism such as harming themselves, through cutting, self-mutilation or self-inflicted violence, or SIV (Something Fishy).

Physical consequences of Eating Disorders depend on the type of eating disorder that the person has. Anorexia nervosa can lead to a slow heart rate and low blood pressure, putting the sufferer at risk for heart failure and permanent heart damage. Malnutrition can lead to osteoporosis and dry, brittle bones. Other common complications include kidney damage due to dehydration, overall weakness, hair loss and dry skin. Bulimia nervosa, where the person constantly purges through vomiting, can have similar consequences as Anorexia but with added complications and damage to the esophagus and gastric cavity due to the frequent vomiting. In addition, tooth decay can occur because of damage caused by gastric juices. If the person also uses laxatives to purge, irregular bowel movements and constipation can occur. Peptic ulcers and pancreatitis can also common negative heath effects (National Eating Disorders Association).  If the Eating Disorder goes on for a prolonged time period, death is also a possible affect, which is why it is important to seek treatment for the individual as soon as it is determined that they are suffering from an Eating Disorder.

Once it is recognized that a loved one may be suffering from an Eating Disorder, the next step is coming up with an effective intervention in time to prevent any lasting physical damage or death. The most effective treatment to date is Cognitive-behavioral therapy, an active form of counseling that can be done in either a group or private setting (Curtis). Cognitive-behavioral therapy is used to help correct poor eating habits and prevent relapse as well as change the way the individual thinks about food, eating and their body image (Curtis).

Cognitive-behavioral therapy is considered to be one of the most effective treatments for eating disorders, but of course this depends on both the counselor administrating the therapy and the attitude of the person receiving it.  According to Fairburn (3), while patients with eating disorders “have a reputation for being difficult to treat, the great majority can be helped and many, if not most, can make a full and lasting recovery.” In the study conducted by Lobera et al, it was determined that students that took part in group cognitive-behavioral therapy sessions showed a reduced dissatisfaction with their body and a reduction in their drive to thinness. Self esteem was also improved during the group therapy sessions and eating habits were significantly improved.

“The overall effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy can depend on the duration of the sessions. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is considered effective for the treatment of eating disorders. But because eating disorder behaviors can endure for a long period of time, ongoing psychological treatment is usually required for at least a year and may be needed for several years (Curtis).”

  Alternative solutions

Traditional treatments for Eating Disorders rely on educating potential sufferers, especially school aged children, of the potential damage, both psychological and physical, that can be caused by the various eating disorders .

“ Research conducted to date into the primary prevention of eating disorders (ED) has mainly considered the provision of information regarding risk factors. Consequently, there is a need to develop new methods that go a step further, promoting a change in attitudes and behavior in the  target population (Lobera et al).”

The current research has not shown that passive techniques, such as providing information, reduces the prevalence of eating disorders or improves the condition in existing patients. While education about eating disorders, the signs and symptoms and the potential health affects, is an important part of providing information to both the those that may know someone who is suffering from an eating disorder and those that are suffering from one, it is not an effective treatment by itself. It must be integrated with a deeper level of therapy that helps to improve the self-esteem and psychological issues from which the eating disorder stems.

Hospitalization has also been a treatment for those suffering from an eating disorder, especially when a complication, such as kidney failure or extreme weakness, occurs. However, treating the symptom of the eating disorder will not treat the underlying problem. Hospitalization can effectively treat the symptom only when it is combined with a psychological therapy that treats the underlying psychological problem that is causing the physical health problem.

Effectively treating eating disorders is possible using cognitive-behavioral therapy. However, the sooner a person who is suffering from an eating disorder begins treatment the more effective the treatment is likely to be. The longer a person suffers from an eating disorder, the more problems that may arise because of it, both physically and psychologically. While the deeper underlying issue may differ from patient to patient, it must be addressed in order for an eating disorder treatment to be effective. If not, the eating disorder is likely to continue. By becoming better educated about the underlying mental health issues that are typically the cause of eating disorder, both family members and friends of loved ones suffering from eating disorders and the sufferers themselves can take the steps necessary to overcome Eating Disorder and begin the road to recovery.

Works Cited

“Associated Mental Health Conditions and Addictions.” Something Fishy, 2010. Web. 19 November2010.

Carruthers, Martyn. Who Has Eating Disorders?   Soulwork Solutions, 2010. Web. 19 November 2010.

Curtis, Jeanette. “Cognitive-behavioral Therapy for Eating Disorders.” WebMD (September 16, 2009). Web. 19 November 2010.

Fairburn, Christopher G. Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Eating Disorders. New York: The Guilford Press, 2008. Print.  

“Health Consequences of Eating Disorders” National Eating Disorders Association (2005). Web. 21 November 2010.

Lobera, I.J., Lozano, P.L., Rios, P.B., Candau, J.R., Villar y Lebreros, Gregorio Sanchez, Millan, M.T.M., Gonzalez, M.T.M., Martin, L.A., Villalobos, I.J. and Sanchez, N.V. “Traditional and New Strategies in the Primary Prevention of Eating Disorders: A Comparative Study in Spanish Adolescents.” International Journal of General Medicine 3  (October 5, 2010): 263-272. Dovepress.Web. 19 November 2010.

Segal, Jeanne, Smith, Melinda, Barston, Suzanne. Helping Someone with an Eating Disorder: Advice for Parents, Family Members and Friends , 2010. Web. 19 November 2010.

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The Reality of an Eating Disorder

A medical student's award-winning piece on her battles with an eating disorder.

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Ms Cursor’s essay was honored as part of the 2023 Gerald F. Berlin Creative Writing Contest for its thoughtfulness. Psychiatric Times ’ resident poet of 26 years, Richard M. Berlin, MD, established the Gerald F. Berlin Creative Writing Award at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School in 2005 to honor the poetry, fiction, and reflective essays of medical students, physicians in training, graduate students, and nursing students from the medical school. Psychiatric Times is delighted to share her work and insights and hopes it serves as reminder of the importance of self-care for medical professionals, including students, as well as a better understanding of the struggles experienced by those with eating disorders.

I stare at the ceiling, having lost track of time. I roll over in the hospital gurney, entangled within a pair of cheap scrubs that are much too big for me. I’m trying hard to sleep but it’s impossible. I’m also hungry; I only had Jello and saltines for dinner because the vegetarian options are sparse here, at least according to the ER nurse whose empathy I am finding increasingly attractive. Inside my room is the gurney, a TV built into the wall, a blanket, and my snack wrappers neatly consolidated on the floor inside a Styrofoam cup. There is no light and nothing on the walls except the TV. The remote is even a keypad built into the wall outside of my room. I want to change the channel, but I am too scared to venture outside, into the common area clustered with other psych patients, all of us waiting for a bed to open in the hospital. I don’t want to be here, but I am not well enough for any alternative.

Sometime within the past twenty-four hours I was admitted to the hospital from McCallum Place Eating Disorder Center. I had been in eating disorder treatment for around a month, and, unable to use my eating disorder to cope for such an extended period of time, my suicidal thoughts grew too loud for me to handle on my own.

I have lived with anorexia nervosa for the past thirteen years. You might look at me and wonder how that’s possible.

I am not emaciated; I do not look sick. This is not to say that there weren’t periods of time when I did appear unwell; however my lowest weight did not correlate with my lowest point mentally. Anorexia—in fact, all eating disorders—are deadly, regardless of weight. The body and mind shrivel while the soul deflates as your sole focus in life becomes food. Eating disorders have the second highest mortality rate of any mental illness. One of the leading causes of death of people with anorexia nervosa is suicide.

While I do not look sick, I still battle daily urges to restrict my food, to run “x” number of miles to allow myself to eat “x” amount, to relish in the feeling of size zero pants slipping from my hips, to retreat back to behaviors like these that brought me so much comfort when inside I feel chaos. My eating disorder is deeply engrained, as are the years of depression, anxiety, and obsessive thoughts it has buried.

A year and a half ago, I started my first year of medical school. If you had asked me then to predict how the year were to unfold, I would not have forecasted any of it. I had taken three GAP years prior to medical school, in part to focus on recovering from my eating disorder. I wasn’t supposed to still be struggling with this, let alone need a leave of absence from medical school to admit myself to eating disorder treatment, nor end up in the hospital as a patient myself.

The first few weeks of medical school were the first time in my life I experienced panic attacks. At first I didn’t know what they were, and I judged myself for having them. How could everyone around me be so calm? Why was I so anxious that I was on the verge of passing out? Well, I wasn’t eating enough. My eating disorder hung on as a coping mechanism to manage all the change that was happening as I transitioned to medical school. It was a way to make me feel safe when I otherwise felt like an imposter. I felt insignificant among my classmates and colleagues, and controlling my body size somehow made me feel better. Restriction provided me with the bursts of serotonin I needed when I was otherwise lonely, overwhelmed, or feeling inadequate. But when you are starving, you become hypoglycemic, diaphoretic, light-headed, anxious.

Two months into medical school, my cousin died suddenly. My family still does not disclose the details, but I do know that his death was from some form of self-harm. I didn’t see my cousin very often, but when our paths did cross, I understood he was struggling. And I struggled, too. My cousin’s death overwhelmed me. I felt as though I could have prevented it somehow, and it precipitated a deep emptiness inside of me. I reached out to one of my mentors in medical school. Her response was to make sure that I was safe with myself. Safe with myself? It had never occurred to me that I could be unsafe with myself. Until that moment.

This became a very sticky thought, and throughout my first year of medical school, it grew more persistent. As its persistence grew, so did its ability to influence my emotions. For the first time, I experienced bouts of depression. And they were scary. I was grieving the loss of my cousin, while also juggling a significant injury to my femur that forced me to drop out of a marathon three days before the race, and still battling my eating disorder. Furthermore, I didn’t just have depression; these thoughts about harming myself were obsessive in nature, and I felt anxiety about having them, further perpetuating their power.

Fast forward to April 2022. My dietitian and therapist suspect that my anxiety is the result of not eating enough, so I try to eat more to alleviate it. But when I stop using my eating disorder to cope, the thoughts that remain are quite grim. I am sitting in my room, fighting back tears as I confess to my therapist over Zoom the thoughts I’ve been having. When I take my antidepressants, I think about taking the whole bottle. When I’m driving, I’m afraid I might drive my car off the road. Questioning my purpose in this world overwhelms me with sadness and confusion. My therapist reassures me: it’s okay, I can get help for this. I can? It doesn’t have to be this way? Later that day, I make the call to McCallum Place Eating Disorder Center and schedule an intake assessment. They can and will help me with my eating disorder, depression, OCD, and anxiety.

At the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical school, there is ongoing construction of a new research building. Excitement has been circulating about this project; as a student, I receive updates at least monthly on the building’s progress. I was even invited to sign the ultimate beam that was placed as part of the scaffolding. I chose not to sign it, as this project serves as a reminder to me of my good friend’s suicide involving a school construction site in college. He was just one of so many people whose life could have been saved if he knew it was okay to get help when he needed it. Each day, as I walk past the building, I make a promise to my friend to see its completion, and make sure that others do, too. Depression and suicide are common among medical providers, even more so in the last decade. It was important that I sought out treatment when I did, even if it meant taking a medical leave with only a month left in my first year of medical school. I am so grateful that my therapist recognized the signs that I needed more support and helped me take the steps to pause my school obligations and put my life first. Treatment helped me immensely to develop coping skills outside of my eating disorder to manage my depression, anxiety, and OCD. It also helped me pharmacologically to experiment with medications in a safe setting to begin to find what works best for me. I met so many people of all different backgrounds who struggled in similar ways that I did, and this helped me feel so much less alone.

I hope that by sharing my story, I can help others recognize when they themselves or their loved ones are struggling. And that no matter who you are, it is more than okay to ask for help. Getting help for mental health should be no different than seeing a doctor for a physical ailment. Let’s keep having these conversations, destigmatize mental illness, and start saving lives.

Ms Cursor is a pseudonym for the author, who chose to use such to prevent future prejudice. She is a medical student, anticipating graduation with the class of 2026.

A Forensic Psychiatrist Takes the Stand

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Kesha Opens Up About Overcoming Her Eating Disorder and How She Found Happiness

Illustration by Monique Baumann

I’ve been an outcast ever since I can remember. I grew up in Nashville, with a single mom who was oblivious to social norms. She encouraged me to make music, sew my own clothes, and express myself. She told me never to be ashamed of who I was. Other kids didn’t know what to make of me.

I was often bullied and shamed into hiding the things that made me unique. I remember hanging up the velvet pants I had made by hand and asking my mother to take me to the Gap to buy some “normal clothes” at one point. That experiment failed miserably. It just wasn’t me.

When I think about the kind of bullying I dealt with as a child and teen, it seems almost quaint compared with what goes on today. The amount of body-shaming and baseless slut-shaming online makes me sick. I know from personal experience how comments can mess up somebody’s self-confidence and sense of self-worth. I have felt so unlovable after reading cruel words written by strangers who don’t know a thing about me.

It became a vicious cycle: When I compared myself to others, I would read more mean comments, which only fed my anxiety and depression. Seeing paparazzi photos of myself and the accompanying catty commentary fueled my eating disorder. The sick irony was that when I was at some of the lowest points in my life, I kept hearing how much better I looked. I knew I was destroying my body with my eating disorder, but the message I was getting was that I was doing great.

In the past couple of years I’ve grown up a lot. I’ve realized that once you take the step to help yourself, you’re going to be so happy you did. Taking the time to work on yourself requires bravery. Trying to change your life based on other people’s thoughts can drive you crazy. You have to figure out what makes you feel good and what keeps you in a positive head space.

This is one reason why I’ve changed my relationship with social media. I love it because it’s how I communicate with my fans—and nothing means more to me than my fans—but too much of it can exacerbate my anxiety and depression.

This year I made a pledge to take more breaks from social media and screens and spend more time in nature. For me, some of the most therapeutic experiences include hiking up a mountain or riding a bike by the beach. Being among animals in their natural habitats reminds me that my problems are so small. Our lives are no more significant than the lives of any other animals. We’re all just animals, after all!

I’m currently writing an album that explores how my vulnerabilities are a strength, not a weakness. With this essay, I want to pass along the message to anyone who struggles with an eating disorder, or depression, or anxiety, or anything else, that if you have physical or emotional scars, don’t be ashamed of them, because they are part of you. Remember that beauty comes in all shapes and sizes. And that no one can take the magic you make.

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Eating Disorder - Free Essay Examples And Topic Ideas

Eating disorders, severe conditions related to persistent eating behaviors negatively impacting health, emotions, and the ability to function, encompass various types including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder. Essays on eating disorders could explore the psychological, biological, and societal factors contributing to these conditions, and delve into the experiences of those affected. Discussions might also focus on prevention strategies, treatment options, and the societal perception and stigma surrounding eating disorders. Through a comprehensive exploration of eating disorders, essays can shed light on the multifaceted aspects of these serious health conditions and the importance of awareness, understanding, and support. We have collected a large number of free essay examples about Eating Disorder you can find in Papersowl database. You can use our samples for inspiration to write your own essay, research paper, or just to explore a new topic for yourself.

Eating Disorder is a Growing Problem in Modern Society

There are many misconceptions about eating disorders. One that stuck out to me is that people believe that eating disorders are a choice. Eating disorders arise from part of a person's genetic makeup and due to environmental factors. ( 'Eating Disorder Myths.') Their are many studies out their that help prove that eating disorders are often influenced by a person’s genes. Twin studies are useful in proving that eating disorders can be a family affair. ('Understanding Eating Disorders, Anorexia, Bulimia, […]

Anorexia Nervosa is a very Serious Eating Disorder

Anorexia Nervosa is classified as an eating disorder and a disease where individuals go through extreme measures to lose weight such as excessive workouts or extreme food diets in hopes to change their perspective on themselves. Individuals that embody this disease have a distorted body image of oneself and will still feel fat even after taking drastic measures to lose weight. These individuals think poorly and see themselves as overweight even if the individual is underweight. This has a lot […]

Effects of Anorexia Nervosa

Anorexia nervosa is one of the most commonly known eating disorder. It can occur in women and men including adults, kids, and teenagers. Anorexia is a ""mental disorder that is caused by the unsound terror of gaining weight. Anorexia nervosa is an ""emotional disorder characterized by an obsessive desire to lose weight by refusing food, commonly known as anorexia. Experts believe anorexia is caused by ""personality, genetics, environment, biochemistry, and overall emotional health. There are many horrific effects of anorexia […]

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There are Two Types of Eating Disorder

After reviewing Carly’s case and comparing it to the criterion in the DSM-5 it was determined that she has Anorexia Nervosa. Anorexia is an eating disorder that is classified by extreme weight loss and difficulty in maintaining an appropriate weight (Anorexia Nervosa, 2018). There are two subtypes of anorexia. The subtypes are the restricting type and the binge eating/ purging type. The restricting type is characterized by episodes of weight loss through dieting, fasting, or excessive exercise. The binge eating/ […]

Eating Disorders Body Dissatisfaction and Self-Esteem Among South Korean Women

Abstract The Asian culture has be heavily influenced by Western Values, Asian women value thinness, which has led to a rise in eating disorders among them. Over the past 20 years eating disorders have increased. Body dissatisfaction is usually associated with body image (how you feel about the way your body looks). The dislikeness of one's body is more common with women than it is common with men. Today, Korean women have greater body dissatisfaction than the U.S. women have. […]

Thin Models: Fashion Forward

In every magazine you open, you will see skeletal models sprawled on almost every page. Dangerously thin fashion models posing in advertisements for clothing brands. While some people might see these models and think nothing of them, other people could see them and think they are hazardous to young women’s self esteem. Not only do these fashion models promote the idea that a healthy or bigger body is not desirable, the health risks that come with trying to achieve that […]

An Eating Disorder Doesn’t Come out of Nowhere

Anorexia Nervosa This paper loops and wanders through five different journals about anorexia nervosa and the many components within it. Each author of these scholarly journals pinpoints something different about the condition, whether it be the many causes or ways to cope with the condition. The main point of this report is to talk about anorexia nervosa and explain the causes as well as treatments and identifying the illness. This paper will go through what this condition is, what causes […]

Impact Media on Eating Disorders

With all of our current understanding so far we can see how much of an impact media has on triggering eating disorders. Research has only just begun to analyze the relationship between social media outlets such as facebook, body image and symptoms of eating disorders. Facebook is available at the fingertips of most adolescents today which allows them easy access to seek social comparison and negative feedback. Therefore it is an essential area to examine in relation to eating disordered […]

Is there too Much Pressure on Females to have Perfect Bodies?

Have you ever felt insecure? It is very common for women in this society to feel that way.  It’s like everywhere you look there is pressure to look better or be skinny. Everything you do is being judged. Women are portrayed as fragile and delicate, but that is not always the case. Women are thriving in this generation and breaking down barriers of the norm. A big problem in society today that makes women feel insecure is advertising. Certain clothin […]

Anorexia Nervosa: Serious Eating Disorder

Anorexia Nervosa is a very serious eating disorder that many people suffer from. People with Anorexia Nervosa go days without eating. People who suffer from Anorexia Nervosa have an intense fear of gaining weight. “The core psychological feature of anorexia nervosa is extreme overation of shape and weight”(“Anorexia”1). Even the people who suffer from Anorexia are very thin they still fear gaining weight. ¨The word ¨Anorexia¨ literally means ¨loss of appetite¨ (Watson, 7). Anorexia Nervosa is a coping mechanism for […]

Anorexia Nervosa: Common, Widespread Eating Disorder

Anorexia Nervosa is a very common, widespread eating disorder that affects individuals psychologically, emotionally, and physically. Those suffering from this eating disorder are commonly suffering from extremely low self-esteem and body weight. Individuals struggling with Anorexia typically fear to gain weight and are always conscious of what they are eating. They perceive their body as a distorted image, instead of viewing reality. Anorexia victims fear their body image as disproportional to their height and weight. An introduction to this disorder […]

Cause and Effect of Anorexia

The first time i ever heard about anorexia was from Degrassi: Next Generation. A character named Emma was trying to lose weight so she would barely eat and sometimes would make herself throw up. Being young I never really understood Anorexia, and the causes and how it can affect your body. According to experts, Anorexia Nervosa occurs in about 1 in 100 to 200 young women. Anorexia is an eating disorder that is also known as self starvation. It can […]

Eating Disorder Behaviors Among Adolescents

The purpose of this study was to examine the currency of eating disorder's behaviors among adolescents. The study chose to focus on gender, and ethnicity by classifying adolescents by their specific risk and protective factors. This study took place with a Minnesota Student Survey in 1998. The study was experimented to describe the issue throughout the population based off sample of adolescents for female and males with eating disorders. Also, to figure out both psychosocial and behavioral leads that could […]

Anorexia Nervosa Eating Disorder

Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder, characterized by the refusal of an emaciated individual to maintain a normal body weight (CITATION ENCYCLOPEDIA). More specifically, its diagnosis is based on three distinct criteria presented by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5): First, consistent restriction of energy consumption resulting in a relatively low body weight must occur. Second, there is an irrational fear of weight gain. Finally, there is […]

Eating Disorder: Specific Model of Interpersonal Psychotherapy

Going off of these findings, Rieger et al. (2010) came up with an eating disorder-specific model of interpersonal psychotherapy. Due to the significance of social relevance in eating disorders, Rieger et al. laid out factors that played an important role in the development and maintenance of eating disorders. For example, a 2010 study of 208 patients who were diagnosed with AN or bulimia were assessed for interpersonal issues pre- and post-hospitalization. Eating pathology, symptom severity, and interpersonal patterns were examined. […]

Eating Disorders Anorexia

"Abraham, Suzanne, and Derek Llewellyn-Jones. ""Bulimia Nervosa.""Palla, Barbara, and Iris F. Litt. ""Medical Complications Of Eating DisordersIn Adolescents."" Medical Complications occur with eating disorders take place inanyones life. Adolescents being at such a young age if medical complications occur can affect them when they are older as well. For example, bulimia nervosa can mess with a young women's menstrual cycle and when they get older, they might not be able to have kids. This article will help when informing adolescents […]

Body Image and Self Esteem

The impact of low self-esteem and negative body image is adversely affecting adolescents as they try to fit in in a never-ending society of expectations. The definition of body image according to Merriam-Webster's dictionary is "a subjective picture of one's own physical appearance established both by self-observation and by noting the reactions of others. Body image is not just decided by ourselves, it is also decided by others. This occurs when people have physical reactions and facial expressions. The definition […]

The Thin Documentary Analysis: Eating Disorder

Thin documentary is a film that follows four women at the Renfrew facility in Florida who are undergoing treatment for eating disorders. These women include Polly, Shelly, Brittany, and Alisa who range from 15 to 30 years old. The film follows them as they interact with their therapists, nurses, staff, other patients and with one another. Indeed, the documentary exploration regarding the struggles these anorexic women face in this institution in their attempt to improve and live a positive life. […]

Types of Eating Disorders and Treatments

Feeding and eating disorder affects more than 13% of men and woman coming from western countries (Reichenberg & Seligman, 2016). Out of that portion of the population, only about 40%-60% of those affected are said to be in remission from their disorder (Reichenberg & Seligman, 2016). There are many factors that come into play that contribute to the onset of such disorders including, family history, peer dieting, concepts of an ideal body, and some cultural considerations (Reichenberg & Seligman, 2016). […]

Social Media and Eating Disorders: Unveiling the Impact

INTRODUCTION Eating disorders have increased along with the use of social media. Individuals suffering from eating disorders frequently express dissatisfaction with themselves and their identities. They believe that losing weight will help them feel better (Warbrick, 2008). According to the UAMS Department of Pediatrics: Adolescent Medicine, an eating disorder is defined as “a condition in which an individual has an unusual relationship with food and/or consumption of food. This can include restricting food, bingeing, vomiting or otherwise purging after eating, […]

Relationship between Depressive Disorder and Eating Disorder

Abstract Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a mood disorder characterized by intense and persistent feelings of melancholy and disinterest in regular activities for an extended period of time. Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a type of eating disorder categorized by significant weight loss, an intense fear of gaining weight, and a distorted perception of how one views their body shape or weight. These disorders frequently co occur with one another, in fact, according to a study posted on the National Eating […]

The Real Skinny on Anorexia a Merciless Battle with the Mirror

According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD) (2018), at least 30,000,000 people of all ages and genders suffer from an eating disorder at any given time in the United States. Of those 30,000,000, at least one person dies every 62 minutes as a direct result of their disorder. Most often, eating disorders affect women between the ages of 12 and 35. Compared to all other mental illnesses, eating disorders have the highest mortality rate (National […]

Eating Disorder and Mental Health Components

Introduction To begin my final project I would like to offer background about my topic in terms of why I choose this and why it is important to me. Mental health is something that has made recent headline’s and is yet shoved under the bed. Mental illness awareness and mental health in general is a touchy topic for most because it does not always convey physical signs and symptoms and often has a negative connotation. Mental health is the well […]

Anorexia Nervosa: Literature Review

Anorexia nervosa, or better known as anorexia, is an eating disorder with which countless women and men battle every day, with worldwide prevalence. Anorexia is considered to be a psychiatric illness, which has long term effects on those who suffer from it, both psychologically and physically. The etiology of anorexia is multifactorial with genetic, biological, environmental, psychological and sociocultural influences. There are many different models of intervention to treat anorexia, which are each met with different measures of success. Social […]

Anorexia: a Mental Disorder

Mental disorders are something that can be found in any human. One of the deadliest mental illnesses is anorexia nervosa. Anorexia nervosa is defined as a serious eating disorder that is characterized primarily by a pathological fear of weight gain leading to faulty eating patterns, malnutrition, and usually excessive weight loss. It has a higher mortality rate than any other mental illness. This disease affects people of all ages, races, genders, sexual orientation, and ethnicities. One in 200 American women […]

Anorexia and Bulimia

Introduction Anorexia and Bulimia are server disorders that is mostly found in girls. Anorexia has the highest mortality rate of any mental disorders, with an estimated 56 times more likely to commit suicide then those who do not suffer from anorexia (Tabitha Farrar, 2014). Being able to recognize the signs and symptoms of anorexia is very important, if recognized early treatment can be started quickly to better help these individuals sooner. Warning Signs Anorexia has many warning signs some of […]

Anorexia Nervosa: Hunger and Satiety

Anorexia Nervosa is defined as a lack of appetite. It is a state of mind that makes the person affected believe that they are too fat and must lose as much weight as possible. ""People with anorexia generally restrict the number of calories, and the types of food they eat. Some people with the disorder also exercise compulsively, purge via vomiting and laxatives, and/or binge eat. (www.nationaleatingdisorders.org). It is a heart-breaking disorder and has affected millions of people every year […]

Anorexia Nervosa: Abnormally Low Body Weight and Fear of Gaining Weight

""Anorexia Nervosa is an eating disorder that has abnormally low body weight and fear of gaining weight. People with anorexia care about what others think of them. Society plays a key role to people who have anorexia because; they put very thin people on the cover of magazines and advertisement. This causes individuals with anorexia to feel, un-pretty, rejected, and fat. This is all based on what the media puts out to the world. (works cited: 1). ""People with anorexia […]

Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia

Introduction Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia are serious disorders among our adolescent girls. According to the eating disorder hope website Anorexia has the highest mobility rate out of all mental disorders, it is important to recognize the signs and symptoms (Hamilton, 2018) so these girls can get the treatment they need. Warning Signs There are many warning signs to Anorexia and Bulimia. According to Nicole Williamson PhD at the Tampa General seminar, (May8, 2018) People with Anorexia might dress in layers, […]

Miss Representation : a Trendy Way Towards Self-Destruction

The marketing media (advertising) and the entertainment industry (movies/tv-shows) created a standard of beauty by which females are taught to judge their own bodies and how others perceive their beauty. The marketing media and the entertainment industry are both powerful tools that barrage young women with extreme images of what is an acceptable body. This is why the marketing media and the entertainment industry are responsible for the increase of body shaming in young women, which has led to an […]

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161 Eating Disorders Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

🏆 best eating disorders topic ideas & essay examples, 👍 good essay topics on eating disorders, 💡 most interesting eating disorders topics to write about, 📃 simple & easy eating disorders essay titles, ⭐ good research topics about eating disorders, ❓ research questions about eating disorders.

• Anorexia as Eating Disorder However, due to limitation in scope, the rest of the chapter will explore anorexia nervosa by tracing the historical background of the condition, reviewing prevalence of the disorder in terms of gender, culture and geographical […]
• Humanistic Therapy: Mental Disorder in Patient With Anorexia As the narration unravels, it becomes clear that the girl also shows signs of anorexia nervosa – a mental disorder distinguished by an unhealthy low weight and destructive dietary patterns. DSM-5 serves as the principal […] We will write a custom essay specifically for you by our professional experts 808 writers online Learn More
• Bulimia Nervosa: A Literature Review With binging episodes being characterized by loss of control, some of the bulimic patients consume food they are not entitled to, worsening their relationship both with food and with their social circle. Purging behaviors lead […]
• Influence of Modelling in Teenager’s Eating Disorders The body types required for the models to have demand of them to maintain their body shape and sizes. The models influence on the teenagers is considered too great to cause eating disorders in them.
• Eating Disorders in Adolescent Girls This will involve making them appreciate their body the way they are and dispelling the idea that only thinness is a sign of beauty.
• Eating Disorder Patient’s Assessment and Treatment I should explain to the patient the severity of eating disorders and their possible adverse influence on the patient’s health and life.
• Minuchin Family Therapy of Eating Disorders It is for this reason that the family-based treatment was conceived and implemented to involve the family in the recovery of adolescents.
• Eating Disorders in the Military Exposure to trauma is frequently linked to the emergence of eating disorders. As a result, soldiers develop an eating disorder due to external factors, which affect their mental and physical health, but it remains one […]
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Eating Disorders Thus, first of all, to assess John’s current condition, several questions were asked to form an appropriate image of the problem, such as: When and why did you first start thinking about your weight and […]
• Bulimia Nervosa: The Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Subsequently, the research hypothesis is the following: CBT is a more effective treatment intervention in terms of patient outcomes than psychoanalysis, DBT, and integrative therapy.
• Treatment Interventions for Bulimia Nervosa: Case Analysis The essence of the approach is to combat the lack of self-care of the patient, where the responsibility for progress lies with Rita.
• Anorexia as Social and Psychological Disease Many who were used to his weight knew, though Bob is not the most handsome, but a charming person, kind and friendly.
• Bulimia Nervosa: Treatment and Safety Measures It is important to know about related safety measures, considerations and medications and therefore outcomes of bulimic patients are more likely to be optimistic.
• Bulimia: A Severe Eating Disorder The main symptoms of bulimia include intermittent eating of enormous amounts of food to the point of stomach discomfort, abdominal pain, flatulence, constipation, and blood in the vomit due to irritation of the esophagus.
• Eating Disorders Among Medical Students Ehab and Walaa point out that for one-third of medical students, there is a risk of developing ED. Consequently, the problem of ED among medical students is urgent and requires attention.
• Adherence to Medical Advice in Patients With Bulimia Patients’ non-adherence to medical advice presents a common problem in the health care system. The use of health apps allows patients to overcome shame or guilt in eating disorder treatment, increasing adherence.
• Eating Disorders: Diagnosis and Treatment The idealization of an extremely skinny body in the fashion world, television, press, and social media resulted in the rise in the number of individuals with eating disorders.
• Bulimia in Teenagers: How to Make a Change This paper hypothesizes that to make a change a complex of psychological measures should be taken that includes the use of cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy, formation of the right attitude to food and body weight, and building […]
• Binge-Eating Disorder: Diagnosis and Treatment The second part of the case focuses on the empirically tested treatments for the diagnosed problem, justifying the choice of treatment for Alice with available clinical data.
• Eating Disorder Among Youth and Its Aspects It is due to the fact that often the above sociological factors cause the development of psychological issues, especially among young people.
• Anorexia Nervosa and Its Treatment Anorexia nervosa is a treatable eating disorder when people significantly limit the number of calories and types of foods they eat, which leads to excessive weight loss. The objectives of anorexia treatment include weight recovery, […]
• Predictors and Long-Term Health Outcomes of Eating Disorders The authors of the article Predictors and long-term health outcomes of eating disorders aimed to study this topic and bring new information into existing research.
• Eating Disorders and the Role of Body Mass, Restriction, and Binge Eating Eating concerning adverse emotions and ED psychopathology. Analysis of emotional eating concerning under- and overeating is important.
• Mental Health Project: Binge-Eating Disorder The result was the start of the Binge-Eating Disorder Association, a non-profit organization. The main role of the organization was to advocate, support, and help the binge-eating disorder society.
• Genetic Disorder: “A Genetic Link to Anorexia” The author effectively proves that the development of anorexia nervosa may occur not only due to the exposure to the social pressure of beauty standards, but also the presence of a genetic predisposition.
• Eating Disorders in Adolescents Thus, the purpose of the present paper is to dwell on the specifics of external factors causing the disorder as well as the ways to deal with this issue.
• Anorexia and Bulimia: Effects of Eating Disorders Anorexia is an eating disorder that is characterized by: an extreme fear of weight gain, and distorted view of one’s body weight.
• Eating Disorders: Causes, Treatment, and Prevention An eating disorder is a mental illness that is primarily characterized by unhealthy eating habits. An individual either eats too much or too little.
• Eating Disorders: Types, Signs and Treatments Eating disorders encompass a wide variety of illnesses that are characterized by abnormal eating habits, obsession with body image, and sudden weight fluctuations.
• Lifestyle Impact on Eating Disorders In contemporary societies men have been socialized to believe they should have certain physical body structures that describe their masculinity; the fact is reinforced in the television and video programs, music, and the general societal.men […]
• Acculturation and Eating Disorders in Western Countries In one of the studies, the relationship between acculturation and eating disorders was found to be non-existent. As evident in the table, most of the researchers have noted that acculturation and eating disorders are strongly […]
• Eating Disorders in Male Adolescents as Health Topic The research indicates that the prevalence of eating disorders in the male population has increased in the recent years. This paper aims at reviewing available scientific literature on eating disorders in the male adolescent population […]
• Bulimia: Causes and Treatment Bulimia is an eating disorder which is portrayed by binging on food and subsequently vomiting in several attempts of purging.”removal of nutrients in form of purging entails forced vomiting, excessive exercise, laxative use, or fasting […]
• Controlling the Problem and the Treatment Anorexia Nervosa Finally, the paper will be looking at the possible measures of controlling the problem and the treatment of the victims. When female are in their teenage, most of them are affected by the problem of […]
• Regulation of Metabolism and Eating Disorders When a person feels full, hormones, such as cholecystokinin and peptide YY3 36, are released to promote the feeling of satiety and suppress the appetite.
• American Girls’ Eating Disorders and Change Action They will be also offered encouraging interviews with those who managed to overcome the problem of eating disorders including my sister.
• Daily Patterns of Anxiety in Anorexia Nervosa The researchers failed to indicate the distinct and important sections such as the study objectives and the significance of the study.
• Anorexia Nervosa and Life-Sustaining Treatment Therefore, the primary care for patients with anorexia nervosa requires administration of various dietary and mental medical interventions and a clear understanding of different concepts and ethical issues related to the treatment of the disorder.
• Media’s Role in Influencing Eating Disorders The media has distorted the issue of beauty to a point where beauty is no longer “in the eyes of the beholder” but on people’s body size.
• Anorexia Studies. “Thin” Documentary The nutrition of a single person has a strong cultural aspect, being influenced by traditions of a family circle and the whole nation.
• Concepts of Eating Disorders On the other hand, the quantity of food consumed does not determine satiety; rather, it is the quantities of nutrient consumed. In addition, the moving of lipid components into the duodenum helps individuals to reduce […]
• Eating Disorders: Anorexia and Bulimia Anorexia Nervosa is the disease in which the patient avoids eating because of the fear of getting fat. Bulimia Nervosa refers to the pattern of binge eating.
• The Anorexia Nervosa as a Mental Illness While tracing the history of the disease, many authors have come to the conclusion that the disease is to some extent due to the living styles that people have adopted over the years and also […]
• Eating Disorders and Advertising Effects Analysis The study aimed at measured the self-image and the ideal self-image of the participants and correlated them with the participant’s tendency in associating with eating disorders, the exposure to media, and the desire of the […]
• Anorexia Nervosa: Medical Issues In response to this, the writer wishes to state that the purpose of this paper is to present a brief outline of anorexia and its causes to the millions of Americans out there without knowledge […]
• The Portrayal of Women With Anorexia Body image distortion, wherein the individual has an inaccurate perception of body shape and size is considered to be the cause of the intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat witnessed in individuals with […]
• The Relationship Between Compulsive Binge Eating Disorder and Long Term Health The adult population of Afro-Americans was compared with that of children and it was found out that the disorder occurred in both of the extremes. Binge eating is a disorder that emerges due to the […]
• Issue of Personal Concern: Eating Disorders Moreover, the lack of sufficient funding, insurance coverage, and outlets for people with eating disorders contribute to progressive development of anorexia, bulimia, and other health-related problems.
• Anorexia Nervosa in Psychological Point of View Anorexia nervosa is more common in the industrialized countries, where being thin is considered to be more attractive, and is more frequent in Whites than the nonwhite populations. In the age group of 10-14 years, […]
• Binge Eating Disorder Treatment: A Grounded Theory This disorder can be a chronic problem and is associated with negative consequences that may reduce the quality of life for the individuals who struggle with it.
• The Role of Family in Developing and Treating Anorexia The rest of the poem confused and inspired me as a reader because Smith, as well as millions of people around the globe, proved the impossibility to have one particular definition of anorexia in modern […]
• The Problem of Anorexia: “There Was a Girl” by Katy Waldman In her essay, the writer strives to embrace the concept of anorexia and explore the mindset that encourages the development of the specified disorder.
• Eating Disorders: Guidelines on Screening Procedures In this scenario, I would analyze the patient’s family history of breast cancer and past biopsies, as well as evaluate the level of breast density before deciding on the screening method.
• Eating Disorders: Public Service Announcement Thus, seeking help and battling the disorder is a way to accept that all people were created by God and loved by Him regardless of how thin they are.
• Visual Body Perception in Anorexia Nervosa by Urgesi et al. Because of this, in their research article, Urgesi et al.explored the issue of visual body perception as related to the manifestation of anorexia nervosa.
• “Skinny Boy: A Young Man’s Battle and Triumph Over Anorexia” by Gary A. Grahl Grahl suffered from anorexia in his youth, and the book is a memoir-like account of the event, serving to open the door to the psychology of the disease in the male populace a vulnerable population […]
• Anorexia Nervosa and Its Perception by Patients In the control group, 80 laymen and women were selected randomly to participate in the study and they completed a modified IPQ-R questionnaire to elicit their perceptions towards AN.
• Anorexia Nervosa (AN) and LGBTQ Suicide Awareness Concerning the format, the design of the poster is good and the words are readable. The colors and contrasts enhance the readability of the content and stress the key points, such as AN indicators, risk […]
• Bulimia Nervosa and Antisocial Personality Disorder The patient said that his head is constantly aching, but the man avoids going to his doctor because he does not want to hear bad news about his health and does not want to cope […]
• Social Media Impact on Depression and Eating Disorder When they turn to the social media, they are bombarded with a lot of information that they cannot properly comprehend. In the social media, they get to understand that beauty is associated with one’s body […]
• Eating Disorder Screening and Treatment Plan The strong point of this article is the combination of the eating disorders and behavioral aspects of the problem as the mixture of the possible reasons for the psychological problem.
• Eating Disorders Development and Society’s Role Assessing the role of social and cultural factors in the diagnosis and treatment of eating disorders involves the same processes as those used with other population disorders.
• Differential Diagnosis in a Patient: Anorexia Nervosa The first step is to avoid malingering and make sure that a patient is not pretending to be sick. Julia’s and the roommate’s stories are not contradictory; hence, it is safe to say that Julia […]
• Eating Disorders in Traditional and Social Media One can argue that traditional media, through the depiction of ED stories, started the discussion about mental health, introducing concepts of anorexia, bulimia, and other conditions, often described in a negative light due to the […]
• Eating Disorders and Intervention Controversy The initiators made a petition to the representatives of the Senate and also appealed to the former head of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
• Anthropology: Anorexia and Idiopathic Seizures Considering the relation between this disease and cultural issues, it is possible to refer to life of people in society. It is essential to consider anorexia and idiopathic epilepsy from the point of view of […]
• Eating Disorders, Insomnia, and Schizophrenia Of course, this readiness does not exclude the necessity to identify such people and provide the necessary treatment to them, which is proved to be effective.
• Anorexia Nervosa: Diagnosis and Treatment in Psychotherapy In the meantime, it is, likewise, vital to determine the cause of the condition’s appearance and point out the necessary alterations.
• Controlling Eating Disorders It is important to manage these problems as they compromise the physical health of the individual. The individuals are usually disturbed by the size and shape of their body.
• Influence of Media on Anorexia As the children grow, they disregard big-bodied people, and try as much as possible to maintain a slim figure, as they see from the magazines and televisions.
• Psychological Factors Underlying Anorexia Nervosa The condition also occurs where individuals deny hunger as well as restrict energy and nutrients to levels that are minimal and inadequate to maintain the functioning of the normal body health and mass. In addition, […]
• The Problem of Anorexia in Modern American Society However, in spite of frightening statistics, nowadays many sufferers have a good chance to recover due to increasing number of programs and campaigns aimed at overcoming this disease. 7% – Hispanic people, and the rest […]
• Eating Disorder Prevention Programs Through the article, Stice and Shaw evaluated the current information on eating disorders based on risks and maintenance aspects rather than on a particular analysis.
• Gender and Demographic Aspects of Eating Disorders In the situation involving African American women, body image is much more of several factors that include how others react to them, comparisons of their bodies with those of the others in the same environment, […]
• Eating Disorders Among Teenage Girls According to recent research conducted, mass media has affected most teens negatively in the following ways: Media Version of physical beauty The teens are not mindful of the fact that the messages that they are […]
• The Eating Disorder – Anorexia Nervosa It is noted that majority of the people that suffer from anorexia disorder are those that suffer from low-self esteem. The eating disorder makes bodies of people suffering from Anorexia nervosa struggle to manage insufficient […]
• The Concept of Normality In Relation To Eating Disorders Among the dominant sociological understanding of normality that will be used to argue through the concept of eating disorders in this paper are the views such as; what is considered normal can be differentiated from […]
• Healthy Lifestyles in the Context of Anorexia and Obesity In addition, a thorough evaluation of one’s lifestyle is imperative so as to rectify that which is causing the anorexia. As discussed in this paper, it is clear that physical activity and a healthy balanced […]
• Mental Health & Culture on Weight and Eating Disorders The depressed and anxious mind sabotages one’s efforts to loosing weight thus leading to the weird feeling of hopelessness and the good efforts or intentions capsizes leaving one to the option of the detrimental food […]
• Anorexia Nervosa: Signs, Effects and Therapies Nurses in the labor and delivery units need to be trained on the proper way of diagnosing and handling anorexia patients to reduce cases of infant mortality. A combination of medical attention and accommodating psychotherapy […]
• Treatments of Anorexia Nervosa Because the mortality rates and co-morbidity incidence of aneroxia nervosa remains critically high despite the array of various intervention strategies that are currently available to health professionals, it is justifiable to have a reassessment of […]
• Diagnosis and Reasons of the Bulimia Nervosa Bulimia is also evident in African countries even with the general notion that African women ought to be fat as a sign of beauty and fertility.
• Eating Disorders: Assessment & Misconceptions The DSM-IV-TR criteria for Bulimia nervosa, according to Berg et al, “…include binge eating, defined as the consumption of an unusually large amount of food coupled with a subjective sense of loss of control, and […]
• Body Fat and Eating Disorders Paper The only way of making this meat safe for consumption would be to cook it all the way through to kill the bacteria on the surface and inside the meat.
• Anorexia in Teens: Media Impact This research focuses on the impact of the media as the ultimate key player for the development of the dangerous disorder among the contemporary young girls in the society.
• The Prevalence of Eating Disorders According to the National Institute of Mental Health, anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are the main types of eating disorders. The trend of anorexia nervosa reached its peak in the 1980s and that is why […]
• The Media’s Influence on Eating Disorders This gives people the impression that by eating the food they will be as beautiful as the model in the advert is. This shows that the media is capable of influencing our eating habits.
• Body Image Issues and Eating Disorders in Sport and Exercise This is very crucial to the sports people as effects in their functionality leads to an automatic decline in performance of the sport.
• Eating Disorders: Anorexia, Bulimia and Compulsive Overeating Anorexia is a both eating and psychological disorder that is initiated as a person begins to diet in order to lose weight.
• Psychological Disorders: Bulimia Nervosa vs. Anorexia Nervosa Although people with the condition are able to recover if the disorder is properly managed, Eysenck states that the near starvation state that most anorexics live with during the period of the disorder can be […]
• Eating Disorders: A Session With Sufferers of Obesity and Anorexia One of the myths that surrounds anorexia is that the only cause of this disorder is the wish to lose weight; some people even refer to the condition as the ‘slimmer’s disease’.
• Eating Disorders: How the Media Have Influenced Their Development in Adolescent Girls
• Eating Disorders and Mental Disorders
• Addiction and Recovery Eating Disorders
• Eating Disorders and the Influences of Culture
• Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia: Common Eating Disorders in American Women
• The Physical and Emotional Effects of Eating Disorders
• Stress and Eating Disorders in Teenagers
• Eating Disorders and Personality Disorders
• Eating Disorders and Beauty Ideals in American Society
• Eating Disorders and Ballet – Anorexia Nervosa Is Eating the Soul of Young Dancers
• Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Eating Disorders; A Transdignostic Theory and Treatment
• Association Between Depression and Eating Disorders
• The Rising and Dangerous Trend of Eating Disorders: The Types and Causes
• Eating Disorders and Reproduction
• Behavioral Feeding and Eating Disorders
• Eating Disorders: Genetics and Environmental Influences
• Childhood Factors and Eating Disorders Symptoms
• Various Eating Disorders – Compulsive Overeating
• Hunger, Obesity, and Eating Disorders
• Adolescent and Parent Experience of Care at a Family-Based Treatment Service for Eating Disorders
• Childhood Sexual Abuse and Eating Disorders
• Eating Disorders and Its Impact on Society
• Anorexia, Bulimia, and Related Eating Disorders Treatment
• Differences Between Anorexia, Bulimia, and Eating Disorders
• Anxiety and Depression Profile and Eating Disorders in Patients With Irritable Bowel Syndrome
• Psychological Treatment for Eating Disorders
• Quantifying the Psychopathology of Eating Disorders From the Autonomic Nervous System Perspective: A Methodological Approach
• Children With Eating Disorders – Therapy Issues
• Eating Disorders Among Different Cultures
• Causes, Treatment, and the Role of Media on the Battle Against Eating Disorders in the United States
• Eating Disorders and Emotional Eating
• Cognitive and Affective Empathy in Eating Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
• When Parenting Fails: Alexithymia and Attachment States of Mind in Mothers of Female Patients With Eating Disorders
• Parental Mental Illness and Eating Disorders
• Structural and Functional Brain Connectivity Changes Between People With Abdominal and Non-abdominal Obesity and Their Association With Behaviors of Eating Disorders
• Body Dissatisfaction and Eating Disorders
• The Three Major Eating Disorders in the United States
• Eating Disorders Among Children and Teens
• Women, Weight and Eating Disorders a Socio-Cultural and Political-Economic Analysis
• Eating Disorders and the Fashion Industry
• Why Are Eating Disorders So Common?
• Why Are Teens Plagued With Eating Disorders?
• Why Do Binge Eating Disorders Affect More?
• Whether the Fashion World Causes Eating Disorders?
• Which Symptoms of the Gastrointestinal Tract Occur in Patients With Eating Disorders?
• What Are Eating Disorders?
• What Are the Challenges That Face a Psychotherapist Working With Self-Harm or Eating Disorders?
• What Are the Major Causes of Eating Disorders in Young Women?
• What Causes Eating Disorders?
• What Role Does the Family Play in Developing, Maintaining, and Treating Eating Disorders?
• How do American Society and Culture Influence Eating Disorders?
• How Are Eating Disorders Affecting Our Health?
• How Does Food Taste in Eating Disorders: Anorexia and Bulimia Nervosa?
• How Does the Perception of Beauty Impact the Development of Eating Disorders?
• How do Eating Disorders Begin and What They Leave Behind?
• How Can Eating Disorders Be Viewed as Multi-Determined Disorders?
• How Do People Deal With Eating Disorders?
• How Does Society Affect the Development of Eating Disorders?
• How Has the Advertising Industry Caused an Increase in Eating Disorders?
• How Does the Media Influence Eating Disorders?
• How Can Widely Available Social Media Cause the Development of Eating Disorders?
• Does Adolescent Media Use Cause Obesity and Eating Disorders?
• Does Our Country Support Eating Disorders?
• Does Social Media Contribute to the Development of Eating Disorders in Young Adults?
• Does Social Pressure Influence Eating Disorders Among Adolescents?
• Does the Media Influence the Development of Eating Disorders in Adolescents?
• Does Depression Assist Eating Disorders?
• Are Eating Disorders More Common Among Women Than Men?
• Are Eating Disorders Psychological or Cultural Problems?
• Are Eating Disorders Really about Food?
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Essay on Eating Disorders

Students are often asked to write an essay on Eating Disorders in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Eating Disorders

Understanding eating disorders.

Eating disorders are serious health problems. They occur when individuals develop unhealthy eating habits that can harm their body. They often start with an obsession with food, body weight, or body shape.

Types of Eating Disorders

There are three main types of eating disorders: Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, and Binge Eating Disorder. Each has different symptoms but all can be harmful.

Impact on Health

Eating disorders can damage important body parts like the heart and brain. They can also affect mental health, causing anxiety or depression.

Getting Help

If you or someone you know has an eating disorder, it’s important to seek help. Doctors, therapists, and support groups can provide treatment and support.

250 Words Essay on Eating Disorders

Introduction.

Eating disorders, a category of mental health conditions, have been a subject of increasing concern in contemporary society. They are characterized by severe disturbances in eating behaviors and related thoughts and emotions, often driven by body dissatisfaction and distorted body image.

The most common types are Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, and Binge Eating Disorder. Anorexia is defined by a refusal to maintain a healthy body weight and an obsessive fear of gaining weight. Bulimia involves frequent episodes of binge eating followed by behaviors like forced vomiting to avert weight gain. Binge Eating Disorder is characterized by frequent overeating episodes but without subsequent purging actions.

Sociocultural Influences

Sociocultural factors play a significant role in the onset of eating disorders. The media’s portrayal of an ‘ideal’ body size and shape can contribute to body dissatisfaction and consequently, disordered eating behaviors.

Health Implications

The health implications of eating disorders are severe, impacting both physical and mental health. These can range from malnutrition, organ damage, to increased risk of suicide.

Eating disorders, therefore, are serious conditions that require comprehensive treatment. Increased awareness, early diagnosis, and interventions can significantly improve the prognosis and quality of life for those affected.

500 Words Essay on Eating Disorders

Introduction to eating disorders.

Eating disorders represent a group of serious conditions characterized by abnormal eating habits that can negatively affect a person’s physical and mental health. These disorders often develop from a complex interplay of genetic, psychological, and sociocultural factors.

The Types of Eating Disorders

The most common types of eating disorders are Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, and Binge Eating Disorder. Anorexia Nervosa is characterized by an intense fear of gaining weight, leading to self-starvation and excessive weight loss. Bulimia Nervosa involves cycles of binge eating followed by compensatory behaviors like vomiting or excessive exercise. Binge Eating Disorder, the most common eating disorder in the U.S., involves recurrent episodes of eating large amounts of food, often very quickly and to the point of discomfort.

The Underlying Causes

Eating disorders are typically multifactorial and can’t be attributed to a single cause. They often coexist with other mental health disorders such as depression, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Genetic predisposition plays a significant role, suggesting that eating disorders can run in families. Sociocultural factors, including societal pressures to be thin, can also contribute to the development of these disorders.

The Impact on Physical and Mental Health

The physical consequences of eating disorders are profound and can be life-threatening. They range from malnutrition, heart conditions, and bone loss in anorexia, to gastrointestinal problems and electrolyte imbalances in bulimia. Binge eating disorder can lead to obesity and related complications like heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

The mental health consequences are equally severe and include depression, anxiety, and increased risk of suicide. Eating disorders can also lead to social isolation and impaired functioning at work or school.

Treatment and Recovery

Treatment for eating disorders typically involves a multidisciplinary approach, combining medical, psychological, and nutritional therapy. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is often effective, helping individuals to understand and change patterns of thought and behavior that lead to disordered eating.

Early intervention is crucial for recovery. However, stigma and lack of understanding about these disorders can often delay treatment. Therefore, raising awareness and promoting understanding about eating disorders is essential.

Eating disorders are serious and complex mental health conditions with significant physical and psychological consequences. Understanding their multifactorial nature is crucial for developing effective prevention and treatment strategies. The importance of early intervention and the role of societal attitudes in both the development and recovery from these disorders cannot be overstated. As a society, we must strive to promote body positivity and mental health awareness to help those struggling with these debilitating conditions.

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Home — Essay Samples — Nursing & Health — Eating Disorders — Eating Disorders in Adolescents

Eating Disorders in Adolescents

• Categories: Eating Disorders

About this sample

Words: 568 |

Published: Feb 12, 2024

Words: 568 | Page: 1 | 3 min read

Table of contents

Introduction, types of eating or feeding disorders in adolescents, causes and risk factors of eating disorders in adolescents, treating eating disorders.

• Fairburn, C.G. (2008). Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Eating Disorders . New York: Guilford Press.
• Grilo, C.M., & Mitchell, J.E. (2012). Treatment of Eating Disorders . New York: Guilford Press.
• Herrin, M., & Larkin, M. (2013). Nutrition Counseling in the Treatment of Eating Disorders . California: Routledge.
• Hornbacher, M. (2009). Wasted: A Memoir of Anorexia and Bulimia . New York: John Wiley & Sons.
• Lock, J., & Grange, D.L. (2005). Help Your Teenager Beat an Eating Disorder . New York: Guilford Press.

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Ozempic Hurts the Fight Against Eating Disorders

I t’s impossible to escape the soaring popularity of Ozempic and similar drugs these days—daily headlines, celebrity “success” stories, and apparent ease in procuring prescriptions (even Costco sells them now) abound. But the cumulative effect of all of this has many experts in the eating disorder field worried about how this might affect their patients. This makes sense—even for those without eating disorders, these drugs can feel both triggering and enticing. After all, research tells us about 90% of women are dissatisfied with their bodies. This sounds like a quick fix.

Then, I started hearing reports—first anecdotal, then published —that some doctors were prescribing weight loss drugs like Ozempic to their patients with eating disorders. As in, to help treat them.

As a journalist who has extensively researched the harms of eating disorders and the barriers to recovery—and as a woman who had suffered from eating disorders on and off for much of my own life—I thought I must have misunderstood. Yes, we as a society are in the midst of Ozempic Fever—and by “fever,” I’m referring to excitement, rather than a possible side effect of the drug (which it is). Researchers are continuing to find new potential applications for these drugs, initially developed to treat type 2 diabetes. In March, the FDA approved a new indication for the weight-loss drug Wegovy (which has the same active ingredient as Ozempic), allowing it to be used as a treatment to reduce the risk for heart attack and stroke. Ozempic, a diabetes drug, used off-label for weight loss, is also being studied to treat anxiety and depression , polycystic ovary syndrome, substance abuse, Alzheimer’s , and now—eating disorders.

Read More: Ozempic Exposed the Cracks in the Body Positivity Movement

It’s early days and research hasn’t yet caught up with the enthusiasm.  But our cultural misunderstanding of eating disorders, even by well-meaning practitioners, could exacerbate the illnesses for those who suffer from them—and have dire consequences.

The new class of weight loss drugs mimics the body’s GLP-1 hormone , stimulating insulin production, and lowering blood sugar levels, helpful to those with type 2 diabetes. The drugs also curb appetite and slow the speed that food moves into the small intestine—you feel full more quickly and eat less. Many patients without eating disorders who take these drugs, have reported a reduction of “food noise” in their minds—referring to obsessive thoughts and preoccupation with food. (Though, as philosopher Kate Manne wisely posited in a recent New York Times piece , isn’t “food noise,” simply, hunger?)

For folks suffering from binge eating disorder (BED) or bulimia nervosa (BN), a drug that decreases appetite may seem to make sense. Both illnesses are characterized by eating large amounts of food, eating until uncomfortably full, and feeling distress around that (bulimia is distinguished by purging after a binge).

Binge eating often emerges as part of a cycle of restriction—dieting, fasting, or eliminating entire food groups—like carbs, for example. “Many people struggling with BED view the binge episodes as the problem and the restriction as something to strive for,” said Alexis Conason, a psychologist specializing in the treatment of binge eating disorder. “When people with BED take a GLP-1 medication that dampens their appetite, many are excited that they can be ‘better’ at restriction and consume very little throughout the day.” Subsequently, Conason adds, there is a dangerous potential for BED to then morph into anorexia, starving oneself with possibly life-threatening complications.

Eating disorders are complex illnesses that aren’t yet fully understood, even by experts in the field. Underneath the behaviors around food is often an intricate web of trauma, anxiety, and even genetic predisposition, all set against the backdrop of a culture that prizes thinness . Low weight is frequently (incorrectly) conflated with good health, and people in larger bodies are often subjected to bullying, negative stereotypes, and discrimination in the workplace .

Read More: Ozempic Gets the Oprah Treatment in a New TV Special

Emerging research strongly supports that for many, eating disorders are brain-based illnesses and in most cases, there exists a co-morbidity like anxiety, mood disorders, or substance abuse.

“GLP-1’s can’t help someone deal with their stress, anxiety, [and] trauma-history,” said psychologist Cynthia Bulik, one of the world’s leading eating disorder researchers, and Founding Director of the University of North Carolina Center of Excellence of Eating Disorders. “All of that background distress—fundamental distress that might be driving the BED in the first place—is temporarily bypassed by removing the desire to eat.”

Nearly 30 million Americans will have an eating disorder in their lifetime, but only about 6% of those are medically diagnosed as “underweight,” according to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders. This means that a person may exhibit all of the diagnostic hallmarks of anorexia, for example, extreme restriction and even malnourishment, but still present as average weight or even overweight. They may even be told by a physician to lose weight, despite the fact that they are already going to dangerous extremes to chase that “goal.”

“We tend to think that everyone in a larger body with an eating disorder must have BED and everyone in a smaller body must have anorexia, but this couldn’t be further from the truth,” said Conason. “So many people with BED seek help in weight loss settings instead of seeking eating disorder treatment; many view the problem as their weight and think they need more help sticking to their diet” when in reality, an end to the restriction would more likely regulate their eating.

It’s much easier to get weight loss treatment than help for an eating disorder. There is no standard of care for eating disorders in this country and treatment is unregulated. While there are some promising, evidenced-based treatments (cognitive behavioral therapy for adults, and family-based treatment for children and teens), they don’t work for everyone. If a person is fortunate to be diagnosed and receive adequate treatment, relapses are common and full recovery can be elusive.

Further, these drugs are often intended to be taken for a person’s entire life. “When they go off the drug, or can’t access it due to supply problems, the urge to binge comes right back and they have not developed any psychological (or) behavioral skills to manage the urge,” Bulik told me. Just like with a diet, any lost weight will likely be regained when a person stops taking the drugs. Weight fluctuations, themselves ,may increase a person’s risk of chronic illnesses like type 2 diabetes, according to multiple studies.

“The focus on weight and erasing the desire to eat could indeed do harm,” cautioned Bulik. “The potential for abuse is high and will become higher with new preparations that don’t require an injection … Remember, these drugs are ‘for life.’ Stop them, and everything comes rushing back.”

The long-term side effects of GLP-1’s are not yet known. But the harms of eating disorders are: eating disorders have one of the highest mortality rates of any mental illness (second only to opioid overdose). People with eating disorders are more likely to attempt suicide, and during COVID-19, emergency room visits and inpatient admissions for eating disorders at pediatric hospitals skyrocketed, particularly for young women. According to the CDC, emergency room visits for 12-17 year old girls who suffer from eating disorders doubled during the pandemic. Those numbers, as shown by recent studies , have not returned to pre-pandemic levels.

An even greater concern is that the gaps in comprehensive care for eating disorders invite experimental, potentially harmful treatments and leave patients vulnerable. GLP-1’s may seem like a short-term “fix,” but they won’t graze the deeper issues nor will they diminish the eating disorder crisis in this country. And it is a crisis—every year, eating disorders cost the U.S. more than $65 billion .

I know too well that if a doctor advises their patient with an eating disorder “here’s something to make you eat less” most patients would happily oblige. That’s part of the pathology of the illness. It’s the eating disorder talking. Ideally, it wouldn’t be your doctor’s voice, too.

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Driven by empathy

Overcoming an eating disorder motivates addie sholar to excel in her academic journey.

Addie Sholar developed an eating disorder at 14 years old. At 18, she sought treatment and connected with a therapist, who helped her begin her six-year journey to recovery. She also received support from several dietitians to learn how to correct her restrictive eating habits.

Now, at age 24, Sholar considers herself to be fully recovered. Her experience has fueled her to pursue a career in dietetics, which she is working toward as a graduate student in the University of Cincinnati’s Accelerated Dietitian Nutritionist (ADN) program.

Five years into her academic pursuit, Sholar’s hard work and passion for dietetics is gaining recognition. In April, she received the Outstanding Dietetics Student Award from the Ohio Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics—as one of only three students to be recognized statewide this year. 

I always knew I wanted to study nutrition for the right reasons; I wanted to help people

Addie Sholar

Sholar's academic journey

Sholar began her academic career at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College in the fall of 2018. At the time, she had just started meeting with a therapist and dietitian for her eating disorder. Though Sholar was met with resistance about her choice to enter the field of nutrition and dietetics, she persisted anyway, earning her associate degree in dietetic technology and graduating at the top of her class in the summer of 2020.

“I always knew I wanted to study nutrition for the right reasons; I wanted to help people,” Sholar says. “Even though I was dealing with my own eating disorder, I was able to center myself in my values. I knew I had to work through it and heal to be able to provide the best care for my future clients. When things got particularly tough and I struggled to maintain motivation for recovery, I would remind myself to do it for the people that I’d help in the future.”

Sholar gained a couple hundred hours of internship experience during her time at Cincinnati State, working at UC Health's Daniel Drake Center, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Otterbein SeniorLife, Mercy Health – West Hospital and West Clermont City Schools.

Recognized for her outstanding GPA, Sholar received a UC Transfer Ambassador Scholarship when she transferred to the College of Allied Health Sciences’ ADN program in the fall of 2021. Over the next two years, Sholar would make the Dean’s list, maintain a part-time job and complete her community rotation working as a nutrition intern at Meals on Wheels of Southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky.

"Addie has always excelled academically, but I’ve witnessed her become more and more excited about what she’s learning over the years,” says Lindsey Mills, PhD, undergraduate program director and associate professor in the Department of Rehabilitation, Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, who has taught several of Sholar’s classes and served as her mentor. “Her face lights up when talking about macronutrient metabolism, which is a sure sign she’s destined to be a registered dietitian.”

Based on her academic achievement, professional service record and interpersonal skills, Sholar was unanimously selected by UC’s nutrition faculty for the nutrition lead position at the new student-run Interprofessional Community Clinic. The clinic, which the college launched last fall in partnership with Kroger Health, aims to provide free holistic health services to underinsured and noninsured community members. Sholar and five faculty-picked student leaders from other allied health professions have spent the past two semesters helping establish standard operating procedures and seeing mock patients.

“Addie brings much well-rounded directed practice experience into the clinic operations from her training as a dietetic technician,” says Sarah Couch, PhD, the clinic’s nutrition faculty supervisor and a professor in the Department of Rehabilitation, Exercise and Nutrition Sciences. “She has been the respectful student voice for the clinic operations, even speaking on their behalf at the opening ceremony last semester. Addie has done an outstanding job helping set up standard operating procedures, develop assessment practices and select counseling materials for the clinic, as well as successfully carry out mock patient visits as we gear up to take on our first patients.”

From left to right, Lindsey Mills, Adeline Sholar and Sarah Couch.

Couch nominated Sholar for the Outstanding Dietetics Student Award during one of the toughest semesters of her academic career. Receiving the award, Sholar says, is validation for all the hard work she’s put into her degree and speaks to how passionate she is about studying nutrition. She added that “it was the pat on the back I needed” during an especially overwhelming time and “a reminder that everything was going to be OK.”

“Addie is beyond deserving of the Ohio Outstanding Dietetics Student Award and I’m so proud to have her representing UC,” Mills adds. “She is academically gifted, mature, professional and empathetic. I have no doubt Addie will be an amazing registered dietitian.”

Sholar's future impact

Adeline Sholar in the College's Foods Lab.

A dietitian that Sholar worked with early on in her recovery journey didn’t always provide the support she needed. She says that dietitian, as well as another dietitian who later provided her adequate support, have helped fuel her passion.

“Eating disorders are terrible because you become all consumed in food and body and nothing else matters,” Sholar says. “It robs you of your life, your friends and family and normal teenager experiences, and it drains you of energy and joy.”

Sholar says she “got her life back” thanks to a few impactful therapists and dietitians, and she’s motivated to pay it forward to her future patients. 

“I hope to provide the level of care that I wish to have received when I was 18 and first getting treatment,” Sholar says. “There is so much misinformation about nutrition and the proper way to treat eating disorders. Many therapists, dietitians and doctors struggle to treat these individuals because they don’t have a holistic perspective of what eating disorders are, what fuels them and what helps these individuals heal. Because I have experienced an eating disorder—even though I wouldn’t wish it upon anybody—it gives me a better perspective on how to provide my future clients more well-rounded care.”

Though Sholar’s participation in the Interprofessional Community Clinic will end this semester, she’s excited to apply for a dietetic internship at Cincinnati Children's, where she currently works in the Human Milk and Formula Room. She’ll spend the upcoming fall and spring semesters gaining more hands-on clinical and foodservice experience before she graduates and takes her registered dietitian exam in the fall of 2025. Sholar hopes to land a job in eating disorders or an adjacent field and work with adolescents and adults in an inpatient or residential setting. 

“Nutrition is such an important component of healing from an eating disorder. To make strides on the psychological side, a person has to be nourished enough to be present for therapy.” Sholar says. “I’m studying nutrition to help these people. I can bring the softness, empathy and understanding I have developed though personal experiences when helping my future clients navigate the challenges of recovering from an eating disorder.”

Passion Meets Preparation

We're excited to train the next generation of registered dietitian nutritionist (RDNs). The University of Cincinnati has a variety of undergraduate and graduate nutrition science programs.

Katie Coburn

[email protected]

• College of Allied Health Sciences
• Student Experience

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BRIEF RESEARCH REPORT article

Mentalizing in psychotherapeutic processes of patients with eating disorders.

• 1 Department of Psychosomatic Medicine und Psychotherapy, Center for Mental Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
• 2 Department of Consultation Psychiatry and Psychosomatics, University Hospital Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland

Background: Improvement in the capacity to mentalize (i.e., reflective functioning/RF) is considered both, an outcome variable as well as a possible change mechanism in psychotherapy. We explored variables related to (in-session) RF in patients with an eating disorder (ED) treated in a pilot study on a Mentalization-Based Treatment (MBT) - oriented day hospital program. The research questions were secondary and focused on the psychotherapeutic process: What average RF does the group of patients show in sessions and does it change over the course of a single session? Are differences found between sections in which ED symptomatology is discussed and those in which it is not? Does RF increase after MBT-type interventions?

Methods: 1232 interaction segments from 77 therapy sessions of 19 patients with EDs were rated for RF by reliable raters using the In-Session RF Scale. Additionally, content (ED symptomatology yes/no) and certain MBT interventions were coded. Statistical analysis was performed by mixed models.

Results: Patients showed a rather low RF, which increased on average over the course of a session. If ED symptomatology was discussed, this was associated with significantly lower RF, while MBT-type interventions led to a significant increase in RF.

Conclusions: Results suggest that in-session mentalizing can be stimulated by MBT-typical interventions. RF seems to be more impaired when disorder-specific issues are addressed. Further studies have to show if improving a patient´s ability to mentalize their own symptoms is related to better outcomes.

1 Introduction

Mentalizing describes the ability to perceive and understand oneself and others (one’s own behavior/the behavior of others) in relation to inner states, feelings, intentions and desires ( 1 ). The capacity to mentalize is important for self-regulation (including the regulation of impulses and affect), as well as the regulation of relationships ( 1 ). Therefore, improved mentalizing (operationalized as Reflective Functioning/RF) is discussed both as an desirable outcome of psychotherapy as well as a change mechanism in psychotherapeutic processes ( 2 – 4 ). It was also suggested that a better ability to mentalize is associated with better therapeutic alliances and reduces the risk of treatment drop-out ( 5 , 6 ). This is an obvious consideration, as a patient who is able to reflect on the mental state of his/her therapist will find it easier not to experience a behavior or intervention as directed against him/herself. To improve mentalizing is the main focus in Mentalization Based Treatment (MBT), an approach originally developed for the treatment of borderline personality disorder – a disorder in which mentalizing is considerably impaired ( 7 , 8 ). More recently, MBT was adapted for the use in other mental disorders with impairment in mentalizing ( 9 ), including eating disorders ( 10 , 11 ).

RF can be described along different dimensions: It can be related to the self or another person, has a cognitive or affective focus, be implicit or explicit and related to something observable vs. internal mental states ( 4 ). Additionally, RF is not only a skill that people have more or less. Mentalizing in a given situation also depends on the context - for example, on the emotional relevance of a given session or the level of arousal induced in the relationship with another individual, including the therapist ( 7 ). For instance, high emotional arousal will lead to a fight or flight reaction instead of mentalizing. Therefore, the overall capacity to mentalize a person shows (e.g. in a structured interview like the Adult Attachment Interview), might differ from RF in a specific situation. Such a specific situation are psychotherapy sessions, in which RF is expected to be improved by therapeutic interventions. “In-session” RF (which can be measured with the In-Session-RF-Scale, see below) will depend on the relationship between the patient and the therapist, the topics discussed, the interventions of the therapist and several other factors that might influence the situation (e.g. events prior to the session: if a patient had a conflict with her partner) ( 12 ). Furthermore, RF might be impaired concerning the symptoms a patient has. “Symptom specific RF” was defined by Rudden et al. as the ability to reflect on the underlying meaning and affect- or relationship-related function of a symptom ( 13 ).

Overall, RF-related process research is in its infancy, although a better understanding of the factors that stimulate mentalizing in sessions and if and how mentalizing is related to productive psychotherapeutic processes is urgently needed. Previous research was able to find a relationship between interventions that are intended to increase RF and higher RF in the respective session (e.g. 14 – 16 ). Better RF in a session in turn predicted lower emotional arousal in patients with borderline personality disorder ( 14 ). Furthermore, an increase in in-session RF (positive deviation from the individual baseline-level) was shown to be related to less interpersonal problems and a reduction of depressive symptoms in patients with depression and anxiety treated with cognitive-behavior therapy ( 17 ).

Eating disorders (EDs) like anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN) primarily affect girls and women in the first half of their lives. AN and BN can easily become chronic with fluctuating courses, and are associated with serious mental and physical consequences ( 18 ). Treatment outcomes are not satisfactory, with remission rates barely reaching 50% in adults ( 19 ). AN, in particular, carries high mortality rates ( 20 ). At the core of psychopathology are difficulties in regulating negative affect ( 21 ), along with weight and shape concerns ( 22 ). These issues contribute to problematic eating behaviors (restrictive and/or binge eating) and inappropriate compensatory behaviors to prevent weight gain. Maintaining factors include affect intolerance, unfavorable interpersonal interactions, consequences of malnutrition, and habit formation ( 23 ). Psychotherapeutic treatment is challenging because of a high ambivalence regarding change ( 24 ) and a strong wish for autonomy, while feeling needy and dependent on important others ( 25 ). In the majority of studies RF in individuals with ED was found to be impaired, including RF as shown in psychotherapy sessions ( 26 , 27 ). This is consistent with the fact that problems with the regulation of self-esteem, emotions and impulses on one hand and relationships on the other are at the core of ED psychopathology ( 18 ). Therefore, an adapted MBT-approach (MBT-ED) which focuses on an improvement in the capacity to mentalize might be helpful also in the treatment of individuals with an ED. However, there are only few pilot studies evaluating such an approach ( 11 , 28 , 29 ) and one randomized controlled study which included patients with an ED and features of a borderline-personality disorder ( 30 ). All of these studies have methodological limitations (observational studies, high drop-out rates) limiting the conclusions which can be drawn from them.

We developed a MBT manual for the treatment of eating disorders ( 11 , 31 ) and - as a first step - conducted an observational proof-of-concept study in a day hospital setting ( 11 ). Results were promising and showed that the program was well accepted by the patients (drop-out rate: 13.2%) and lead to significant reductions in eating pathology (EDE total score) and difficulties with emotion regulation as well as an improvement in RF ( 11 ), although overall outcome in ED symptomatology did not differ when compared to a historical matched control group.

The goal of this study, which followed an exploratory approach, is to support a better understanding of processes related to RF in psychotherapy sessions. To this end, we propose to answer the following questions that may inform future research: What is the average RF score of patients during individual MBT-ED sessions? Does RF change over the course of a single session? Are there differences in RF between parts of a therapy session in which eating disorder symptoms are discussed and those in which they are not? Are certain MBT-type interventions associated with increases in RF during the same during the same session sequence? Although the study - due to the few process studies in patients with eating disorders on this topic - was primarily exploratory in nature, we had some expectations based on previous findings. We expected a level of RF below the average values for health individuals. We further expected that MBT-type interventions will be associated with an increase in RF and that RF in average will increase over the course of a session (as we analyzed MBT-oriented sessions with corresponding objectives).

2.1 Study design – original study

The original “proof-of-concept”-study was prospective and observational. It was approved by the local ethics committee (No 448/17) and conducted in a day hospital, which provides an MBT-ED program for six patients with an ED at a time. All consecutively admitted patients with an ED over a period of 2 years were asked to take part in the study. In this time period, 38 out of 40 ED-patients admitted could be included. Inclusion criteria were a diagnosis of anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN) or other specified feeding and eating disorders (OSFED) according to DSM-5 (mental diagnoses were given after a SCID-5 interview), age ≥ 18, BMI ≥ 14.5 kg/m² and an indication for day hospital treatment ( 11 ). Exclusion criteria were psychoses, substance dependency, bipolar disorder, organic brain disease, dementia, severe somatic illness or acute suicidal ideation. The multimodal treatment program includes two MBT individual sessions per week (50 min, 25 min) and a one-weekly MBT-group therapy session besides further components [e.g. art and body therapy, work with an eating diary; for details see ( 11 )]. Therapists were trained in MBT and supervised by a certified MBT supervisor. Individual sessions were videotyped and assessed for MBT adherence which included feed back to the therapist after every 4th session. Main time points of assessment were admission, discharge and follow up assessments three and twelve months after discharge.

2.2 Process study

Every second patient was asked to take part in a process study (not every patient could be included due to the high effort involved). To study psychotherapeutic processes, we focused on individual treatment sessions. The second session and every forth of following sessions were included and transcribed according to the rules of Mergenthaler ( 32 ). Session transcripts were divided into 3-minute sequences. Thus, a therapy session of about 50 minutes yields 17 coded segments, with a time variable ranging from 3 to 51 by 3. Each sequence of the included sessions was rated for RF using the In-Session-Reflective Functioning-Scale ( 12 ). The scale ranges from -1 (refusing to use RF) and 0 (no RF) to values between 1 and 9 (1-4 low RF, 5 = normal RF, 6-9 high RF). The ratings were conducted by two trained and reliable raters (ICC = .81 ( 27 );). In addition to RF, the content of a sequence was coded. It was coded in terms of a focus on eating symptomatology (1 = yes/defined as sequences with a focus on ED symptoms vs. 0 = no/sequences without this focus) and if two types of MBT- interventions were used in the respective time segment: „demand”-interventions (prompting a patient to reflect on or explore a topic in more detail) and empathic validation (actively validating the emotional experience reported by a patient) (1 = yes/sequences with MBT intervention; 0 = no/sequences without MBT intervention).

We decided to exclude the last six minutes of each session from the analysis, because of typically very low RF (tested with mixed model: -0.64 RF compared to the other time segments; p < 0.0001), potentially changing the trajectory to non-linear. We considered the last minutes (talking out/saying goodbye, appointments, organizational issues) therefore as not representative of the psychotherapy process and the capacity of a patient to mentalize.

2.3 Psychometric measures

Eating psychopathology was measured with the Eating Disorder Examination Interview (EDE) interview ( 33 , 34 ) and the Eating Disorder Inventory self-report questionnaire (EDI-2) ( 35 , 36 ), general psychopathology with the Symptom-Check-List (SCL-90-R) ( 37 ), see also ( 11 ). In the original study, time points of measurement were admission, discharge as well as three and twelve month after discharge.

2.4 Statistical analysis

In order to account for the hierarchical structure of the data, we used mixed models to estimate linear trends of RF within sessions and it’s relations to session process. The analyses were computed with R (V4.2.2) and the package lme4 (V.1.1-32; Syntax see Table 1 ; REML estimation).

Table 1 Results of mixed model.

19 patients were included in the study. 77 sessions and 1232 session sequences were available for the analysis. For a sample description see Table 2 .

Table 2 Sample description.

Overall, patients showed a low level of RF in sessions (M = 3.48). It did not differ between patients with a BMI below 18.5 kg/m² (M = 3.54; N = 9) and those with a BMI of 18.5-25 kg/m² (M = 3.47; N = 8). Two patients with a BMI > 25 kg/m² had a lower RF (M = 2.50; N = 2). On average, RF increased over the course of a session (Intercept = 3.24, slope = +0.0079/min = +0.48/50min), see Table 1 . Talking about eating-disorder related themes was associated with significantly lower RF (-0.20) within the respective, 3-minute long sequences of the sessions. Demand-interventions were positively associated with higher RF (+ 0.29) within the respective 3-minute sequence, this also applied to empathic validation (+ 0.26). Table 1 shows the formula and the estimates of the mixed model. For an illustration and better understanding, a constructed trajectory of a singe case is visualized in Figure 1 .

Figure 1 Visualization of a constructed therapy session. Constructed trajectory, showing the estimated impact of interventions on RF with a hypothetical pattern of interventions and ED focus. “Session slope”: RF Mean session trajectory with intercept = 3.48 RF and estimated increase of 0.48 RF (from minute 1 to minute 50). “Events”: Estimation of fixed effects directly in the segment of occurrence. Slope + Effects of Events: Mean course PLUS effects of all events / interventions. X-Axis/Time: Divided into the rated segments of 3 minutes. Squares with patterns: Constructed occurrences of interventions, coded yes=1, no = 0. Random Effects: Not shown, as this is a constructed single case. Random intercepts and slopes differ individually.

4 Discussion

The average RF shown in the sessions was low ( 38 , 39 ). This is consistent with preliminary findings in patients with EDs ( 10 , 26 ). It has to be taken into account that we assessed in-session RF, which depends on the process in each session and interventions used by the therapist. However, if we understand a psychotherapeutic session as a situation in which RF is usually challenged, average in-session RF will be an indicator for the overall capacity to mentalize ( 17 ). Talia et al. ( 12 ) found a moderate correlation between In-Session-RF and RF as assessed with the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI), probably due to the less standardized situation in therapy sessions (the AAI is a structured interview that uses so-called “demand” questions to stimulate RF). Nevertheless, patients with higher RF ratings in the AAI, showed also a better capacity to mentalize in psychotherapy sessions.

We found that RF increased over the course of a session. This might reflect a process of increasing reflection in this session, which would be intended in an MBT-oriented treatment ( 7 , 40 ). However, we cannot rule out that the finding is unspecific and for example due to the typical structure of a psychotherapy session: At the beginning the focus is on getting into contact and establishing a safe atmosphere, before more challenging topics are discussed. However, despite the general increase in RF, there could be fluctuations in RF that depend, for example, on the extent to which a patient feels perceived by their therapist and considers their interventions to be credible and trustworthy ( 41 , 42 ).

In terms of content, RF was lower in transcript sequences in which symptomatology was discussed. This could mean that mentalizing might „break in” when disorder-specific topics are addressed and be interpreted as a reduced capacity to reflect on the function and meaning of symptoms. It is an important question, if this correlation changes over the course of a successful treatment (that psychotherapy leads to an increase in RF in the context of eating-disorder related themes) and if such an improvement in symptom-related RF is finally related to outcome. This would need to be investigated in a larger prospective study in the future. As mentioned in the introduction, symptom-specific RF was previously shown to be relevant for change: A study on patients with panic disorder, the Cornell-Penn-Study, found that an increase in panic-specific RF in cognitive-behavioral as well as psychodynamic psychotherapy mediated a better treatment outcome ( 43 , 44 ).

Finally, we found that sequences with demand interventions or empathic validation showed increased mentalizing in the patient. Although we did not study the time sequence (if patients mentalized directly following these interventions), the finding suggest that both interventions might simulate RF. This would be a replication of previous findings, where could be shown that that MBT-type interventions in cognitive-behavioral and psychodynamic treatments of AN were associated with an increase in in-session RF ( 15 ). Interestingly, both interventions are correlated with a similar increase in RF, although they differ in terms of their aim and might work through different mechanisms: While demand-interventions intend to directly stimulate RF, empathic validation is used to give the patient a feeling of being understood and intends to validate his experience emotionally. This is considered to be a necessary base for mentalizing, especially in situations, in which a patient is emotionally challenged ( 42 ).

The study has several limitations, which include the small sample size (which did not allow to analyze for influences of weight status) and the heterogeneous group of patients with an ED. An a priori power analysis was not conducted, power and sample size depended on the design of the primary study. Exploratory data analyses revealed no consistent pattern of non-linear trajectories. Therefore, we decided to model linear trajectories only. The sample consisted of women only. There is no baseline assessment of RF, e. g. with the Adult Attachment Interview and the RF-Rating-Scale, measuring by overall capacity of the patients to mentalize. Interventions like “demand” and “empathic validation” could be considered rather “unspecific” interventions without the context of the situation in which they are used and we did not assess a lot of other therapeutic interventions that might or might not contribute to RF.

In summary, we were able to show that RF in psychotherapy sessions with patients with an ED is not only context-dependent, but also depends on the content discussed. The ability to mentalize appears to be particularly impaired when disorder-specific topics (relating to food, body and weight) are addressed. Future studies should answer the question of whether a therapeutic focus on mentalizing eating disorder-specific experiences and beliefs during a session and an improvement in symptom-specific RF is a significant mediator of treatment success.

Data availability statement

The raw data supporting the conclusions of this article will be made available by the authors, without undue reservation.

Ethics statement

The studies involving humans were approved by the local ethics committee of the University of Freiburg, No 448/17. The studies were conducted in accordance with the local legislation and institutional requirements. The participants provided their written informed consent to participate in this study.

Author contributions

AZ: Conceptualization, Funding acquisition, Investigation, Methodology, Project administration, Resources, Supervision, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing. IL: Data curation, Investigation, Project administration, Writing – review & editing. KE: Data curation, Investigation, Writing – review & editing. LS: Resources, Writing – review & editing. SE: Supervision, Writing – review & editing. CL: Writing – review & editing. AH: Conceptualization, Data curation, Formal Analysis, Methodology, Writing – review & editing.

The author(s) declare that financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. We are thankful for receiving research grants to conduct the study: The work was supported by the Heidehofstiftung GmbH Stuttgart (Project No 59055.03.1/2.17; 59055.03.2/4.18; 59055.03.3/4.19). We acknowledge support by the Open Access Publication Fund of the University of Freiburg.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Publisher’s note

All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

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Keywords: menatlization based treatment, intervention, in-session, eating disorder, psychotherapy

Citation: Zeeck A, Lau I, Endorf K, Schaefer L, Euler S, Lahmann C and Hartmann A (2024) Mentalizing in psychotherapeutic processes of patients with eating disorders. Front. Psychiatry 15:1367863. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1367863

Received: 09 January 2024; Accepted: 04 April 2024; Published: 19 April 2024.

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Copyright © 2024 Zeeck, Lau, Endorf, Schaefer, Euler, Lahmann and Hartmann. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) . The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

*Correspondence: Almut Zeeck, [email protected]

Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.