Eating and Feeding Disorders

In the United States, over 2.7 percent of adults have eating disorders and over 13 percent of adolescents will develop an eating disorder by the age of 20. The prevalence rate for females is more than double that of males, although males are more likely to underreport eating disorders due to factors such as stigma, substance use, and masking of their disorder by restrictive diets in sports or fitness training (Strother, 2012). Eating disorders are much more common in Western cultures, potentially due to the prevalent use of social media and the unrealistic body expectations instilled on these platforms. Feeding disorders are more common than eating disorders and have a prevalence rate of around 26% in infants and children in the general population (Galai, 2022). 

So, what are eating and feeding disorders? Although they seem like similar concepts, it is important to differentiate between the two. Feeding disorders are more commonly associated with infants and children and refer to restrictive or abnormal eating habits due to food preferences or intolerances. The three types of feeding disorders are avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID), pica disorder, and rumination disorder. ARFID involves restricting food intake by avoiding certain types of foods with specific color or texture. This may be due to the children’s food preference or simply an overall lack of interest in food. PICA refers to when children eat non-food substances, like chalk, earth, plastic, etc. This disorder cannot be explained by another mental disorder and is not problematic unless it causes health problems. Rumination disorder refers to when a child constantly spits up partially digested food and either rechews it or spits it out (Anxiety and Depression Association of America, n.d). 

Eating disorders, on the other hand, are more common in adolescents and adults, and usually involve a psychological basis for their unhealthy eating behaviors. The three types of eating disorders are anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), and binge eating disorder (BED). Anorexia nervosa is most common amongst young women and adolescent girls. It is similar to ARFID in that restrictive eating leads to abnormal weight loss but the motive is different. Individuals with AN have a distorted body image and a pathological fear of gaining weight. This leads to excessive dieting and extreme measures of food restriction like purging, resulting in unhealthy weight loss. Bulimia nervosa refers to the recurrent pattern of binge-eating and compensatory behavior (usually vomiting). Individuals with BN also have a distorted body image and may have other related symptoms like chronic sore throat or heartburn from excessive vomiting. Binge-eating disorder refers to binge-eating without compensatory behavior. Individuals with BED have lack of control with their eating and are very likely to have comorbid obesity. They often feel disgusted or embarrassed by their eating habits and are more likely to be depressed (Anxiety and Depression Association of America, n.d). 

Unlike feeding disorders, eating disorders are major mental health conditions that require the proper diagnosis and treatment from a healthcare professional. Eating disorders are highly associated with major psychological problems, like distorted self-image, anxiety, or depression and are one of the most life-threatening types of mental disorders. Every year, an estimated 3.3 million people die from eating disorders due to numerous factors such as adverse health effects, decreased quality of life, and suicide (van Hoeken, 2020). Therefore, it is important that we be able to recognize eating disorders and differentiate them from simply overeating or dieting so that individuals with such disorders can get the help that they need. 

References
Eating disorders in teens. Eating Disorder Hope. (2022, February 26). https://www.eatingdisorderhope.com/risk-groups/eating-disorders-teens#:~:text=Teenage%20Eating%20Disorder%20Statistics&text=Studies%20have%20determined%20that%3A,an%20eating%20disorder%20%5B1%5D 

Galai, T., Friedman, G., Moses, M., Shemer, K., Gal, D. L., Yerushalmy-Feler, A., Lubetzky, R., Cohen, S., & Moran-Lev, H. (2022). Demographic and clinical parameters are comparable across different types of pediatric feeding disorder. Scientific Reports, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-12562-1
 
Lindvall Dahlgren, C., Wisting, L., & Rø, Ø. (2017). Feeding and eating disorders in the DSM-5 ERA: A systematic review of prevalence rates in non-clinical male and female samples. Journal of Eating Disorders, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-017-0186-7 

Strother, E., Lemberg, R., Stanford, S. C., & Turberville, D. (2012a). Eating disorders in men: Underdiagnosed, undertreated, and misunderstood. Eating Disorders, 20(5), 346–355. https://doi.org/10.1080/10640266.2012.715512 

Types of eating disorders. Types of Eating Disorders | Anxiety and Depression Association of America, ADAA. (n.d.). https://adaa.org/eating-disorders/types-of-eating-disorders 

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). Eating disorders. National Institute of Mental Health. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/eating-disorders 
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van Hoeken, D., & Hoek, H. W. (2020). Review of the burden of eating disorders: Mortality, disability, costs, quality of life, and family burden. Current Opinion in Psychiatry, 33(6), 521–527. https://doi.org/10.1097/yco.0000000000000641