new eating disorders in the uk

7/30/2019 New Eating Disorders in the UK

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NEW EATING

DISORDERS

APPEARING IN

THE UK


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CONT

ENT

S

i. The prevalence of eating disorders in the UK Pg 3

ii. Drunkorexia is more serious than you think Pg 5

iii. Othorexia: Is focusing on high-quality foods an eating disorder? Pg 9

iv. Is vegetarianism a new eating disorder? Pg 11

v. What to do if a loved one is suffering from one of these eating disorders Pg 13

vi. References Pg 15


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THE PREVALENCE

OF EATING

DISORDERS

IN THE UK

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Eating disorders arebecoming moreprevalent in the UK,

which is a worryingtrend as more Britsare being admitted to

hospital for anorexia,bulimia and othereating disorders.

For example, new gures

from the ProvisionalMonthly Hospital EpisodeStatistics[i] show that betweenJuly 2011 and June 2012,there were 2,688 nishedhospital admissions for aneating disorder, which isa 16 per cent rise on the

previous 12 months.

According to the data, 74per cent of these admissionswere for anorexia nervosa[ii],which sees sufferers avoidingcertain foods and meals toachieve a low body weight.They can lose as much as

ve per cent of their bodyweight in just a month.

A further seven per cent

were admitted to hospitalwith bulimia[iii], which ischaracterised by periods ofbingeing on food followedby purging through vomitingor taking laxatives toavoid gaining weight.

It was also revealed that 19 percent of the men and womenadmitted to hospital overthis period had other eatingdisorders, which is a higherproportion than bulimia.

But what are the other eatingdisorders mentioned in

these statistics? To answerthis question, we will bediscussing new eatingdisorders that are emergingin the UK, the dangersassociated with them andsome of the signs to lookout for in your loved ones.

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DRUNKOREXIA:

IS MORE SERIOUS

THAN YOU

THINK!

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Anew eating disorder that has emerged as a result of the

countrys binge-drinking culture is drunkorexia, which means

people are drinking alcohol on empty stomachs in order to getdrunk quicker or to prevent themselves from putting on weight.

This term has largely been inventedby the media and pop cul ture as it

combines anorexia and binge drinking.

As it is such a new eating disorder,there are no official figures about the

number of people with this problem.

There were 2,688 nished hospital admissions

for an eating disorder, which is a 16 per cent

rise on the previous 12 monthsSource: Provisional Monthly Hospital Episode Statistics

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However, CBS News [iv] reports that experts believe drunkorexia

affects 30 per cent of Americans aged between 18 and 23-years-old.

This suggests it is prevalent among students.

Carrie Wilkens, a clinical psychologist andaddiction expert, agrees with these statisticsand told the Early Show that 30 per cent of

young women with drinking problems havesome form of eating disorder too.

Fellow expert Victoria Osborne, assistantprofessor of social work and public health atthe School of Social Work at the MU Collegeof Human Environmental Sciences, found that16 per cent of those surveyed restrict their foodintake to save calories for drinking[v].

She also found that three times as many womenengage in this behaviour than men, with the mostcommon motivations being preventing weight

gain, getting drunk faster and saving money thatwould be spent on food to buy alcohol.

Nakhara Jacques, a British 18-year-old woman,suffers with drunkorexia. She stops eating from

Wednesday night onwards and only drinks tea forthe next two days in preparation for a weekend of

binge-drinking, reported the Metro[VI].

After following this routine for the last twoyears, her weight has dropped to just seven stone,her hair has started falling out and her periodsstopped 12 months ago.

A spokeswoman for the eating disordercharity Beat also explained why drunkorexiais dangerous and should be treated as soon as

possible - much like anorexia and bulimia.

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She said: Many people are unaware of the high calorie content of alcohol -

and feels it doesnt count as calorie intake.

Any excessive intake is inadvisable - the individual should eat a healthy

balanced diet and be aware of the effects of excessive alcohol on the

system and the risky behaviour that can result.

It shouldnt be trivalised as it is still a serious condition that can

impact a persons physical and mental health, the spokeswoman added.

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OTHOREXIA:

IS FOCUSING ON

HIGH-QUALITY FOODS

AN EATING DISORDER?

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Another emerging eating disorder called othorexia occurs when an

individual has an obsession with eating only healthy foods.

Another emerging eating disorder called othorexia

occurs when an individual has an obsession witheating only healthy foods.

This is arguably another type of disordered eating

with the term being penned by American doctorSteven Bratman[VII] as a way of describing someoneobsessed with what they eat and not how much.

People with othorexia tend to feel badly about

themselves if they fail to stick to their dietand often spend more than three hours a daythinking about healthy food.

They also tend to plan their daily menus inadvance and feel virtuous about the food theyeat even if they do not enjoy it.

As this is a relatively new trend, it is not known

how many people suffer from it.

The spokeswoman from Beat explained thatpeople with othorexia will often ditch all artificial

additives and follow a vegan or raw food diet.

She said: Where this obsession reaches a point whereit overtakes other activities and interests it can harm

relationships and become physically dangerous - andmanifest itself as a true eating disorder.

However, some experts have argued that this is notan eating disorder in itself but is instead connected to

an anxiety condition. It could also be a precursor foran established eating disorder, claims Cynthia Bulk,director of the eating disorders programme at theUniversity of North Carolina[VIII].

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IS VEGETARIANISM

A NEW EATING

DISORDER?

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Linked to the above condition is vegetarianism, which may be a way

for people to cut out certain foods with no questions being asked.

Linked to the above condition is vegetarianism,which may be a way for people to cut out

certain foods with no questions being asked.

Being vegetarian does not mean the personhas an eating disorder, but recent research

from the University of Minnesota showedthat 52 per cent of women with a history of

eating disorders have been a vegetarian atsome point in their lives.

Publ ished in the Journal of Academyof Nutri t ionists and Dietet ics [IX], theresearch revealed that just 12 per cent of women who had fol lowed a vegetar iandiet at some point in their l ives had never

developed an eat ing disorder.

This has led to claims that while be ing

vegetarian is no t an eating disorder, i t maybe a signal that someone has developed oneas i t is seen as a more social ly acceptableway of restrict ing food.

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WHAT TO DO IF A LOVED

ONE IS SUFFERING FROM

ONE OFTHESE EATING

DISORDERS

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With the rising number of people being admitted to hospital for eating

disorders, it is worth knowing which types of disordered eating are

dangerous. This will allow you to spot the early signs and symptomsbefore it is too late.

You will obviously want to help but may notknow how to even start the first conversationwith them because it is a hard topic to approach.

Jill Fowler, primary counsellor and clinicalmanager at Life Works Community [X], advised

picking the right moment to ensure yourloved one is in the right frame of mind

to discuss the ir issues. Additionally, youshould show the person you are concernedabout them while being compassionate.

It is also important to provide some evidence

of their condition as this will prevent themfrom denying the problem and make them

more likely to seek help from a professional.

She also warned that you should not confrontthem or get angry as this will put yo urloved one on the defensive, make them feelashamed or sink further into their problem.

Once the f i rs t conversat ion has occurred,i t wi l l be easier for you to persuade them

to seek medical and professional help for thei r disordered eat ing.

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www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/provisionalmonthlyhes

www.eating-disorders.org.uk/anorexia-nervosa.html

www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/bulimia-nervosa-000020.htm

www.cbsnews.com/2100-207_162-3744289.html

www.asuherald.com/news/new-stats-show-drunkorexia-affects-college-aged-students- 1.2402503#.UHwQl2_A-gR

www.metro.co.uk/news/904101-drunkorexic-teen- starves-herself-so-she-can-binge-drink-without- getting-fat

www.pamf.org/teen/life/bodyimage/orthorexia.html

www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1963297,00.html

http://www.andjrnl.org/article/S2212-2672(12)00627-2/abstract

http://www.lifeworkscommunity.com/news/blog-wordpress/starting-the-conversation-adiction-depression-and-eating-disorders-2/

[I]

[II]

[III]

[IV]

[V]

[VI]

[VII]

[VIII]

[IX]

[X]

REFERENCES

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IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO MAY

BE SUFFERING FROM AN EATING

DISORDER, CALL US ON

0800 0810700 FOR FREE

CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

new eating disorders in the uk

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