Eating disorders (Eating disorders) reflect a person’s psycho-emotional problems and manifest themselves in the form of unnatural eating habits. They are accompanied by inappropriate attitudes towards food intake, appearance, body image and exercise. Eating disorders are a much deeper and more serious problem than just “unhealthy habits”. With various types of eating disorders, a person is unable to independently control the correct consumption of food; he needs psychological and medical help. In severe and advanced cases, serious health consequences are possible. Types of eating disorders according to the ICD Eating disorders, according to the International Classification of Diseases, are separated into a separate group. The list of eating disorders includes: - Anorexia nervosa - an abnormal desire to lose weight, excessive fear of obesity, refusal of food (complete or partial), distorted perception of the characteristics of one's body. - Bulimia nervosa - periodic bouts of overeating followed by compensatory behavior (vomiting, excessive physical activity , taking laxatives, hunger) to reduce the effect of what you eat on body weight (the presence of these two points is important for making a diagnosis). - Compulsive (epoxy) overeating - loss of control over eating, feeling of being unable to stop eating, eating a huge amount of food in a limited time . Most often, food is used to drown out stress. - Night overeating syndrome - eating most of the diet after dinner, at night, waking up at night to eat, lack of appetite in the morning. - Pica disorder (pica) - eating inedible things (for example, clay, paper, earth or chalk).— Rumination disorder – regular chewing, swallowing and spitting of food, more common in infants than in adults.— Orthorexia – obsessive desire for “proper nutrition”, choosing a diet based on the “healthiness” of foods , and not for their taste.— Other nonspecific types of eating disorders The most well-known and common are anorexia nervosa, bulimia and compulsive overeating. How to recognize eating disorders The main component of eating disorders is a pathological desire to lose weight, a feeling of emotional satisfaction while eating, a fear of subsequent weight gain , distorted perception of one’s own body image, various emotional and psychological problems. Different types of disorders can flow into each other: for example, anorexia can turn into bulimia, and bulimia into compulsive overeating. If you discover signs of an eating disorder in yourself or your loved ones, you need to consult a specialist. It will help you understand the causes of the disorder and create an awareness of your approach to nutrition. You may need comprehensive help from a psychologist, psychotherapist, nutritionist, nutritionist, gastroenterologist.