A Closer Look at What's Behind Eating Disorders

January 17, 2023

Featuring:
Elizabeth Wassenaar, MS, MD, DFAPA, CEDS-C

This Giddy article features quotes and insight from Dr. Elizabeth Wassenaar in a discussion about eating disorders: risks, causes, and triggers; types and stages; socioeconomic and cultural factors; and data about eating disorders.

Eating disorders are a classification of psychiatric illnesses within the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5). They are characterized by highly distressing attitudes, beliefs and behaviors related to a person's food intake, body shape and weight, according to Elizabeth Wassenaar, M.D., the regional medical director of the Eating Recovery Center in Denver.

Consequently, eating disorders have a negative impact on both physical and psychological health and are life-threatening if left untreated.

It is important to recognize that eating disorders are not a choice. They don't develop suddenly or disappear overnight. Food is not the root of the problem; it's the coping mechanism. As with drug use, food is a substance used to deal with underlying issues. This is why, in order to recover, nutritional rehabilitation is not enough.

 

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