Eating disorders increase in adults

Eating disorders occur when a person does not receive the caloric intake that your body requires to function according to their age, height, rhythm of life, etc., which has a higher incidence during adolescence, however, the diagnosis has increased, in its chronic forms, in adults older than 30 years.

In accordance with The National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders , women between 13 and 30 years of age represent 90% of cases. However, eating disorders can also occur in men and in younger and older people.

Approximately 86% of all patients develop symptoms at 20 years of age. Eating disorders can last from several months to many years, so you can develop the chronic form of conditions such as bulimia or anorexia, which are the most frequent eating disorders.

More and more consultations for eating disorders in people over 30 years, as revealed by a report published this week by the Association of Fight Against Bulimia and Anorexia (ALUBA) of Buenos Aires.

"These are people who have significantly increased weight, after youth, pregnancy or loss of employment, as an example, and are those who can relapse into bulimia or anorexia if they do not receive adequate care," explains the Dr. Eduardo Garzuzi, director of the Civil Association of Fight against Food Disorders (ALDA) in San Rafael, Argentina.

Another example: 18% of the people served in the Association against Anorexia and Bulimia (Acab) of Catalonia , Spain, are over 30 years old, 57% are between 18 and 30, and 25% are under 18 years old.

The average age of the patients is 30 years, but the bulk is composed of women between 30 and 40, including some patients of 60 years. There is talk of a process of recurrence, of chronic anorexia.

In our country, according to data from the Ministry of Health of the Federal District , 72% of women with some degree of overweight or obesity; that is, around 20.5 million 20-year-old women who are not only exposed to the consequences of obesity, but are also at risk of having an eating disorder, such as anorexia or bulimia, in their desire to lose weight.

The precipitating factor is always a significant weight loss, which starts with a diet and continues with excessive exercise, the use of laxatives, purgatives and diuretics. It can coincide with a moment of change in life, which generates insecurity and a feeling of loss of control, low self-esteem or hormonal changes, such as the beginning or end of a relationship, a new job, a pregnancy or a trip abroad, etc.

The consequences range from obsessive thoughts regarding food and everything related to it, hyperactivity, insomnia, sudden mood swings, feelings of sadness and anxiety, fear of gaining weight, distortion of body image, aggravation of low self-esteem, high self-demand

Although people older than 30 years with an eating disorder are more aware of their problem and have the desire to overcome it, unlike adolescents, it becomes much more burdensome because it is a condition attended to late. and in its chronic form, for which a multidisciplinary treatment is necessary that addresses all the issues involved, from the psychological side, through the medical side, to the sport side.


Video Medicine: It's Time to Talk About It: The Brain and Eating Disorders (March 2024).