Eating disorders can have severe consequences on one’s health. They can lead to malnutrition, dehydration, and problems with digestion and sleep in the short term. In the long-term, eating disorders can increase the risk of heart disease, gastrointestinal and neurological issues, and can impact your endocrine system. Eating disorders can also be fatal. Every year, thousands of people die from complications related to eating disorders.
Heart Damage
When you restrict your calorie intake and do not get enough nutrients, your body finds fuel in alternate ways. Muscle is the first thing the body breaks down, and the most important muscle in your body is the heart. Pulse and blood pressure begin to lower as the heart has less fuel and fewer cells to help the heartbeat. Heart failure risks rise as the heart rate and blood pressure levels lower. This creates a dangerous situation for someone who engages in this behavior regularly.
Purging by vomiting or using laxatives can also impact the heart’s function. These behaviors impact your body’s ability to balance electrolytes in your system, which contributes to the heart being able to beat, and muscles being able to contract. When there is an electrolyte imbalance, it can cause irregular heartbeats and potentially lead to heart failure and death. Read this article for a more in-depth breakdown of how your heart is impacted.
GASTROINTESTINAL
Eating disorders impact your gastrointestinal system since your body is not functioning as it would without the behavior use. When you restrict your body from having any food, it can cause gastrointestinal muscles to atrophy and cause your stomach to rupture. When you deplete your stomach of food, it can cause stomach pain, bloating, nausea, vomiting, bacterial infections, and many other side effects linked to eating disorders. Eating disorder behaviors can lead to slow, inefficient digestion and poor bowel functioning, which can make recovering from an eating disorder very uncomfortable and push people back into their cycle of behavior due to other significant GI distress they experience when they try to eat normally again.
NEUROLOGICAL
The brain needs calories to function, as it utilizes one-fifth of the calories you consume for it to work correctly. Without enough calories, it impacts the ability to think clearly and concentrate fully. In addition, the body’s neurons require an insulating, protective layer of lipids to conduct electricity. Insufficient fat consumption can damage this protective layer, causing numbness and tingling in the hands, feet, and other extremities. If the brain and blood vessels cannot get enough blood to the brain, it can cause fainting and dizziness.
ENDOCRINE
The endocrine system is impacted by lowered sex hormones which can cause menstruation to fail to begin, become irregular, or stop altogether. Without enough energy to fuel its metabolic fire, core body temperature will drop, and hypothermia may develop. Over time, binge eating can potentially increase the chances that a person’s body will become resistant to insulin, a hormone that lets the body get energy from carbohydrates. This can lead to Type 2 Diabetes, creating a lifelong medical condition.
These are all severe side effects for people who develop eating disorders; making a recovery from eating disorders a challenging process that requires the support of friends, family members, and healthcare professionals. If you or someone you know is suffering from an eating disorder, please reach out to us here for eating disorder treatment today.
