By Nelly 
Eating disorders are one of the most prevailing conditions affecting the USA population. According to NEDA (National Eating Disorder Association), 28.8 million Americans will have an eating disorder in their lifetime. And the estimates show that the condition is 8.60% among females and 4.07% among males. Eating disorders can have serious devastating physical and psychological effects on your health. This may lead to complications such as malnutrition, heart problems, digestive issues, and weakened immune systems. Therefore, knowing how long recovery from an eating disorder will take is essential for the patient to have a healthier strategy.
This Lifestyle & Wellness guide will help you to understand the different types of eating disorders and which one you’re suffering from, their symptoms, treatment and recovery process, and in how long you should expect results.
What is an eating disorder?
An eating disorder is a mental health condition marked by abnormal or disturbed eating behaviors that will negatively impact your physical and emotional well-being. These disorders typically involve a preoccupation with food, body image, and weight, leading individuals to engage in harmful practices like extreme dieting, overeating, purging, or avoiding food altogether.
The consequences of eating disorder are severe, causing electrolyte imbalances, weakened bones, and damage to organs such as the liver and kidneys. Additionally, long term eating disorder will result into intense anxiety, depression, social isolation, and obsessive behaviors.
Types of eating disorder
There are 12 types of eating disorder. However, here are the 4 most common ones you should be aware of in your lifestyle:
1. Anorexia Nervosa
Anorexia Nervosa eating disorder is caused by individual perception of being overweight even when they are dangerously underweight. It involves extreme restriction of food intake, an intense fear of gaining weight, and a distorted body image.
People with anorexia often engage in excessive exercise or other behaviors to lose weight, which leads to serious consequences such as severe malnutrition, brittle bones, heart problems, and in extreme cases, death due to starvation or organ failure.
2. Bulimia Nervosa
On the other hand, Bulimia Nervosa involves binge-eating large amounts of food in a short period, followed by compensatory behaviors such as vomiting, using laxatives, or excessive exercising to prevent weight gain.
Despite these efforts, they usually maintain a normal weight, which makes the disorder harder to detect. Bulimia can lead to severe digestive issues, electrolyte imbalances, tooth decay, and heart problems due to frequent purging.
3. Binge-eating disorder
This eating disorder involves regularly consuming large amounts of food, often quickly and to the point of discomfort, without engaging in purging behaviors. People with binge-eating disorder may feel a lack of control during these episodes and experience feelings of guilt or shame afterward.
Over time, Binge-eating disorder can lead to obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart diseases, along with significant emotional distress.
4. Avoidant Restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID)
This is another type of eating disorder characterized by an extreme avoidance or restriction of certain foods, leading to inadequate nutritional intake. Unlike other eating disorders, ARFID is not driven by concerns about body weight or shape.
Instead, people with ARFID often avoid foods based on sensory characteristics, such as texture, color, or smell, or due to a fear of negative consequences like choking, vomiting, or allergic reactions. This can result in severe dietary limitations, malnutrition, and weight loss, as well as significant distress or difficulty in social situations involving food.
Treatment and recovery from eating disorder
Recovering from an eating disorder requires a multifaceted approach that addresses both the physical and psychological aspects of the condition. Here are some of the treatment and recovery tips to support individuals navigating this challenging process:
Seek professional support: Engage with a team of healthcare professionals such as therapists, nutritionists and medical doctors to ensure that each one of them curbs down the effects of eating disorders in their field of expertise.
Establish a structured meal plan: A structured eating plan can help normalize eating patterns and reduce the cycle of restriction or bingeing. It’s important to focus on regular, balanced meals and snacks that include a variety of nutrients.
Practice mindful eating: Mindfulness techniques can help individuals reconnect with their body’s natural hunger and fullness cues, which are often disrupted in eating disorders. This includes slowing down during meals, paying attention to the sensory experiences of food (taste, texture, smell), and recognizing emotional triggers.
Challenge distorted thoughts: A key component of recovery is addressing and challenging the irrational or distorted thoughts related to food, body image, and self-worth. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps individuals identify these harmful thoughts and replace them with healthier, more balanced perspectives. This might involve writing down negative thoughts and then actively working to counter them with evidence or positive affirmations.
How long does eating disorder recovery take?
The duration of eating disorder recovery varies significantly from person to person and depends on the type and severity of the disorder, the individual’s personal history, and the quality of treatment. However, you should note that recover from an eating disorder is not a linear process; hence, it can take month or years.
But on average, expect to attain full recovery from an eating disorder from 7 to 10 years, depending on the type of treatment administered.