Health complications of eating disorders

Complications of eating disorders can be divided up into three groups. The first group contains the complications of dieting and fasting, binge eating impairing the upper digestive system which belongs to the second group and in the third one dieting behaviours are listed. Several researchers prove that there is an evident connection between eating disorders affecting one third of the patients and their health consequences. It is commonly associated with anorexia and bulimia. More often gastrointestinal tract is affected. Dieting and fasting cause feeling of fullness and constipation. Due to binge eating stomach will stop functioning. These patients should be operated on immediately otherwise they will die. Vomiting leads to oesophagus inflammation, narrowing and bleeding and laxatives cause bloody diarrhoea and protein loss. Pancreatitis also leads to death (Túry and Pászthy, 2008). The summary of eating disorder consequences are shown in table 6. Patients’ life is endangered by heart and cardiovascular problems. Heart rate and blood pressure can be low resulting in myocardial fibre necrosis. Some medical doctors have reported the death of female anorexia sufferer. All of them had severe cardiovascular problems. Lung and gynaecological complications, immune system problems, oedema and musculoskeletal disorders may also occur (Túry, 2001).

Table 6 Consequences of eating disorder (Túry, 2001, p.35)

The consequences of anorexia nervosa and bulimia are detailed in J. Nagy Ovostovábbképő Szemle (XVI. Évf. 1.) Treating eating disorders in primary care.