What Is It?

A person with Bulimia Nervosa regularly engages in binge eating episodes and then purges via self-inflicted vomiting, the use of laxatives, over-exercising or other methods. Poor body image and emotional disregulation is also a part of this eating disorder (ED). 

What To Look For

Warning signs of Bulimia Nervosa include binge eating, secret eating, going to the bathroom immediately following meals, weight loss, malnutrition, tooth decay, heart issues and even more health issues. 

Possible Health Issues

Besides binge eating, purging, and malnutrition, which are associated with Bulimia Nervosa, this Eating Disorder (ED) can lead to dental enamel loss, esophageal rupture, partial gland hypertrophy, severe hypokalemia, cardiac arrhythmia, metabolic alkalosis, aspiration pneumonia, cardiac failure and even death.

What Is It?

Often known as “extreme picky eating,” the consistent and constant avoidance of foods results in nutritional deficits and lack of energy. Aversions to certain foods can be based on sensory sensitivity (texture or specific preparation of a particular food), traumatic experience (choking or vomiting), general aversion (little or no interest) in food, and secondary to a medical diagnosis (Crohn’s disease, etc.). Improving the food repertoire and/or weight restoration are the benefits for seeking treatment for this disorder.

What to Look For

ARFID (Extreme Picky Eating) can occur in children and adults no matter your body structure or weight. Many people never outgrow extreme picky eating because it is an actual disorder – which sometimes remains untreated for long periods of time. Trauma and other medical conditions can induce anxiety with certain types of food, as can sensory or aversion to different textures of food. If meal times are struggles because of a limited palate or as a parent you sense that your child’s picky eating is not being taken seriously, we at the RED Clinic understand the psychologically complexity of the disorder. It is better to get early intervention than to delay and face serious health risks.

If your child is rejecting nutritional food regularly and you fear this issue, consider our Schwalen ARFID Treatment Protocol. Unique to the RED Clinic and based on Dr. Schwalen’s extensive experience and expertise with ARFID, clients from around the world are overcoming ARFID through The RED Clinic. For more on the protocol unique to Dr. Schwalen click here.

Possible Health Issues

ARFID/Picky Eating can cause serious health issues that can last a lifetime. Besides malnutrition, young clients who have a limited food repertoire can experience developmental delays, significant weight loss or failure to achieve expected weight gain/faltering growth, significant nutritional deficiency, dependence on enteral feeding or nutritional supplements, as well as brain damage, due to lack of appropriate nutrients. Other health issues associated with ARFID include bone density loss, low blood pressure, low heart rate, endocrine changes, anemia, leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, dehydration, constipation, elevated liver enzymes, organ failure and even premature death.

What Is It?

When emotions are either intense or ignored, emotional eating can become a coping mechanism. Eating your feelings doesn’t have to remain the status quo. Eating when you are hungry is normal. Eating to avoid feelings or to wallow in emotion is not healthy. 

What to Look For

Your body should signal your hunger and food should be seen as fuel. Intense feelings of anger, rejection, sadness, and even joy can be triggers for consuming food when someone struggles with this eating disorder (ED). Weight gain may or may not be an indicator of this ED. 

Possible Health Issues

Emotional Eating can cause confusion for your body. Your digestive system may no longer be able to correctly trigger feelings of hunger or fullness. Suppressing the body and brain connection of signaling fullness can have lasting long-term health issues, such as vomiting/aspiration​, metabolic syndrome, glucose dysregulation, hypertension, diabetes, asthma and osteoarthritis. Other long-term psychological health issues include delaying of appropriate treatment of replacing the poor coping skill of emotional eating with other destructive addictive behaviors.

What Is It?

Compulsive Overeating is marked by an undeniable urge to eat past fullness or to the point of discomfort. Even though hunger has passed, compulsive overeating likely continues because of past trauma or neglect. Because everyone has their own unique relationship with food, we determine the causation and patterns of compulsive overeating and treat the whole person in their healing journey.

What to Look For

Feelings of out-of-control food consumption, privately or publicly, as well as guilt and shame regarding eating too much or past the point of satiating hunger are all warning signs of compulsive overeating. Weight loss or weight gain are not indicative of compulsive overeating. Feelings and secrecy or hiding food are the main indicators for this eating disorder (ED). 

Possible Health Issues

Compulsive Overeating can cause many health issues — from minor to major issues. Suppressing the body and brain connection of signaling fullness can have lasting long-term health issues, such as long-lasting confusion for your body. Your digestive system may no longer be able to correctly trigger feelings of hunger or fullness. Lasting long-term health issues include vomiting/aspiration​, metabolic syndrome, glucose dysregulation, hypertension, diabetes, asthma and osteoarthritis. Other long-term psychological health issues include delaying of appropriate treatment of replacing the poor coping skill of compulsive overeating with other destructive addictive behaviors.