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Obsessive Compulsive Eating Disorders

Patients who suffer from obsessive-compulsive eating disorders follow strict and unhealthy eating regimens as a way to control their anxieties about weight gain, food contamination and other food-related obsessions. These unhealthy habits can lead to other physical problems and should be addressed immediately.

  1. Understanding OCD

    • Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a disease that causes people to experience intrusive thoughts and ritualistic behaviors such as counting, checking and cleaning. Generally, compulsive behaviors occur in response to obsessive thoughts: someone who repeatedly washes her hands to prevent illness, for example. In this case, her compulsions act as a way for her to control the anxiety caused by her fear of contamination.

    Types of Eating Disorders

    • The fourth edition of the Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) identifies three categories of eating disorders: bulimia nervosa, anorexia nervosa and "eating disorders not otherwise specified," which are those disorders that do not fit the definitions of either anorexia or bulimia.

      Regardless of the type, anxiety fuels all eating disorders. Anorexia patients are obsessed with their weight and will not eat enough food out of fear that they will become fat. Those with bulimia go through unhealthy circles of binging and purging and will often use food as a way to manage stress. After overeating, they feel guilty for eating too much and purge to ensure that they do not gain weight. Common methods of purging include vomiting, taking laxatives or excessive exercise.

    Linking the Disorders

    • Approximately 12 percent of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder also have an eating disorder such as anorexia or bulimia--a fact that was substantiated by a 2005 study at the University of Toronto that discovered a genetic link between the two disorders.

      Even those who do not exhibit classical symptoms of anorexia or bulimia can suffer from eating disorders that are caused by their intrusive thoughts. People obsessed with eating the "right" foods are afraid of being contaminated or have other food-centered obsessions and will often suffer from unhealthy eating habits and extreme weight loss or gain.

    Diagnosis

    • Determining the best method of treatment starts with determining whether you have food-related OCD or an obsessive-compulsive eating disorder. While they may seem like interchangeable illnesses, they are expressed differently and require different treatment strategies. The key to differentiating between the two is whether the obsessive behaviors are fueled by the patient's body image.

    Treatment

    • When seeking treatment for OCD and an eating disorder, it is important to find a mental health professional who has experience treating both diseases. According to Doctor Steven D. Tsao, many patients who have both OCD and an eating disorder have more severe forms of eating disorders that require more time and energy to treat.

      Before treatment begins, your therapist will likely want to evaluate the severity of both disorders and determine whether to treat the eating disorder or the obsessive-compulsive behavior first. Generally, it is the more serious of the two diseases that will get priority in the doctor's office. However, if there are serious health issues at stake, such as malnutrition or a heart condition caused by lack of food, the eating disorder will likely be the first priority.

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