Eating Disorders

Eating Disorders

Eating disorders are a combination of complex conditions that arise from emotional, psychological, interpersonal and social factors. While eating disorders center around food and weight obsession, the root cause of the disorder is often about more than just food. Those afflicted by eating disorders often use food and the control of food to compensate for emotions that are otherwise too overwhelming to deal with. Food is used in an effort to cope with painful emotions and control one’s life. Ultimately these behaviors cause emotional and physical damage when not treated properly.

Factors that contribute to eating disorders are low self-esteem, loss of control, depression, loneliness, and anxiety. There are also societal factors related to the causes of eating disorders. These include physical, sexual, or emotional abuse in childhood, history of ridicule, and a difficulty expressing emotions. Increasingly in recent years, pressures from the media glorifying an image of thinness and the perfect body have escalated the number of people afflicted by eating disorders. The consequences, both physical and emotional, are extremely harmful.

At Renaissance Malibu, you will find the best doctors and therapists trained in recognizing and treating eating disorders. Both are utilized during treatment, to help with the physical and mental damage that eating disorders cause. Doctors perform a full diagnosis to obtain a complete picture of the mental and physical problems associated with the patient’s disorder. Once this is completed, a combination of therapy, medical assistance, exercise, and eating plans are put into place. The patient’s health is taken care of fully before a more comprehensive treatment of therapy can begin.