How Do Eating Disorders Actually Work? ft. Kati Morton

How Do Eating Disorders Actually Work? ft. Kati Morton

Hey there! Welcome To Life Noggin! In the United States, an estimated 20 million
women and 10 million men will have an eating disorder at some point in their lives. This is a difficult topic to dive into so
i brought in Licensed therapist and my good friend Kati Morton to help explain things
better! So, Kati, you wanna explore this topic a bit
more? KATI:
Sure thing, Eating disorders are serious mental or physical
illnesses that can be fatal., They severely affect a person’s eating habits to the point
of physical or mental impairment and are commonly associated with obsessions with food, weight,
or body shape. The most well-known and studied eating disorders
are anorexia and bulimia, though there are many others. Anorexia nervosa has the highest mortality
rate among eating disorders, as it is associated with an extremely low body weight, due to
food restriction, compulsive exercise, or purging. Those suffering from bulimia nervosa, on the
other hand, maintain a relatively healthy weight due to recurrent episodes of binge-eating,
followed by compensation through purging, laxatives, fasting, or excessive exercise. BLOCKO: The most common eating disorder, affecting
nearly 18 million Americans, is binge-eating disorder. It involves recurrent episodes of binging,
during which, individuals often feel like they have no control. Because of this, those who suffer from binge-eating
disorder are often overweight or obese. Studies have found that eating disorders are
more common in individuals with diabetes. For instance, adolescent girls with type 1
diabetes develop these disorders twice as often as their non-diabetic peers. And adolescent boys with diabetes were twice
as likely to report a higher dissatisfaction with their body and were more likely to purge
or diet than boys without a chronic illness. Individuals with type 1 diabetes have also
been found to control their weight by limiting their insulin, as insulin treatment can lead
to a higher body mass. However, this practice is extremely dangerous
and can increase their risk of death more than 3-fold. KATI:
While eating disorders can affect each person differently, and also depend on the specific
type of eating disorder they have, they share some common symptoms, like withdrawal from
friends and activities, mood swings, menstrual irregularities, and difficulties concentrating. These disorders affect all genders, age groups,
ethnicities, and socioeconomic groups and are associated with a wide range of risk factors,
from genetics, to psychological, to social issues such as bullying and isolation. Treatment for these disorders varies depending
on the specific eating disorder present. For bulimia, studies have found that modifying
the patient’s behaviors and thoughts through cognitive-behavior therapy can be effective,
as can antidepressants. While a recent study, published in 2018, found
that a combination of physical exercise and dietary therapy is an effective method for
curbing compulsive exercise in those with either bulimia or binge-eating disorder. Whatever the treatment, it is important to
understand that eating disorders are simply coping skills for other life issues. Figuring out what those issues are and working
through them is key in recovery. BLOCKO: Anorexia, on the other hand, requires
more intervention. Because of the severe effects it has on the
body, weight restoration through medical professionals is essential. In addition, specialized psychotherapy sessions
are needed to shake their strong perception of weight and body image. Overcoming any type of eating disorder is
anything but easy, especially alone. That is why the University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill is leading a new clinical study to test the effectiveness of a couple-based
intervention in which patients are paired up during treatment to act as a supportive
community. KATI: As we wait for the results, there are lots
of ways to find support right now – from family, to friends, to helplines and online forums,
to even in-person support groups., For more information on eating disorders and
ways to seek out help, check out the resources listed in the description. BLOCKO: Thanks for helping explain things
Kati! You did a fantastic job! Are there any other disorders you’d like us
to talk about next? Let me know in the comment section below. Kati actually has a ton of helpful videos
on eating disorders and mental illness over on her channel. Go subscribe and support the amazing work
that she does! is that the number one issue they have is
around shame and embarrassment. Many sharing how they haven’t been offered
proper care, or their symptoms brushed off because they aren’t underweight. As always, my name is Blocko, this has been
Life Noggin, don’t forget to keep on thinking!

100 thoughts on “How Do Eating Disorders Actually Work? ft. Kati Morton

  1. #dear blocko
    Please do a video on dyslexia as I'm 10 and can not read or Wright or spell because I'm dyslexic and I want to know what makes dy dyslexia work?

  2. I can actually agree when Kati says that eating disorders are caused by other life issues. I had anorexia and bulimia for five months, had probably one period over the course of those five months, and because by grandfather was so focused on my mother and her drinking problem (aka she was an alcoholic which was one of many reasons I suffered through this in the first place), nobody really noticed. When they started noticing that I wasn't eating, they would watch me eat my food, and that's when my bulimia came into play. I was in high school, and I can say that I lost some of my friends during that period, and I don't actually have any real memories of that time, it seemed like a daze.
    Recovery was the most difficult part of it all. I am naturally a skinny person with high metabolism. I was 5' 5 1/2" and I weighed 110 lbs before the disorder. When I realized that it wasn't making my life easier, and that it wasn't making me happier, I was still 5' 5 1/5" and I had a 17 inch waist and weighed 79 lbs (that's not healthy.) When I started eating again, I had some support from a friend who also had bulimia, but suffered from that and binge eating disorder. He was the only reason that I beat my disorder, and he's the reason that I didn't go through it alone. I remember the first time I had a real meal (it was a bowl of dry cereal, but hey, it's a start) I was in so much pain, because I hadn't eaten that much in a very long time, and my body was having trouble taking in the entire 100 calories I was eating (I was eating less than 90 calories per day btw, and I don't count the calories that I threw up). There were some days that I was so miserable that I wouldn't eat anything that day, and that made the process of beating the disorder so difficult. When my body finally starting accepting the calories was when it was the worst. I when from weighing 79 lbs to weighing 120 in about 2 weeks. I was not only still extremely tired and drowsy, but now I weighted more than I did to begin with. For the next few weeks my depression got extremely bad to the point where I self-harmed and did many things that I'm not proud of. After a couple of months, my energy got back to a normal state, I stopped self-harming, and I was an out–going, happy person again. Granted, I was still heavier than I would've liked (I'm not saying that overweight people can't be happy, you can be happy at any weight). I'm a happy individual and have yet to tell my parents about this in fear that they'll monitor my eating habits even though I'm fine now.
    If you know that someone is underweight, or you know that someone's suffering from an eating disorder, whether you're friends with them or not, please help them. Nobody helped me for such a long time, and going through this hell alone is terrifying, and miserable. Thanks for reading this, and to anybody who's also suffering or suffered from an eating disorder, tell someone, because if makes the process of recovery slightly easier. You'll still need a good mindset to get you through it, but being in that position alone is terrifying.

  3. It's good to know their are groups out there. Everyone in my life is either acts like it's a made up disease, in denial or gets it….. Actually, most people that I know believe it's made up and they act like bulling is the only way to make someone want to eat less and exercise more. Bulling makes you want to blow your brains out in front of them….and when you can't, you turn more towards your disease….then you get bullied more, so obviously that hurts more than helps, but it's still "made up bullshit", "not like smoking", and all. Wish there was more being done by society to show it's a sickness, skinny or not.

  4. Have some food!

  5. Okay so I think I have a disorder, everytime I eat right after I throw up or just start gagging repeatedly, and I can’t stop until my stomach calms down, I don’t want to throw up or anything, it just happens or if I see a food I don’t like I about throw up, it’s not like I think the food is disgusting my body reacts that way. One day one of my friends was eating an egg at school and I threw up in my shirt. I have never thought that I was too ugly nor too fat.I don’t know what’s happening someone please tell me.

  6. Really disappointed that you picked Kati Morton to be your “licensed professional”. From multiple sources her licensing seems to only be for marriage and family counseling. Not to mention the way she perpetuated stereotypes of mental disorders on Shane Dawson’s series shows how unfit she is to speak on them. Shane is just a regular person who does not have a degree in psychology and didn’t really know what he was doing and was sensationalizing. What is Morton’s excuse?

  7. Was watching the intro to this video while I was eating because of my eating disorder and when he said it I was like…..How did he know I was eating

  8. Im thin ;-;
    Heres nothing i can eat at home there is but I NEED SOMETHING DELICIOUS T^T

  9. I suffer binge eating but i count my calories and always burn them off. Im healthy wait. Is that in fact good and healthy or is there something im missing here?

  10. You need to talk abt misophonia,…it’s a mental disorder that doesn’t get a lot of attention and I would like you to make a video on it because I happen to have the disorder.

  11. What do you call it when you love to eat but your body psychosomaticly hurts when you do? As i got older i ended up having to consume a bunch of cannabis so I get a meal or two in when I can.

  12. I’m still a kid and I am a picky eater I am 8 and overweight but your taste buds change so I think it will pass

  13. I’m a binge eater I eat to much I eat when I’m not hungry when I’m full I can’t even have an hour without having a bunch of food

  14. Can you help me idk what is wrong but how many i eat i don’t get fatter or slightly heavier
    Pls tell me what it is

  15. i wish they talked more about OSFED (formerly known as EDNOS), ARFID, binge eating disorder, purging disorder and diabulimia… lots of people suffer from these but the media doesn’t seem to care about that

  16. Thank you for talking about this subject! I have binge eating disorder on top of adhd, sensory processing disorder, depression, and anxiety. And let me tell you, it’s not an easy task getting all of that under control.

  17. Id say most people have an eating disorder and have no idea they have until they are old and have to take Nexus to control the symptoms

  18. #Dearblocko, what are the symptoms of anorexia, and is there a way to cure them without going to a doctor?

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