EPISODE 32: EATING DISORDERS IN MIDLIFE WOMEN ARE ON THE RISE

Nicole Christina Zestful Aging podcast — **NICOLE CHRISTINA**

CONTENT WARNING: Please note that this episode contains discussions around eating disorders. If you or someone you love needs support, resources, and/or treatment options contact the National Eating Disorders Association at (800) 931-2237

EPISODE SUMMARY:

Food plays a vital role in our lives and many of us struggle with this relationship and mindset around it. We can often find ourselves in times where we may be trying a new diet, giving into cravings, or even losing our appetite. This happens, the problem occurs when this relationship with food takes over every aspect of our life. Our guest today is a psychotherapist who specializes in food and body issues, mindfulness, and positive aging. Today’s guest, Nicole Christina, is an advocate for mindful eating. She’s a professional blogger and podcaster who focuses on healthy aging. Nicole Christina wants to help you become an expert of your own body and view your eating in a more satisfying way. In this episode, we discuss eating disorders in midlife and how this is a topic that too often goes unnoticed. We also discuss the reasonings behind our need for control and discuss some of the questions asked about our own eating habits.

NICOLE CHRISTINA:

Nicole Christina is an experienced psychotherapist from Syracuse, New York. Nicole specializes in food and body issues, mindfulness, and positive aging. Nicole Christina advocates for a mindful eating experience where you are the expert of your own body. Nicole holds the philosophy of eating being a way to nourish and satisfy your body and mind where pleasure from food is actually encouraged. Nicole Christina is also a professional blogger and hosts her own podcast Zestful Aging. On her podcast, she hopes to inspire and reframe aging for the listener and embrace this time as an opportunity for reflection and growth.

The Wisdom of Mindful Eating Web Course

Nicole Christina has designed a web course to teach you why diets do not work and how you can achieve a more relaxed and healthy relationship with food. You will learn some practical, simple, and scientific ways to develop and maintain a more peaceful relationship with food and your body. If you are feeling conflicted about eating, food, and your body and you are sick of going from diet to diet this web course is for you!

You will learn:

The science behind why diets do not work
How you can have a more balanced and healthy relationship with food
How all foods fit into mindful eating
How depriving yourself of food can set you up to overeating
Practical and scientific ways to live a more peaceful life with food and your body.

Find the web course here! [https://nicole-christina.mykajabi.com/THE-WISDOM-OF-MINDFUL-EATING]

How Eating Problems Can Affect Your Life

Eating problems not only affect your relationship with food but also can show up in different aspects of your life. Focusing on food can cause physical, social, and mental problems in your life.

Eating problems might cause:

Difficulty Concentrating
Feeling Fatigued
Depression and Anxiety
Feelings of Guilt, Worry, and Being Ashamed
Distancing self from friends and family
Avoiding social events such as eating at restaurants or going to parties
Changing Appearance
Comments about your appearance from others
Short and Long-term affects to your physical health
Not doing the things that you enjoy

What is an Eating Disorder?

An eating disorder is a medical diagnosis based on medical tests on your weight, BMI, and eating patterns. Some of the common eating disorders include:

Bulimia nervosa
Anorexia nervosa
Binge Eating Disorder
Disordered Eating

Food is a safety for many as they use it for emotions and stressors they experience. The relationship with food can act as a coping mechanism or to give themselves a sense of control in their lives. Eating or not eating can become a comfort and way to manage anxiety.

Bulimia Nervosa

If you are experiencing bulimia, you may find yourself eating an excess amount of food as an emotional response this is called binging. You may feel guilt or be ashamed after taking part in binging and will have the need to get rid of the food you have eaten, this is called purging.

Anorexia Nervosa

If you are diagnosed with anorexia, you are not eating enough to get the energy to maintain a healthy self. Often you cannot think about anything other than food and this can connect with self-esteem issues. Many people suffering from anorexia may feel they have lost control when they do eat and are scared to put on weight.

Binge Eating Disorder

If you have binge eating disorder, you may feel that you cannot stop yourself from eating even if you want to stop. This can be described as compulsive eating. People who have binge eating disorder can have trouble with their relationship to food as they use food as a coping mechanism to feel better.

Disordered Eating

If you suffer from disordered eating, you have an irregular eating behavior that may or may not be cause for diagnosis of a specific type of eating disorder. The symptoms do not usually align with the defined criteria for a diagnosis. This may show up as frequent dieting, anxiety around certain foods, and weight fluctuations.

Treatment:

The National Eating Disorder Association offers a way to find treatment providers near you which you can find here! [https://map.nationaleatingdisorders.org/]

Where to Start for Help?

Mental health professional such as a therapist or psychiatrist
- Can offer psychological therapy
- Medication and prescription management
Registered Dietician
- Can provide education on customized meal planning and nutrition for your needs
Medical or Dental Specialists
- Provides treatment for health or dental-related problems that may be a result of your eating disorder

Setting Up a Treatment Plan

Develop a customized treatment plan
- This plan is to treat your eating disorder and set treatment goals for yourself
Treating Physical Complications
- Monitor and address health and dental issues that may be a result of your eating disorder
Finding Resources
- Discover what resources are available to you in your area

Psychological Therapy

Cognitive behavioral therapy
- Focus on the behaviors, thoughts, and feelings related to your eating disorder
- Will help you develop healthy eating behaviors and recognize when you are having unhealthy eating disorder behaviors.