With the greater prevalence of eating disorders, it is important to recognize the symptoms and know how to care for aging loved ones. Eating disorders such as bulimia and anorexia can occur insidiously in older people, often because of the other causes of unintentional weight loss that come with the aging process.
Furthermore, the underlying behavioral or psychological issues that can fuel anorexia can infiltrate the lives of older people. This can go undetected by the older adults and their families. These include affective illnesses, obsessive-compulsive disorders, paranoid psychosis, dementia, and more.
Moreover, involuntary weight loss in older adults is well known to predispose them to muscle wasting, depression, frailty, diminished immunocompetence, and increased susceptibility to diseases, and strongly correlates with morbidity.
Read on to learn more about things you need to know about eating disorders in seniors!
Contributing Factors
Doctors usually check the key signs but may overlook taking a dietary history. Therefore, older people are often undertreated and malnourished. It is found that more than 75% of adults above the age of 89 have impaired senses of smell and taste. Furthermore, saliva production usually decreases in the elderly, leading to diminished food intake. Dysphagia and other swallowing disorders can be difficult to overcome as well. Many other gastrointestinal tract issues also occur, leading to indigestion, reflux, and therefore poor food intake.
Pinpointing The Cause
We should seek common causes of weight loss in older adults. The starting approach is to identify from the potential causes of weight loss: dysphagia, anorexia, socioeconomic factors, and weight loss despite normal intake. Whatever approach is used, the evaluation can yield a reason for weight loss.
In some ways, the issues of anorexia in older adults are similar to those in young people. Patients in both age groups are likely to refuse meals, and say they are not hungry, too full to eat, or feel ill. Both of them have distorted views of their bodies, perceiving themselves to be heavier than they actually are. They usually face family conflicts and resort to secretive behaviors in order to hide their disorder from other people. They may engage in some purging behavior, although the elderly are more likely to use laxatives instead for those with bulimia.
Managing The Disease
There are solutions for treating older people with eating disorders. Just like for young people with anorexia, working with the elderly to overcome their psychological issues has proven to be more effective rather than simply dealing with the food choices or the weight loss. Providing counseling can help older adults cope with perceived loss, lack of purpose, anger, self-esteem, and family conflicts. When you go to therapy, you will learn ways to manage your thoughts related to the eating disorder. It is an effective way to resolve the problem and lead a better quality of life.
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