Eating Disorders Elderly PopulationsEating Disorders in Elderly Populations

Eating disorders have traditionally developed in the adolescent and young adult years. Now, studies are showing that older generations are also struggling. According to the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), more than 20% of women aged 70 and older are dieting and identify weight as their greatest concern.

What is the catalyst for eating disorders that develop later in life? Just as younger people come to engage in eating disordered behaviors in response to trauma, transition, poor body image, and low self-esteem, so do older adults. For seniors, life can change very rapidly and in uncomfortable ways. Many older adults are having trouble dealing with retirement, death of a spouse, income restrictions, or health problems. As dangerous as eating disorders are, they can become very problematic in older generations and cause or exacerbate significant health problems due to weight loss.

Martina Cartwright, PhD, RD points out the impact our culture has on older people. Our world today is obsessed with youth and thinness. The ideal body has changed over the decades and with it people’s attitudes about what their bodies should look like. Those who have chronically dieted over the years may go to extremes when stress and transition arrive in elder years. Still others may recall the curvier ideals of years gone by and feel pressured now to conform to the new standards.

Eating Disorders in Younger Years Often Go Untreated

It can be hard to pinpoint whether an older person developed an eating disorder in youth but was never treated, or if the illness started in response to current life stressors. Physicians too may be baffled and struggle to appropriately diagnose. There is not much eating disorder training for physicians, but through the efforts of advocacy groups and specialists they may have learned of the traditional red flags and physical manifestations to be vigilant of. Unfortunately, physicians may not know that an elderly woman presenting with significant weight loss and other signs of an eating disorder is actually struggling with an eating disorder.

Consider, for example, an older woman who has lost her spouse. Alone for the first time, she must grieve, come to terms with the loss, and learn who she is without her partner. She must also take up additional responsibilities or consider moving from her memories to a place where she can be more supported. She visits the doctor for a routine checkup and finds that she’s lost 25 pounds in a 6-month period. Her appetite hasn’t been great due to anxiety, but if she is honest with the doctor she has found solace in restricting her intake and in the rituals she’s created around food. Now she is in an unstable medical situation and must consider seeking treatment for an eating disorder.

Eating Disorder Treatment for the Elderly

Treatment for an older person with an eating disorder is much the same as a younger person’s options. Inpatient, residential, partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient, and outpatient care are all available. Age should not be a deterrent from seeking help. It is also important to consider the person’s available support system- who remains in this person’s life to provide help? Who will make sure the person reaches important appointments? Physical considerations are also important. Eating disorders in older populations can cause or exacerbate cardiac issues, bone loss, and cognitive function.

 

Source

Cartwright, M. (2013). Does Grandma Have an Eating Disorder? Psychology Today, www.psychologytoday.com