anxiety and eating

Datura wrote:Two questions:
Can not eating properly cause anxiety?
Is not eating due to anxiety considered an eating disorder?

Another vicious cycle, most likely.

If we mean by "not eating properly" means eating food that lack essential nutrients, then yes it can cause anxiety.

If we eat sugary foods and drinks in excess, it can trigger excess insulin reactions, triggering low blood sugar levels, which in turn can trigger stress hormones, that are responsible anxiety attacks.

If we are bombarded with stress hormones, such as adrenaline, it can interfere with our appetite mechanism causing us not wanting to eat! Enjoying one's food and have anxiety are controlled by contradictory hormones, where stress hormones override "relaxing" hormones. But having a zinc deficiency can also cause loss of appetite. Eating disorders may cover a much wider field and pathology. See:

Eating Disorders

Hi Datura

Having an eating disorder, be it anorexia, bulimia, compulsive eating, or a combination is different to not feeling able to eat due to anxiety, or losing your appetite due to being anxious.

It all depends on the reasons why someone is not eating or bingeing etc. There is some further information about the various types of eating disorder that I have written here.

Perhaps you might like to have a look and see if any of this rings a bell with you. If not, then it is probably anxiety causing the problems you are having eating.

Karen

Datura wrote:Is not eating due to anxiety considered an eating disorder?

No, it would be considered an anxiety disorder.

Thanks. I'll be sure to check out the links provided.

Feel free to move this.