Anxiety, depression, and OCD are mental health disorders that often co-occur with eating
disorders. Did you know that roughly 94% of people with an eating disorder also have a
mood disorder coexisting? According to the National Eating Disorders Association, here
are the rough percentages of people who have a mental health disorder co-occuring with
an eating disorder.
Anorexia Nervosa- About 40% of people with anorexia have been diagnosed with
depression, and 51% have been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder.
Binge Eating Disorder- About 33% of people with BED have been diagnosed with
depression, and 65% have been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder.
Bulimia Nervosa- About 50% of people with Bulimia are diagnosed with depression, and
as much as 81% of people with Bulimia have an anxiety disorder.
Health concerns due to the effects of eating disorders commonly include damage to the
heart, bones, teeth and mouth which can lead to other harmful diseases.
Let’s take a look at what CBD could potentially do for people with these diagnoses.
Anorexia Nervosa:
Anorexia Nervosa is characterized as weight loss, difficulty maintaining a healthy body weight,
and a distorted body image. In Anorexia’s cycle of self-starvation, the body gets denied and
deprived of the essential nutrients it needs to function properly. You can expect serious medical
consequences from this. However, several studies have shown us that CBD can help regulate
mood, which in turn, can regulate anxiety and depression. Findings show that reduced stress
levels can help improve mood, in turn encouraging healthy eating patterns.
Binge Eating Disorder:
BED is a dangerous and life-threatening, yet treatable disorder. It is characterized by consuming
large quantities of food repetitively too fast to the point of discomfort. People with BED
normally like to eat alone because they get embarrassed by the amounts of food they consume.
They then often feel disgusted, depressed and have feelings of guilt. CBD can help by reducing
cravings by regulating our body’s reward system, in turn, making cravings not so severe. CBD
blocks a receptor in the brain making the neurotransmitter ghrelin, an appetite stimulant, unable
to act. CBD also can increase the hormone leptin, which gives us the feeling of being full,
helping curb cravings.
Bulimia Nervosa:
Bulimia Nervosa is another dangerous and life-threatening disorder involving a cycle of binge
eating, and self induced vomiting compensating for the effects of the binge eating. In the same
way as BED, CBD can help people with Bulimia Nervosa not to binge. People with Bulimia
often worry about being fat as if they are distorted, and have an excessive negative body image
of themselves. CBD may also help regulate the mood and improve anxiety of individuals with
Bulimia Nervosa, less worrying will hopefully encourage healthy eating patterns.