Digestive Issues in Eating Disorders
This post was written by Kaitlin Colucci, founder of the KC Nutrition Clinic.
Digestive issues are one of the most common symptoms reported in patients with an eating disorder (ED), with up to 90% of patients reporting abdominal bloating, abdominal pain, early satiety and nausea. It has also been found that 40-50% of patients with EDs have also been diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). As a result, eating disorders are often misdiagnosed as IBS rather than a symptom of an eating disorder.
Why do they happen?
Digestive issues in those with an eating disorder occur due to one of, or a combination of the following:
Malnutrition
Severe weight loss
Eating disorder behaviours e.g. self-induced vomiting or laxative abuse
Pre-existing conditions such as IBS
Simple strategies to help
1. Address stress
There is a strong link between gut health and stress due to the gut-brain axis. When we are stressed, our brain sends signals to our gut and can make it more sensitive to the foods we are eating (a term called visceral hypersensitivity).
Things to try:
Yoga: Yoga not only reduces stress, but improves body image and mindfulness, and the gentle movement gets the digestive system working.
Deep breathing: Deep inhales & slow exhales can help to relax the 'fight or flight' nervous system.
Less is more: Reduce stress on the body by refraining from intense exercise frequently as this can increase intestinal impermeability during exercise.
Sleep: Not getting enough sleep can impact our whole body, so put together a relaxing bedtime routine to aid in getting a restful night’s sleep.
2. Food
The tendency will often be to restrict dietary intake even further given the discomfort that comes with eating, which can worsen symptoms.
Things to try:
Eating smaller, more frequent meals may be helpful to ease digestive discomfort.
Avoid drinking large volume of fluid with meals. Wait at least 30 minutes either side.
Avoid lying flat for 30-60 minutes after a meal.
If you notice a particular food upsets your stomach, talk to a dietitian about how to navigate these challenges while also healing your relationship with food.
3. Other
Some tried and tested ways to ease symptoms:
Using a heating pad or hot water bottle after meals may ease stomach pain.
Gentle stomach massage following the digestive track. Start at the lower left and follow the intestine to the right and up, and then continue back the way you came.
Avoid eating too fast, using straws, chewing gum, and consuming fizzy drinks frequently as they can bring more air into the digestive tract and increase bloating and gas.
Ginger tea or putting fresh cut ginger into hot water for homemade tea can help alleviating nausea.
Next steps
Please note, we are not a team of specialist eating disorder dietitians at the KC Nutrition Clinic. If you have an active eating disorder, please seek advice from a specialist ED Dietitian.
If you are suffering from digestive issues & need help reviewing your diet, book in to speak to a dietitian at the KC Nutrition Clinic with either Kaitlin or Annabel.