A recent study revealed that eating disorders can cause severe damage to both mental and physical health.
Several conditions, including anorexia, bulimia and binge eating increases the risk of diabetes, kidney and liver failure, and raises the mortality rate.
According to a study published in BMJ Medicine, these dangers are the highest within the first year following diagnosis but can continue for several years.
Researchers from the University of Manchester assessed medical records of over 24,700 people aged 10 to 44 with eating disorders, comparing them with up to 493,000 individuals without such conditions.
Within the first year, people with eating diseases were six times more likely to develop kidney failure, nearly seven times more likely to develop liver disorders, and at a six times increased risk of developing osteoporosis.
Furthermore, they experienced twice the risk of cardiac failure, triple the risk of diabetes, and significantly increases the rates of depression, self-harm and suicide attempts.
Overall, the risk of premature death was more than four times higher, with mortality rates from unnatural causes like suicide were also at the highest.
Numerous risks lasted for a longer term. Following five years, kidney and liver disease rates remained 2.5 to 4 times higher, and the risk of early death remained higher.
Even a decade later, surprisingly, suicide risk was nearly triple.
Experts stated that the findings underscored the need for long-term monitoring, awareness and stronger support from primary care providers.
