What are eating disorders and how to treat them?

What are the symptoms of eating disorders?

Typical behaviors of a person suffering from an Eating Disorder are: fasting, restriction of eating, bulimic bouts (the ingestion of a significant amount of food in a short period of time accompanied by the feeling of losing control, i.e., not being able to control what and how much one eats), self-induced vomiting, improper intake of laxatives and/or diuretics in order to counteract weight gain, intense physical activity aimed at weight loss.

What are the most common eating disorders?

Anorexia nervosa.

Characterized by an intense fear of gaining weight and a distorted body image; leads to extreme food restriction and significant weight loss.

Bulimia Nervosa

Involves recurrent episodes of binge eating followed by compensatory behaviors such as self-induced vomiting, excessive use of laxatives or excessive exercise.

Uncontrolled Eating Disorder (Binge Eating Disorder).

Consists of recurrent episodes of binge eating without the adoption of compensatory behaviors, often leading to overweight and obesity.

Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID).

Involves excessive selectivity or aversion to certain foods, which can lead to inadequate nutrition and growth problems.

What are the causes of eating disorders?

Understanding the causes of eating disorders is critical to developing effective prevention strategies and targeted treatments.

Treatment often requires an integrated approach that considers the various factors involved, with targeted medical, psychological and pharmacological interventions.

The causes of eating disorders are complex and multifactorial, involving a combination of genetic, biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors:

Genetic and Biological Factors

• Heredity: People with a family history of eating disorders have a higher risk of developing these conditions.
• Brain abnormalities: alterations in neurotransmitters such as serotonin may influence the onset of eating disorders.
• Pre-existing mental health problems: anxiety, depression, and other mental disorders may increase the risk.

Psychological Factors.

• Low self-esteem: people with eating disorders often struggle with negative body image and low self-esteem.
• Perfectionism: a desire for control and perfectionism may contribute to the development of eating disorders.
• Trauma and abuse: traumatic events or physical or emotional abuse can be triggers.

Socio-Cultural Factors.

• Social pressure: societal pressure to conform to certain standards of beauty and thinness can be a contributing factor, especially with the influence of media and social networks.
• Competitive environments: high-pressure environments, such as certain sports or professions that emphasize physical appearance, can increase risk.

Environmental and Behavioral Factors.

• Diets and dietary restrictions: extreme or restrictive diets can trigger eating disorders, especially in predisposed individuals.
• Family dynamics: dysfunctional family dynamics or unhealthy patterns of eating behavior within the family may contribute.

Developmental and Evolutionary Factors

• Puberty changes: during adolescence, physical and hormonal changes can affect body perception and eating habits.
• Stressful life events: events such as the loss of a loved one, major life changes, or school stress may contribute.

These factors often interact with each other. For example, a person with a genetic predisposition might develop an eating disorder in response to social pressures or a traumatic event.

What is our treatment with immersive reality for eating disorders?

Immersive reality is emerging as a promising treatment option for eating disorders.

These treatments take advantage of controlled virtual environments to address various aspects related to eating disorders, such as self-image, body perception, food-related anxiety, and dysfunctional eating habits. Studies conducted on this topic have shown promising results, showing improvements in body perception, reduction in anxiety and development of healthier eating habits.

How does simulation of trigger situations work in immersive reality?

There are many therapeutic approaches and techniques to be used with immersive reality for the treatment of eating disorders: first and foremost, exposure therapy, through which trigger situations can be simulated.

Immersive virtual reality can recreate situations that trigger anxiety or dysfunctional behaviors, such as exposure to particular foods or social settings, allowing patients to cope with these situations in a safe and controlled environment. Through systematic desensitization, the person is subjected to gradual exposure to anxiogenic stimuli to reduce anxiety associated with foods and social situations.

How to become familiar with one’s body through immersive virtual reality

Immersive virtual reality can be used to create avatars that realistically reflect the patient’s body, allowing the distorted body image to be worked on.

This technique (body image therapy) is based on visual feedback: patients can see realistic representations of their bodies, helping them develop a more accurate and less negative perception of their own body image. In addition, patients can experience “being” in a different body, helping them to see their bodies more objectively (body swapping).

Mindfulness as a means to treat eating disorders

Immersive virtual reality can also be used to create environments that promote meditation and mindfulness practice, helping to reduce stress and anxiety related to food and the body. In these settings, various relaxation techniques that promote psychological well-being can be taught to the person, learning to familiarize him or her with their eating disorders to structure a functional path to

Virtual reality training: how does it work?

Through virtual reality it is also possible to practice behavioral education and training by simulating meal situations, helping the person develop healthy eating habits and manage anxiety.

In these protected settings, the person can also practice food-related social interactions, improving coping skills and confidence in real-world situations.

The benefits of Metacare immersive virtual reality

Virtual reality allows the therapist to monitor patients’ reactions in real time, providing immediate and personalized feedback; it also allows the therapist to create situations that are difficult to replicate safely in the real world.

Virtual environments can be customized to the patient’s specific needs, and the immersive aspect of virtual reality can increase engagement and motivation of those using it.

Of key importance is the fact that immersive virtual therapy can also facilitate virtual group therapy sessions, where patients can interact with other individuals facing similar problems, offering support and sharing experiences in an immersive, anonymous environment.

Conclusion

Immersive reality represents an innovative frontier in the treatment of eating disorders, offering new tools to address the complex challenges associated with these conditions. Its effectiveness, combined with other traditional therapies, can significantly improve therapeutic outcomes for many patients.