Eating disorder is by far the most underrated illnesses of the day. For the most part, most people barely consider an eating disorder a serious illness. And that is why it goes unnoticed most of the time. According to health experts, at least 9 out of 10 patients with an eating disorder do not get treated. Why? Simply because they do not consider it a real disease in the first place. And the ones who do get diagnosed with an eating disorder end up in incomplete treatment. That is why experts argue that an eating disorder is one of the least known and untreated illnesses in the world.

/ Pexels / For most people, an eating disorder is not an actual disease! This misconception gives birth to the complexity of eating disorders.

Nevertheless, it is essential to note here that diagnosing an eating disorder is a complex process for certified doctors. The fact that most people wrongly assume that it is not an actual illness adds further to its injury. There is a whole psychology and complexity behind eating disorders, argue expert dietitians and medical experts.

According to medical experts, if an eating disorder is left untreated for an extended amount of time, it can give birth to certain mental and physical illnesses. Here are some common illnesses and disorders that are directly associated with eating disorders:

Negative body image.
Low self-esteem.
Lack of confidence in one’s own self.
Scarcity of sound mental health measures.
Gaining body weight (AKA obesity.)
Fear of losing control.

/ Pexels / Medical experts suggest that if an eating disorder is left untreated, it can give birth to numerous psychological disorders and physical illnesses.

Notice, as your mental health declines, so does your physical health. Because both of them work in sync, the malfunctioning of either of them can directly impact the other one. Thus, if you prolong the diagnosis of an eating disorder, things may get severe. Consequently, you will be exposed to numerous mental and physical illnesses.

This is where the complexity of treating an eating disorder kicks in. If you see your doctor with so many complaints about your health, chances are the medical professional will not be able to pinpoint the actual disease: An eating disorder.

/ Pexels / Prolonged eating disorders make the illness more complex to diagnose.

On top of that, people who do understand an eating disorder as a real illness wrongly assume that it is only related to food. Expert health professionals suggest that eating disorders are not merely related to food alone.

Sure enough, it is linked with bad dietary plans. But the consequences are more complex psychologically than they appear to be. For instance, eating bad food can directly impact the stomach. In turn, this can be a nightmare for the patient’s mental health.

Thus, once an eating disorder is prolonged for an extended period of time, it gives birth to numerous psychological disorders. In turn, it makes the illness more complex and difficult to diagnose.