Eating disorders

Eating Disorders (AD) are complex pathologies, often associated with severe psychological discomfort and a distorted relationship with food, excessive concern for one's physical shape and a distorted perception of one's body image.
The eating disorders are Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervous and Binge Eating Disorder.

Anorexia Nervous
The Anorexia Nervous is characterised by a distorted perception of the body image, by resorting to drastic diets, aimed at maintaining or increasing the state of thinness.
Signs and symptoms
The most frequent signs that should lead to suspect the presence of AN are:
• skipping meals, eating very little, or avoiding fatty foods completely;
• obsessively count the calories of foods;
• get up immediately from the table to vomit.
See the full list of symptoms

Complications
If not treated promptly, it can cause the risk of permanent damage to various organs up until death, in the most severe cases.
See the types of complications due to Anorexia Nervous

Bulimia nervous

There Bulimia Nervous is a serious eating disorder characterised by the compulsive desire to ingest excessive amounts of food, followed by attempts to eliminate what has been ingested to avoid weight gain.
Signs and symptoms
The most frequent signs that should lead to suspect the presence of Bulimia Nervous are:
• frequent binges;
• frequent visits to the bathroom after lunch;
• use of laxatives and/or diuretics.
See the full list of symptoms

Complications
If not treated promptly, Bulimia Nervosa can cause the risk of permanent damage to various organs. In the most severe cases it can cause death.
See the types of complications due to Bulimia Nervous

Binge eating disorder

The Binge eating disorder also known as Binge Eating Disorder (BED) it is characterized by the uncontrolled impulse to swallow excessive quantities of food, but unlike bulimia nervosa it is not followed by behaviors aimed at avoiding weight gain (for example self-induced vomiting).
Signs and symptoms
There are several signs that indicate the presence of a Binge eating disorder such as:
• eat much faster than normal;
• eat until feeling uncomfortably full;
• eating large amounts of food when not feeling physically hungry;
• eating alone because you feel embarrassed by the amount of food you are eating;
• feeling disgusted with himself, depressed or very guilty after the binge.

Complications
The main consequence of Binge Eating Disorder is represented by weight gain which, in some cases, can lead toobesity and increase the risk of developing alterations and associated diseases such as, for example:
• high cholesterol levels (hypercholesterolaemia) and high blood pressure (hypertension), factors that increase the risk of cerebro-cardiovascular diseases such as stroke and heart attack;
• diabetes, a chronic disease which causes an increase in blood glucose levels;
• osteoarthritis, a disease that causes pain and swelling in the joints;
• some types of cancer, such as breast and bowel cancer.

Ask for help

If you think you may have an eating disorder or if you suspect that a person you know suffers from an eating disorder, do not hesitate to ask for help and do it as soon as possible.
Call the Eating Disorders freephone number – 800.180.969.

Provided by the NHS

The National Health Service (SSN – Servizio Sanitario Nazionale) offers some healthcare services for people with eating disorders free of charge, without paying any co-pay fee (“ticket”).
To find out which benefits you could obtain, visit the page on  exemptions

Therapeutic treatment

The treatment of eating disorders can be carried out, depending on the need, in a more or a less intensive way.
The first access to the therapeutic path is the outpatient treatment, while in severe cases or in those in which the outpatient treatment has not worked, a more intensive treatment is required, such as day-hospital treatment, hospitalisation and residential treatment.

See also

• the Anorexia Nervosa page in the ISS Dictionary of Health
• Binge Eating Disorder in the ISS Dictionary of Health

Trova Strutture

In this section, you can search for the healthcare centres dedicated to the treatment of Eating disorders on the national territory, which you can contact to receive an answer to your health need.

You can search throughout the whole national territory or limit the search to a specific territorial area (Region, Province, Municipality, ASL - Local Health Unit). Furthermore, in the search results, you can also filter the list of healthcare centres based on the type of treatment of interest: outpatient, day hospital, hospitalisation and residential rehabilitation.
The methods for accessing services dedicated to Eating Disorders vary from Region to Region and, in some cases, from ASL (Local Health Unit) to ASL.