10 Different Eating Disorders, How to Spot Them and Why They're So Dangerous

Pica Syndrome

Eating or chewing on non-foods can be an obsessive-compulsive disorder caused by anxiety or lack of proper diet. Pica syndrome can be extremely dangerous as it involves eating objects that aren’t supposed to be ingested like hair or paper. Pica syndrome can also be connected to anorexia when someone consumes too much water or ice in order to replace food or distract from hunger. Impulsively, people may start eating random objects because the body is seeking nutrients from any source possible. Medically, ingesting non-food materials can create blockages and lead to internal punctures or poison the body.

Rumination or Fletcherizing

Rumination is especially prevalent in kids or adolescents who are abused or under major stress but can also be a part of anorexia. Rumination is when a person chews, swallows and then ‘spits up’ the food again only to continue chewing it, whereas 'Fletcherizing' is just the act of chewing food for a very extended period of time. Rumination is categorized as a gastrointestinal disorder and is connected to negative deep thought. It can be an attempt at comfort and just like purging can cause tooth decay and digestive-related medical issues.