Children are impressionable and they absorb the world around them. Depending on the messages they receive, those messages can have a devastating effect on their self-esteem. Not surprisingly, when it comes to eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia and binge eating, the problem often starts when children reach puberty. If left untreated, it’s not uncommon for an eating disorder to follow adolescents well into their late teens and early adulthood, according to a non-profit support and prevention group for people suffering from an eating disorder, the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA).
What Is An Eating Disorder?
According to the The American Psychiatric Association, “eating disorders are illnesses in which the people experience severe disturbances in their eating behaviors and related thoughts and emotions. People with eating disorders typically become pre-occupied with food and their body weight.”
Individuals with eating disorders have many methods of combating their body weight; they binge eat, purge food through vomiting, abuse diuretics or diet pills, or exercise excessively. All of these methods can have a dramatic impact on their future health.
It was once thought that women were at the highest risk for acquiring an eating disorder, but it’s a problem for men as well. NEDA reported that nearly 20 million females and 10 million males are currently suffering from an eating disorder.
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), reports that one in three people who diet regularly are at a greater risk of developing an eating disorder.
Data published by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality in April 2009, showed that eating disorder-related hospitalizations for adults of both genders have increased 18 percent, while less common eating disorders rose 38 percent from 1999 to 2006.
What Impact Does It Have On Life Insurance?
If you have an eating disorder while applying for life insurance, you may face some complications of getting some or any life insurance. The impact an eating disorder has on the body can be devastating, which is why insurers cast a wary eye on people who have had a history of eating disorders.
| Health Consequences of Eating Disorders ANOREXIA NERVOSA: · Severe electrolyte imbalances leading to irregular heartbeat and the potential for heart failure The over consumption of food can result in the following: Source: National Eating Disorders Association |
“There are all kinds of medical problems that go along with being malnourished, ranging from heart disease and kidney failure to osteoporosis,” says Dr. Ann Hoven, medical director for The Hartford. “Anorexia in particular has a very high mortality rate that disproportionately strikes young people. It is most troubling because young people don’t expect to die. Anorexia is one of the greater concerns for insurers because successful treatment requires inpatient hospitalization for an extended period of time. It also carries a high recidivism rate because anorexics often fall back into old patterns.”
Anorexia carries the highest death rate of any mental illness and is one of the most frequent psychiatric diagnoses in young women. NEDA reports that between 5 and 20 percent of people who develop anorexia eventually die from it.
And it’s expensive to treat.
The National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Eating Disorders (ANAD)/ estimates that the monthly cost of inpatient treatment is $30,000 or more a month and the cost of outpatient treatment can exceed $100,000 depending on the duration of care.
“In order to recover fully from anorexia, most patients need inpatient hospitalization for an extended period of time. There is a great deal of treatment involved to cure someone of anorexia,” says Hoven. “Most insurers require at least a year of stability before they will issue a policy to someone who has an eating disorder.”
Ed Hinerman, owner of Hinerman Group in Salida, Colo., says depending on the amount of time involved, most people who have struggled with an eating disorder can get a policy at a preferred rate.
“Often people think that insurers run screaming into the night when presented with someone with an eating disorder, but that is not the case. Depending on the length of time from when the problem was first diagnosed, it is not unheard of for someone to get preferred rates,” says Hinerman. “An insurer looks for whether the person has been in a support group and for how long, in addition to how often they are seeing a psychologist. There would have to be no relapse and they would have to have good follow-up from a doctor and present a pattern of maintaining a healthy weight. For preferred rates you would have to show at least five years of stability from the time when the disorder was cured.”
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