AtypicallyRecovering

Photo- mine

When I first was diagnosed with anorexia in 1981, it was thought that eating disorders were something that only impacted teens and those in their early 20s. That is absolutely NOT accurate. More and more women AND men, from all backgrounds, socioeconomic levels, and ages are being diagnosed with eating disorders. Some were never diagnosed accurately earlier in their lives, but many are being diagnosed for the first time in middle age, or older. Only %6 of those with eating disorders are medically underweight (according to the highly flawed BMI chart; someone can be within the “normal’ weight range, and be underweight for their body type). Every 52 minutes someone dies as a result of an eating disorder. More than 27 people per day are lost to eating disorders. Someone’s mother, father, sister, brother, daughter, son, cousin, aunt, uncle, grandparent…. gone.

General statistics on eating disorders-
https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/statistics/#general-eating-disorder-statistics

Eating disorders in older adults-
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/bjpsych-advances/article/disordered-eating-in-older-people-some-causes-and-treatments/0F154FFC05FD133ACAC04A19ECF3258F

There is a huge disparity between age groups as far as correct diagnosis and treatment, with those who aren’t underweight being essentially ignored. I’ve had chronic medical complications from over 5 decades of disordered eating and restriction, with many of the symptoms of starvation (low blood pressure and heart rate for long enough that my kidneys are damaged, dehydration, feeling cold, delayed gastric emptying, etc), and not one doctor ever questioned my eating habits at the time, even though I’ve got anorexia in my medical history. My nephrologist was the one who identified that my chronic kidney disease was NOT from diabetes as was assumed, but from hypo-perfusion of my kidneys. He also looked at lab work that is routinely done for kidney patients, and with certain things being low, he told me that the only reason those labs were at those levels is from not eating enough. He gave me 2 weeks to eat more, get more fluids in, and a lab recheck or he was going to hospitalize me for medical issues related to restricted eating. I have been in acute renal failure twice in 4 1/2 years from restriction. I’m in my early 60s.

I worked at a nursing home in the 90s, and there was a lady there that starved her way down to 50 pounds, in spite of a lengthy list of interventions. She was in the facility along with her husband, and they shared a ‘room plus’ (a sitting area outside of the bedroom area) on the wing with the most independent residents. She was eventually transferred to a psych hospital (only place that would take an elderly patient) in a larger city about 60 miles away, after hours of talking to EMS transport (only medical transport we had in that town then), her psychiatrist (nice guy), and the family. Because of her age, she was given some wonky diagnosis that really didn’t fit. She came back about 25 pounds heavier (she was petite to start with), and lost some weight again, though not as severely as before. She eventually died. I don’t remember the official cause of death, but I’ve always thought that she was blown off in regard to anorexia nervosa because of her age.

I’ve seen several interviews of anorexic middle aged, or older, women. Some didn’t have any eating disorder history until a spouse/partner died, children moved away, a family tragedy, severe illnesses, or other traumatic events. Others had been anorexic in earlier life, but had decades of time when their eating was stable, and they weren’t losing weight. And a few had developed anorexia in their teens, and had never had a period of stable eating and appropriate weights. You can search YouTube for ‘eating disorders in older adults’ or ‘ middle-aged eating disorders’ for videos on this.

The genetic component is also interesting to me. I’ve got a paternal aunt who has been anorexic since her teens. She must be in her late 70s now. I’ve never met her (I was adopted but found my biological family), but have seen many photos from across her lifespan, and her diagnosis of ‘late onset schizophrenia’ doesn’t match with the degree of interaction or engaged affect in photos (I worked with many schizophrenic patients when I was a RN). But she is very petite, and a close family member of hers said she’d been anorexic for as long as she’d known her. She wasn’t ‘scary thin’, so again, my gut reaction is that her eating disorder damaged her brain because of nutritional deficiencies that have been in place since her teens, as well as how long she’d been engaging in restrictive eating in general. She could easily pass as someone who is just ‘smaller framed’- and with her age, nobody questioned her nutritional state in regards to her symptoms. Who knows what kind of psychiatric meds she’s been put on, when it’s possible she might need nutritional support.

It’s pretty common in older age to have some type of nutritional deficiencies as appetites change with age, along with grief and depression that occur following the loss of family and friends. There are many vitamin and mineral deficiencies that can cause or mimic mental illnesses. It’s important not to start supplements without talking to your primary care provider. But it’s also something to be aware that nutrition impacts mental health. The best ‘fix’ for nutritional deficiencies is better nutrition!
Nutritional deficiencies and mental health-
https://doctor.ndtv.com/nutrition/9-mental-health-issues-nutrient-deficiencies-it-could-indicate-8812494

Vitamin B 12 deficiency can cause psychotic and dementia like symptoms. It can be reversed if treated in time. If not, it can be permanent. Vitamin B 12 deficiency can also be a big issue in vegetarian and vegan diets in all ages (which can be used by those with eating disorders in order to avoid higher calorie protein sources). As someone who was a RN for 35 years, I do not advise getting B 12 shots at shops in malls, that give them without medical assessment or lab work. The strength of the injections may not be what is appropriate for everyone. Talk to your doctor if you suspect any nutritional deficiencies, and get the appropriate lab work. There are places that will do lab work without a MD order if your doctor dismisses your concerns; you can search for these online in your area.

Find a lab-
https://www.ultalabtests.com/?msclkid=49a2b9308ef414bdf2e5d022da946273&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Generic%7CNonbrand%7CBroad&utm_term=medical%20laboratory%20tests&utm_content=Ad%20group%201


Vitamin B 12 and mental health-
https://www.newstarget.com/2025-09-16-vitamin-b12-deficiency-overlooked-cause-psychiatric-symptoms.html