Other Disorders Related to Eating

Rumination Disorder

This disorder involves regurgitating and then reswallowing partially digested food.  Officially classified as a Disorder of Infancy, Childhood, and Adolescence, rumination disorder affects about 10% of mentally retarded adults.  Rumination disorder may also occur in some bulimics.  In infants, mortality rates rumination disorder approach 25%.

Pica

People with this disorder repeatedly eat non-nutritive substances (e.g., dirt, paint chips).  It occurs mainly in young children, or people with mental retardation or dementia.

Health problems associated with pica include lead poisoning and roundworm, and the risk that surgery will be needed to remove ingested objects.

The risk of death from pica is quite high.

Feeding Disorder

This is a disorder of infancy or early childhood involving failure to eat adequately, resulting in insufficient weight gain.  It is typically associated with disorganized, chaotic family environments.

This page was last updated on Tuesday October 21, 2003.