Eating disorders are psychological conditions that manifest in abnormal eating behaviors such as eating much less than normal, severely overeating, engaging in harmful compensatory behaviors, or having extreme obsessions about body shape or weight. Eating disorders do not discriminate based on age, gender, wealth, job status, sexual orientation, body shape/size, or race.

Eating disorders have serious emotional and physical consequences on the affected person. If you think you may have an eating disorder, taking the first step to learn more is important.

Binge Eating Disorder

Binge eating is characterized by extreme overeating. A person will consume excessive amounts of food in a short period of time. The person usually feels as if they have no control over what they eat or when they stop. It is common to feel shame or regret over how much one has eaten. These binge-eating episodes usually happen at least once a week.

Bulimia Nervosa

Bulimia nervosa is a cycle of binge eating and purging. A person will have a binge-eating episode followed by guilt and embarrassment. They will go to extreme measures to avoid gaining weight from the binge. The person may force the food from their system through laxatives or vomiting. They could also get rid of calories through fasting or excessive exercise. Usually someone with bulimia has an average or above average body weight.

Anorexia Nervosa

Anorexia nervosa is marked by extreme food restriction. Like bulimia, anorexia involves an intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat. Even when someone is dangerously thin, they will often see themselves as overweight. The DSM identifies two subtypes of anorexia:

• Restricting Type: This type is the more common of the two. A person will lose weight by eating very little food. They may exercise a lot to burn off what few calories they have eaten.
• Binge-eating/Purging Type: A person with this type may also restrict their diet. Yet they will also experience periods of binge eating and purging. Unlike someone with bulimia, this person will probably be underweight.

Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID)

Oftentimes characterized as “extreme picky eating,” ARFID is an eating disorder impacting thousands of individuals, particularly children. The meaning of “fear food” in clients with ARFID differs from clients with anorexia nervosa and bulimia. For individuals with ARFID the fear may stem from knowing they must eat, when they have no interest in eating, fearing the temperature might not be what they like, fear of choking or becoming sick or fear of eating a new food. Types of ARFID:

• Lack of interest: clients with this type of ARFID have a genuine lack of interest in eating and food. They also get full quickly.
• Sensory Avoidance: clients with sensory avoidance have issues with food tastes, textures, temperature and smells.
• Fear of Aversive Consequences; fear of illness, choking, nausea and allergies

Disordered Eating

Disordered eating is not a diagnosis but a phrase used to describe a range of problematic eating behaviors. The signs and symptoms of disordered eating are similar to those of an eating disorder, although they will vary with frequency and severity.

While disordered eating may not result in the extreme symptoms seen in a diagnosable eating disorder, it has the potential to negatively impact a person’s life. For example, someone with disordered eating may miss work, school or personal events because of anxiety or discomfort around food, or because of an obsessive exercise routine. Their obsession with food and exercise may affect their ability to focus or concentrate, impacting their performance at work or school.

Disordered eating can also take a mental and physical toll on a person. Negative self-thinking can impact their mental health, and their poor eating habits can affect them physically, such as their cardiovascular and intestinal health. Disordered eating also puts the individual at high risk for developing an eating disorder.

If you find yourself struggling with:

•   Frequent dieting or obsessive calorie counting
•   Rigid food restriction or skipping meals
•   Feeling anxiety, guilt or shame about certain foods or food in general
•   Obsessive exercising, or exercise to “punish” for overeating
•   Binging and/or purging
•   Self-worth or self-esteem because of your weight or body shape and weight
•   Feeling out of control around food

… then you may be suffering from disordered eating.

What causes people to engage in harmful eating habits can be complex, and vary per the individual. Individual therapy can help people examine their past to understand what led to these behaviors and learn to accept and love themselves as they are.