Eating Disorders

Eating disorders are mental disorders that involve extreme mental preoccupation, disturbing emotions, attitudes, and behaviors involving weight and food. Depending on the severity and duration of the eating disorder, it may be considered a serious mental illness when it meets the diagnostic criteria specified in the most recent Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) and results in significant functional impairment that substantially interferes with or limits one or more major life activities.

Some common eating disorders include anorexia nervosa, binge eating disorder, bulimia, and avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder. A common misconception is that individuals with eating disorders have a particular body habitus (e.g., individuals with anorexia nervosa are thin). However, eating disorders can affect anyone regardless of body size, race/ethnicity, gender, age, or socioeconomic status. Many factors contribute to the development of an eating disorder, such as genes, hormones, co-morbid mental disorders (such as depression or anxiety disorders), social attitudes that promote very thin body types, and diet culture.

Anorexia Nervosa

Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder in which people avoid or severely restrict food. People with this disorder have an intense fear of weight gain. They may diet, exercise excessively, or compulsively use other methods (e.g., laxatives or diuretics) to lose weight.

Being overly concerned about weight and shape
Having an anxiety disorder or depression
Having a negative self-image
Having eating problems during infancy or early childhood
Internalizing certain social or cultural ideas about health and beauty
Trying to be perfect or overly focused on rules

Symptoms of Anorexia Nervosa include:

Having an intense fear of gaining weight
Denying the seriousness of food restriction
Feeling a strong desire to be in control
Having a distorted sense of body image, and being very focused on body weight or shape

People with anorexia may severely limit the amount of food they eat, or they may eat and then make themselves throw up. Other behaviors include:

Cutting food into small pieces or moving them around the plate instead of eating
Exercising all the time, even if they are hurt
Going to the bathroom right after meals
Refusing to eat around other people
Using diet pills, laxatives, or diuretics

Other symptoms of anorexia may include:

Confused or slow thinking, along with poor memory or judgment
Depression
Anxiety
Dry mouth
Loss of bone strength, muscle, and body fat
Fatigue

Binge-Eating Disorder

Binge eating disorder is when a person eats a much larger amount of food in a shorter period of time than they normally would. During binge eating, the person may feel a loss of control.

Signs & Symptoms

Eats large quantities of food in one sitting, often secretly
Feels unable to control their eating behaviors
Uses food as a coping mechanism in response to traumatic or stressful life events
Feels shame, embarrassment, or guilt about their eating behaviors

Bulimia Nervosa

Bulimia Nervosa is an eating disorder in which a person binges on food and feels a loss of control over their eating. The person then uses methods to prevent weight gain, such as vomiting, excessive exercise, or using laxatives, diuretics, or diet pills.

The affected person is usually aware that their eating pattern is abnormal and may feel fear or guilt when they binge and purge.

Signs & Symptoms

People with bulimia often eat large amounts of food, usually in secret. People can feel a lack of control over their eating during these episodes. Eating and binging episodes may occur as often as several times a day for many months or longer.

It is common that binge eating will lead to a feeling of self-disgust, which leads to purging to prevent weight gain, bringing a sense of relief.

Forcing oneself to vomit
Excessive exercise
Using laxatives, enemas, or diuretics (water pills)

People with bulimia often have a distorted view of their body.

Chronically inflamed and sore throat
Increasingly sensitive and decaying teeth (due to stomach acid when vomiting)
Severe dehydration and electrolyte imbalances, which can lead to serious health complications such as heart attack or stroke
Suddenly eating large amounts of food or buying large amounts of food that disappear right away
Regularly going to the bathroom right after meals

Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID)

Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) is an eating disorder in which a person will limit the volume, type, and/or variety of foods they consume. This disorder most commonly develops during infancy and early childhood; however, it can develop at any age, and may develop after an adverse event (e.g., choking while eating grapes may lead someone to avoid or restrict eating anything).

Unlike the other eating disorders, there is no distress about body image or weight. Instead, there is a particular negative sensitivity or fear about food (e.g., taste, physical texture or color of the food, sensation while eating the food,) that drives a person to avoid or restrict eating. There may also be a fear of bad consequences to eating certain foods (such as choking, vomiting, and/or suffering a severe allergic reaction).

Signs & Symptoms

A person with ARFID may:

Present as extremely picky eating
Avoid: meals; eating with others; certain foods
Pretend to eat, but not consume the food served
Distress around meal time, and/or refuse to eat

Weight loss
Delayed growth (in children) or puberty
Nutritional deficiencies
Social impairment due to difficulties eating

Everyone deserves to be happy

Resources Specific to Eating Disorders