What is an Eating Disorder?

An Eating Disorder (ED) is an anxiety based disorder that causes someone to have persistent disturbances in their eating behaviors. It is a mental illness that causes someone to try to find control/safety in their eating behaviors. However, it is not involuntary, meaning that a person is able to make their own choices/actions that go against the ED if they want to.

What is an Anxiety Based Disorder?

Anxiety exists on a spectrum. Everybody has anxiety, it prevents us from doing dangerous things. For example, you wouldn’t walk out in the middle of the street when a car is coming because:  1) It causes uncomfortable bodily sensations of anxiety,  and/or 2)  You would think, “what if I get hit by the car?” This kind of anxiety is very helpful.

However, some people have higher levels of anxiety that cause them to not function properly and fixate on certain things that they think are issues when in reality aren’t. Someone with normal levels of anxiety wouldn’t walk into the middle of the street because they are afraid of getting hit by a care, someone with higher levels of anxiety might leave their their house because they are afraid of getting hit by a car. However, with the right treatment and commitment anyone can overcome their anxiety.

If you picture a line, all the way to the left is someone with low/average anxiety. The farther right you get the more severe the anxiety disorders get. You will see disorders like Eating Disorders (EDs), Panic disorder, Social anxiety, Bipolar Disorder, etc. 

Anxiety also goes hand in hand with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) meaning that if someone has an ED they have extreme anxiety and OCD around food and (sometimes) body image.

5 Currently Recognized Eating Disorders:

Anorexia Nervose

Anorexia Nervosa is a restrictive eating disorder (ED) that causes one to extremely restrict their eating in one or multiple ways. Common examples can be:

  • When/where they eat
  • Cutting out food groups
  • Only eating a certain amount of food

*may also include body checking and/or over exercising 

Symptoms include (but are not limited to):

  • Restrictive eating
  • Weight loss
  • Fear of weight gain
  • Amenorrhea (loss of menstrual cycle)
  • Constant fatigue
  • Low blood pressure
  • Anemia
  • Lagundo (thin layer of hair that grows over the body)

Bulimia Nervosa

Bulimia Nervosa is a form or food restriction through purging food. Forms of purging include (but are not limited to):

  • Self induced vomiting
  • Overuse of laxatives/diuretics
  • Excessive exercise
  • Fasting

*may also include body checking

Symptoms include (but are not limited to):

  • Purging behaviors
  • Sore/inflamed throat
  • Damaged tooth enamel
  • Stomach issues

Binge Eating Disorder (BED)

BED is an eating disorder (ED) where someone will eat 2-3 times that of what is considered average in a period of 1-2 hours. This is called a binge. Someone with BED may feel that they cannot control their binge episodes. Those with BED (unlike Bulimia Nervosa) do not use methods of purging after a binge episode. Symptoms include (but are not limited to):

  • Weight gain
  • Excessive eating
  • Hiding food or eating in secret
  • Attempts at dieting for weight loss, often with little success
  • Eating when full or not hungry

Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID)

Someone with ARFID will restrict how much and/or what types of food they eat. Unlike Anorexia Nervosa, food restriction is not prompted by fear of weight gain or distorted body image. Those who struggle with AFRID my have fears of food for reasons such as (but are not limited to):

  • Choking
  • Vomiting
  • Taste/texture of certain foods

Symptoms include (but are not limited to):

  • Extreme restriction of types/amounts of food
  • Weight loss
  • Lack of appetite or lack of interest in eating
  • Stomach issues with unknown causes
  • Limited range of foods the person will eat 

Other Specified Feeding & Eating Disorders (OSFED)

Someone with OSFED experiences extreme disturbances in their eating behaviors, just like those with other Eating Disorders (EDs), but someone with OSFED doesn’t fit into any one ED category cleanly. They have a combination of symptoms from one or more EDs.

What is body checking?

Body checking is different forms of looking/feeling your own body to get reassurance on how it looks. This could be looking in the mirror and sucking in your stomach, flexing your muscles, measuring your waist, weighing yourself, feeling your bones, etc. There are hundreds of forms of body checking and when someone has an obsession with their body (either from an eating disorder, Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) or anything else) they may compulsively body check and it can be one of the hardest compulsions to stop.

Citations:

  • Guarda, Angela. “What Are Eating Disorders?” Psychiatry.Org – What Are Eating Disorders?, 1 Feb. 2023, www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/eating-disorders/what-are-eating-disorders. 
  • “Eating Disorders.” National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/eating-disorders.
  • “Information About Eating Disorders for Educators-NEDA.” National Eating Disorders Association, 8 Jan. 2024, www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/information-for-educators.
  • Harrison, Christy. “What Is Diet Culture? — Christy Harrison – Intuitive Eating Dietitian, Anti-Diet Author, and Certified Eating Disorders Specialist.” Christy Harrison – Intuitive Eating Dietitian, Anti-Diet Author, & Certified Eating Disorders Specialist, 26 Nov. 2023, christyharrison.com/blog/what-is-diet-culture.
  • “Eating Disorders: About More Than Food.” National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/eating-disorders#:~:text=Treatment%20plans%20for%20eating%20disorders,weight%20to%20a%20healthy%20level.
  • Digital, Amsive. “Eating Disorder Myths.” The Recovery Village Drug and Alcohol Rehab, 26 May 2022, www.therecoveryvillage.com/mental-health/eating-disorders/eating-disorder-myths.
  • “Think Your Friend May Have an Eating Disorder? Here’s What You Can Do.” Center for Change, 14 Oct. 2017, centerforchange.com/think-your-friend-may-have-an-eating-disorder-heres-what-you-can-do. Accessed 29 Jan. 2024.
  • What Are Eating Disorders? www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/eating-disorders/what-are-eating-disorders.