Eating Disorders: Definition, Symptoms, And Effects
A wide range of eating disorders can negatively affect health and well-being, such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and others. However, to understand each condition, exploring the definition of eating disorders and how they can appear may be helpful. You may also look at the treatments available and the causes of common mental health conditions. Being informed about eating disorders can open the doors to faster, more effective treatment and early intervention.
Understanding eating disorders
Before exploring individual eating disorders, defining eating disorders more broadly may be helpful. Eating disorders are patterns of unhealthy habits, thoughts, and feelings related to food and eating. According to the eating disorders definition used by the APA, eating disorders are mental illnesses that have serious impacts and can affect someone’s social, physical, and cognitive function. People with eating disorders might become preoccupied with their body weight, develop unhealthy attitudes about certain foods, or use unhealthy eating behaviors to cope with feelings and challenges.
What causes eating disorders?
The exact cause of eating disorders is still being studied. Still, research shows that several factors, including genetics and social environment, may play a role in development. Eating disorders can affect people of any gender or age, and not everyone shows obvious symptoms. That said, women, teenagers, and young adults may be at a higher risk of developing eating disorders than other groups. Other possible risk factors for eating disorders include the following:
- Having a family history of eating disorders
- Participating in certain hobbies or professions, like sports or modeling
- Mental health challenges like anxiety, depression, or obsessive-compulsive disorder
- Stressful relationships and life situations
How common are eating disorders?
Disordered eating has become more common in recent years. An estimated 28.8 million people in the United States (9% of the US population) will have an eating disorder at some point in their lifetime. Worldwide, rates of eating disorders rose from 3.4% in 2000 to 7.8% in 2018.
The cause of the rise in eating disorders is still being studied. However, higher levels of social media use may raise the risk of disordered eating. The stress and isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic may have also led to a spike in eating disorders.
What are the consequences of eating disorders?
Eating disorders can negatively affect physical and mental well-being. Extreme weight loss, weight gain, or malnutrition due to an eating disorder may impact brain health, heart health, and hormonal balance. These effects can lead to a weakened immune system, kidney failure, or death. People with eating disorders may also experience mental health symptoms like depression, irritability, social withdrawal, and feelings of guilt or shame.
The most common eating disorders: Anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder
After gaining a broad definition of eating disorders, you might wonder how specific eating disorders are defined. Below, explore the most common eating disorders, their symptoms, and how to tell them apart.
Anorexia nervosa
Anorexia nervosa is a disorder that causes people to severely restrict their eating. People with anorexia often have an extreme fear of gaining weight, even if they claim not to. As a result, they may engage in behaviors like the following:
- Eating little to nothing at all
- Obsessing over food
- Skipping meals
- Using appetite suppressants, laxatives, or other medicines to lose weight
- Excessively exercising to “burn off” the calories they’ve eaten
- Lying about their weight or what foods they’ve been eating
Bulimia nervosa
Like anorexia, bulimia nervosa is often due to a desire to lose weight or control one’s weight. People with bulimia tend to alternate between binging (eating extreme amounts of food in a short period) and “purging” (trying to compensate for what they’ve eaten to avoid gaining weight). A person with bulimia may:
- Binge on excessive amounts of food at once
- Struggle to stop eating during binges
- Use laxatives, take water pills, or try to make themselves throw up to counteract the effects of binges
- Excessively exercise
- Experience dental problems or digestive issues
Binge eating disorder
Binge eating disorder (BED) is another common eating disorder. Like bulimia, BED causes people to “binge,” which means eating excessive amounts of food at once. However, people with BED do not use behaviors like vomiting to compensate for their binges. Someone with binge eating disorder might:
- Eat large amounts of food at one time
- Eat extremely quickly
- Keep eating even when full
- Eat in secret
- Experience feelings of guilt or shame related to their eating habits
- Gain weight or develop high blood pressure, diabetes, or heart disease
Overeating once in a while—for example, on holidays or special occasions—can be normal. However, people with BED typically binge at least once a week for several months or more. Binge eating disorder also tends to be more disruptive to a person’s daily life than overeating and can cause significant feelings of shame and negative self-beliefs.
Understanding avoidant-restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID)
Avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (also known as ARFID) is a rarer eating disorder that causes extreme pickiness. People with ARFID tend to severely restrict the types of food they eat—for example, by only eating foods like potatoes, pasta, or plain bread. As a result, they may:
- Only eat normal amounts of particular foods
- Struggle to get enough essential nutrients
- Show an ongoing lack of interest in food
- Have trouble eating around other people
- Experience texture aversions that may cause gagging or regurgitation
How is ARFID different from anorexia?
ARFID and anorexia can both make people severely restrict their food choices but for different reasons. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), people with ARFID do not experience issues with weight or body image. Instead, they may restrict their eating out of fear of choking, food poisoning, or vomiting or due to a negative experience related to food or smell. Some people with ARFID might forget to eat or not experience the urges to eat that others do.
Other eating disorders
Not all disordered eating revolves around the amount of food a person eats. For example, pica is a disorder that involves eating substances that are not food, such as rocks, chalk, or paper. Rumination syndrome is another disorder that consists in bringing food back up after swallowing it. Awareness of these behaviors may make them easier to notice in yourself and others.
What if an eating disorder doesn’t fit into one of these categories?
People can sometimes experience disordered eating without meeting the official criteria for an eating disorder. For example, someone might seem preoccupied with food, restrict their eating, or exercise excessively without losing enough weight to meet the criteria for anorexia. In this case, a doctor might diagnose them with “atypical anorexia” or “other specified feeding and eating disorder.”
How are eating disorders treated?
Although eating disorders can have adverse effects, they can often be treated when caught early. A study published in 2022 followed 228 participants diagnosed with anorexia or bulimia for over two decades, checking on their progress at multiple follow-ups. After 22 years, around two-thirds of the study participants had recovered from their eating disorders.
Treatment options for eating disorders
While healing from an eating disorder is possible, the outcome may depend on getting professional help. If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, talking to your doctor may be the first step toward healing. Your healthcare provider may be able to recommend an appropriate treatment plan. Treating an eating disorder may involve:
- Working with a medical professional to improve nutrition
- Managing behaviors like binging and purging
- Addressing social or emotional factors that might be contributing to the eating disorder
- Getting social support through support groups or other programs
- Identifying situations that prompt disordered eating and making a plan to manage them
- Using medications to manage underlying mental health conditions
The BetterHelp platform is not intended to provide any information regarding which drugs, medication, or medical treatment may be appropriate for you. The content provides generalized information that is not specific to one individual. You should not take any action without consulting a qualified medical professional.
Finding a therapist
Certain types of talk therapy may also be effective at treating eating disorders. In particular, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) may help clients change their thought patterns and beliefs about food that may contribute to their behaviors. Your doctor may recommend starting therapy to improve your relationship with food as part of your treatment plan.
Thoughts and feelings about eating can be a highly personal topic to discuss with a counselor. For this reason, if you’re starting treatment for an eating disorder, you may benefit from having a therapist you are comfortable with. Online therapy platforms like BetterHelp can match you with a licensed therapist based on your needs and let you change therapists at any time. This flexibility may make it easier to find a therapist you connect with.
Studies show that online therapy may effectively improve symptoms of eating disorders. In a 2022 study, 41 patients with either bulimia or binge eating disorder participated in an internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy program. They experienced significant improvements in their symptoms and daily functioning.
Takeaway
Eating disorders, such as anorexia and bulimia, are mental illnesses that negatively affect people’s relationship with food. As a result, people with eating disorders may engage in unhealthy behaviors like restricting their food intake, over-exercising, purging, or eating too much. These habits can have negative impacts on physical and mental health, ranging from depression to kidney problems, malnutrition, and death. For this reason, contact a doctor if you’re concerned that you might have an eating disorder. With proper treatment, you may be able to improve your eating patterns, well-being, and quality of life. For mental health support in this process, you may also find therapy beneficial, whether online or in your area, to give you moral support and advice for coping.
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