Trigger warning: This post includes content related to eating disorder behaviors. If you are struggling with an eating disorder, please reach out to the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) Helpline: (800) 931-2237.
Mainstream media portrays one manifestation of disordered eating and eating disorders – anorexia nervosa among thin white women. This is an extremely inaccurate representation of how disordered eating and eating disorders affect most people.
In fact, there are now eight eating disorders classified under the most recent publication of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5):
- Binge Eating Disorder,
- Bulimia Nervosa,
- Anorexia Nervosa,
- Pica,
- Rumination Disorder,
- Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID),
- Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder (OSFED), and
- Unspecified Feeding or Eating Disorder (UFED).
Anorexia Nervosa is diagnosed by restricted energy intake, low weight, fear of gaining weight, and poor body-image.
Bulimia Nervosa is characterized by recurring binge eating followed by compensatory behavior (e.g., vomiting, laxatives, fasting, exercise) and poor body-image.
Binge Eating Disorder is characterized by recurring binge eating episodes associated with distress about the behavior.
Pica is characterized by persisting consumption of non-food substances.
Rumination Disorder is characterized by repeated purposeful regurgitation of food.
ARFID is characterized by the failure to meet nutritional/energy needs despite access to food but not associated with poor body-image or fear of becoming fat.
OSFED
- Atypical Anorexia Nervosa – Anorexia experienced by someone in a larger body
- Low Frequency/Limited Duration Binge Eating Disorder
- Low Frequency/Limited Duration Bulimia Nervosa
- Purging Disorder – purging without bingeing to influence weight/shape
- Night Eating Syndrome – recurrent episodes of night eating that causes significant distress
UFED is all other feeding or eating disorders that “cause clinically significant distress/impairment of functioning” but do not meet the criteria for any of the above conditions.
There are even commonly referenced eating disorders that are not listed in the DSM-5 as eating disorders, including
- Orthorexia – the unhealthy obsession with “healthy” eating
- Laxative Abuse – the repeated use of laxatives to try to eliminate food/calories before the body absorbs them
- Compulsive Exercise – exercising to the point that it interferes with one’s life
All of the information for the above part of this post came from Eating Disorders Victoria’s Classifying Eating Disorders DSM-5 page and NEDA’s Information by Eating Disorder page. Please use those resources to find more information about the types of eating disorders with which people struggle.
I struggled with anorexia nervosa, including compulsive, excessive exercise. My disorder began in 2012. At that time I decided to lose a few pounds through eating “healthier” foods and increasing my physical activity. This quickly spiraled out of control. I received compliments and felt more confident as I quickly shot past my weight loss goals. I could not stop. I forgot how to eat and move in a normal, healthful way.
The compliments and confidence did not last long. I restricted the total amount of food/calories I ate during a day and the types of foods I was willing to eat at all. I felt compelled to exercise daily for excessive amounts of time without enjoyment and despite physical exhaustion. I lost a lot of weight, and my fear of food and weight were overwhelming. I was constantly negatively comparing my body to those of others. I was assigning food moral values. I was preoccupied with food, experienced a lot of pain in my body, and was always very cold. I lost friends and my sense of self. I am glad that I am now recovering. Eating disorders are not glamorous, and being thin does not bring happiness, health, or success.
We live in a culture inundated by the diet mentality and idealization of thin bodies.
Even if you do not meet the clinical, medical criteria for an eating disorder, you may have disordered eating. According to a 2008 survey by the UNC School of Medicine, at least 75% of women in the United States do. And, if you are one of the few who does not experience disordered eating, you can still benefit from improving your relationships with food and your body.
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