Eating disorders involve serious disturbances in eating behaviors, such as extreme and unhealthy reduction of food intake or severe overeating, as well as feelings of extreme concern about body shape or weight. Eating disorders do not discriminate between ages, genders, socioeconomic statuses, sexual orientations, abilities, neurodiversities, body shapes/sizes, races, and ethnicities. Eating disorders are complex biopsychosocial illnesses that have serious emotional and physical consequences. It is important to note that there are negative health consequences of equal severity across all eating disorder categories.
Anorexia Nervosa is characterized by a restriction of energy intake relative to energy requirements, body image disturbances, and an intense fear of food or gaining weight. Individuals with Anorexia Nervosa may restrict calorie intake and/or purge calories through self-induced vomiting, compulsive exercise, or laxative/diuretic abuse. Restriction of energy intake relative to energy requirements may lead to significantly lower body weight and severe medical complications. Anorexia Nervosa has one of the highest mortality rates of all psychiatric conditions, with 1 and 5 deaths from suicide.
Bulimia Nervosa is characterized by episodes of bingeing (consuming a large amount of food in a short period of time) and purging (eliminating calorie consumption) at least once a week for three months. Methods of purging may include self-induced vomiting, compulsive exercise, laxative use, diuretic use, insulin misuse, and/or diet pill use. Behaviors are typically accompanied by negative body image related to size, weight, and shape.
Binge Eating Disorder is rooted in restriction, and characterized by recurrent episodes of rapid overeating when not hungry, and often until extreme fullness. The bingeing episodes are marked by distress and a sense of lack of control, followed by feelings of shame, guilt, and depression. It occurs, on average, at least once a week over three months. While around 8% of American adults will suffer from Binge Eating Disorder in their lifetime, this rate is much higher (30%) among Black women in larger bodies. Furthermore, around 50% of the risk of developing Binge Eating Disorder is genetic.
Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorders (OSFED) are characterized as disturbances in eating behaviors that do not meet full criteria for Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, or Binge Eating Disorder, but involve maladaptive thoughts and behaviors related to food, eating, and body image.
OSFED may include, but are not limited to:
• “Atypical” Anorexia Nervosa
• Purging Disorder
• Night Eating Syndrome
Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) is a clinically significant eating or feeding disturbance characterized by a failure to meet appropriate nutritional needs. Individuals with ARFID exhibit a general lack of interest in eating or food, food avoidance based on sensory characteristics, or concerns about adverse consequences of eating, unrelated to body image or weight concerns. Symptoms can include nutritional deficiency, weight loss, and interference with psychosocial functioning.
