Eating disorders are serious mental health conditions that involve unhealthy relationships with food, body image, and self-worth.
They can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, or background, and often coexist with other psychological conditions like anxiety, depression, or trauma. Recognizing the different types of eating disorders is a crucial first step toward understanding and healing.
Anorexia Nervosa (Sometimes called Anna or AN) is characterized by an intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat. It is marked by a relentless pursuit of thinness, combined with behaviors that hinder weight gain.
Key Symptoms:
Severe restriction of food intake: Individuals with Anorexia limit their intake to very low levels, often leading to extreme weight loss. Weight loss is primarily achieved through dieting, fasting, or rigorous exercise..
Distorted body image: The individual may have an inaccurate perception of their body, perceiving themselves as overweight even if they are underweight.
Intense fear of weight gain: Even as the body becomes dangerously underweight or the individual becomes unhealthy, the fear of gaining weight remains overwhelming.
Risks:
Severe malnutrition, heart failure, bone loss, infertility, and in some cases, death due to the extreme effects of starvation.
Treatment: Typically involves a combination of medical monitoring, psychological therapy (such as cognitive-behavioral therapy or CBT), and nutritional counseling. In extreme cases, hospitalization may be required.
Bulimia Nervosa, BN, is marked by recurrent episodes of binge eating, during which the individual consumes large amounts of food in a short period. This is followed by compensatory behaviors to avoid weight gain, such as vomiting, starvation, excessive exercise, or misuse of laxatives.
Key Symptoms:
Binge Eating: Individuals eat an excessive amount of food within a short time frame and feel a lack of control during these episodes.
Compensatory Behaviors: After binge eating, individuals attempt to rid their body of the calories consumed through vomiting, fasting, or exercising excessively.
Self-Esteem Influenced by Body Image: There is an overwhelming preoccupation with body weight and shape, which affects self-esteem.
Risks:
Electrolyte imbalances: Can lead to dangerous complications such as irregular heartbeats, seizures, and even death.
Gastrointestinal problems: Repeated purging can damage the digestive tract, leading to chronic constipation, bloating, and dental erosion.
Heart Issues: The strain caused by electrolyte imbalances can affect heart rhythm and function.
Treatment: Includes CBT, family therapy, and sometimes medications such as antidepressants. A multi-disciplinary approach is often necessary, combining medical treatment with psychological and nutritional support.
Binge-eating disorder, sometimes called BED, involves recurrent episodes of binge eating, similar to bulimia nervosa. However, unlike bulimia, individuals with BED do not engage in compensatory behaviors like purging.
Key Symptoms:
Binge Eating Episodes: Characterized by eating an excessive amount of food in a short time, with a sense of loss of control during the episode.
Distress: Following the binge eating episode, individuals experience feelings of shame, guilt, or distress.
No Compensatory Behaviors: Unlike Bulimia, individuals with BED do not purge or engage in excessive exercise to compensate for binge episodes.
Risks:
Obesity: As individuals with BED often consume large amounts of food, this increases the risk for obesity, which in turn can lead to associated health issues such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease.
Mental Health Issues: Depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem are common among those with BED.
Treatment: CBT is the gold standard, and medications (such as antidepressants or stimulants) may be prescribed. Group therapy or support groups can also be beneficial.
Also known as ARFID, this eating disorder is a relatively newer diagnosis that refers to severe limitations in food intake, not driven by concerns about body image. Instead, the condition is typically driven by sensory issues, fear of choking, or lack of interest in food.
Key Symptoms:
Food Avoidance: Someone with ARFID may consume a very limited range of foods, often linked to sensory characteristics (texture, smell, or taste).
Significant Weight Loss: The restriction in food intake can lead to poor weight gain, nutritional deficiencies, or growth delays.
Fear of Choking or Vomiting: This fear may lead to the avoidance of certain textures or types of food.
Risks:
Growth Delays and Malnutrition: In children, ARFID can lead to developmental delays and stunted growth. In adults, the body can be severely malnourished as a result of lacking proper nutrients.
Psychosocial Impairment: Avoiding meals or eating in social settings can impact relationships and lead to social isolation.
Treatment: Treatment often involves nourishment rehabilitation (to address nutritional deficiencies), behavioral therapy (such as exposure therapy to different foods), and family counseling for younger individuals.
This category includes individuals who have symptoms of an eating disorder but do not meet the full criteria for any of the previously mentioned conditions. Some examples include:
Atypical Anorexia Nervosa: All the features of anorexia nervosa, except the individual is not underweight.
Purging Disorder: Individuals regularly engage in purging behaviors (e.g., vomiting, excessive exercise) without binge eating.
Night Eating Syndrome: Individuals eat large quantities of food at night, often waking up from sleep to eat, leading to distress and impairment.
The risks of OSFED depend on the specific behaviors involved but may include nutritional deficiencies, social isolation, and mental health issues.
Treatment: Similar to other eating disorders, treatment often includes CBT, nutritional rehabilitation, and family therapy.
For more information, consider exploring the following trusted resources if you or a loved one is needing support:
National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA):
Website: www.nationaleatingdisorders.org
Eating Disorder Hope:
Website: www.eatingdisorderhope.com
Sources
American Psychiatric Association. (n.d.). What are eating disorders? American Psychiatric Association. https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/eating-disorders/what-are-eating-disorders
Eating disorders: About more than food. National Institute of Mental Health. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/eating-disorders. Accessed May 16, 2025.
Feeding and eating disorders. In: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-5-TR. 5th ed. American Psychiatric Association; 2022. https://dsm.psychiatryonline.org. Accessed May16, 2025.
Hales RE, et al. Feeding and eating disorders. In: The American Psychiatric Publishing Textbook of Psychiatry. 7th ed. American Psychiatric Publishing; 2019. https://psychiatryonline.org. Accessed May 17, 2025.
