What is an Eating Disorder?
Eating Disorders are psychological disorders which cause individuals to experience severe disturbances in their eating behaviors and related thoughts and emotions.
Bulimia nervosa
Individuals with bulimia nervosa have recurrent and frequent episodes of eating excessively large portions of food and feeling a loss of control over these episodes. This binge-eating is following by compensatory behaviors such as purging, use of laxative or diuretics, fasting, excessive exercise or any combination of these behaviors. Individuals with bulimia nervosa may be slightly underweight, normal weight or overweight.
Anorexia nervosa
Individuals with anorexia nervosa may see themselves as overweight even when they are dangerously underweight. Individuals with anorexia nervosa typically weight themselves repeatedly, severely restrict caloric intake, engage in excessive exercise or other compensatory behaviors such as purging or laxative use to lose weight. Anorexia nervosa has the highest mortality rate of any mental disorders.
Binge eating disorder
Binge Eating Disorder (BED) is commonly known by compulsive overeating or consuming abnormal amounts of food while feeling unable to stop and a loss of control. Binge eating episodes are typically classified as occurring on average a minimum of twice per week for a duration of six months.
Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID)
This disorder is characterized by failing to meet your minimum daily nutrition requirements because you don’t have an interest in eating; you avoid food with certain sensory characteristics, such as color, texture, smell or taste; or you’re concerned about the consequences of eating, such as fear of choking. Food is not avoided because of fear of gaining weight.
Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder
Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder (OSFED) was previously known as Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (EDNOS).This diagnosis is given when an individual’s symptoms cause significant distress but do not fit neatly within the strict criteria for other eating disorders. Some examples of OSFED are: Atypical Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa of low frequency/limited duration, Binge eating disorder of low frequency/limited duration, Purging disorder, and Night Eating Syndrome. Individuals diagnoses with OSFED, oftentimes, require the same level of treatment an support as those with other eating disorders.
