You may have heard the term disordered eating as it is used to describe certain food and body related behaviors, but how is it different from an eating disorder? The main distinction is a clinical diagnosis as recognized by the American Psychological Association. Additionally, the level of severity and the impact on a person’s life is considered when determining whether they practice disordered eating or are struggling with an eating disorder. Seeking counseling and treatment before disordered eating turns into an eating disorder can be important. Healing and lasting recovery from disordered eating and eating disorders is very possible with the help of supportive treatment methods.

What is an eating disorder?

Eating disorders are clinically diagnosed mental health disorders that drastically affect every aspect of a person’s life. Preoccupation with food, weight, body shape and size is so severe that it manifests in risky behaviors such as food restriction (as with anorexia nervosa), binging and purging (as with bulimia nervosa) or eating large amounts of food past the point of fullness in one sitting without purging (as with binge eating disorder).

People who avoid certain food groups altogether due to texture, taste, smell or certain ingredients may be diagnosed with avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID). Individuals who do not fit the criteria in every category for other eating disorders but display detrimental symptoms like negative body image, extreme fear around gaining weight and habits from multiple categories of eating disorders may experience other specified feeding and eating disorder (OSFED). Eating disorders are serious conditions and must be treated as such.

What are the symptoms of eating disorders?

Depending on the type of eating disorder someone is struggling with, the following symptoms may be present:

  • Fatigue, anxiety, irritability, depression, self-loathing and self-isolation
  • Consistent food and/or calorie restriction (as with anorexia)
  • Sudden and/or extreme weight loss (as with anorexia and ARFID)
  • Going to the bathroom frequently after meals to purge via self-induced vomiting or laxative use (as with bulimia)
  • Weight gain and eating large amounts of foods in one sitting without purging at least once a week for three months to self-soothe (as with binge eating disorder)
  • Restricting eating and avoiding certain food groups due to texture, taste or temperature resulting in malnutrition (as with ARFID)

What is disordered eating?

Disordered eating is characterized by irregular or inflexible eating patterns, restrictive eating or compulsive eating that can develop into an eating disorder. These behaviors are often influenced by social, environmental, cultural and biological factors. With disordered eating, an individual’s behaviors have negative consequences but do not yet meet the criteria for clinical diagnosis of an eating disorder.

While disordered eating patterns may not match the severity of clinically diagnosed eating disorders, they should be taken seriously because they can still do substantial damage to the body and mind. People with disordered eating habits are more likely to suffer from anxiety and depression, low self-esteem and energy levels, distorted body image, dehydration and malnutrition because of their behaviors. Disordered eating can dangerously escalate into a life-threatening eating disorder if left untreated.

What are the symptoms of disordered eating?

The signs and symptoms of disordered eating and eating disorders are similar. The difference lies primarily in the frequency and severity of disordered eating behaviors. For example, someone may not consistently restrict their food intake as someone suffering from anorexia might, but they may strictly diet by counting calories or skipping meals for a period of time. They may keep going back to the same fad diets or try new diets in an attempt to obtain a certain weight and/or body shape.

Signs of disordered eating include:

  • Exercising or using other compensatory behaviors after eating
  • Preoccupation with body image or body dissatisfaction
  • Binge eating/overeating with a sense of losing control
  • Dieting, restricting calories consumed, avoiding certain food groups or ingredients of food (not due to a medical condition)

Is treatment needed for disordered eating?

If eating habits have been getting in the way of a person’s everyday life, it may be vital to receive treatment for disordered eating behaviors before they become eating disorders. While disordered eating does not always turn into an eating disorder, but treatment can certainly help improve body image, self-esteem and eating habits and prevent symptoms from leading to an eating disorder. Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) and exposure and response prevention (ERP) are two types of treatment utilized to build self-confidence, manage emotions, respond appropriately to triggers, improve decision-making skills and manage conflict within relationships.

Where can I find treatment for disordered eating and eating disorders?

At Center for Discovery, we offer several levels of care to suit the individual needs of each patient. Depending on the severity of symptoms, you or a loved one may benefit most from residential treatment (RTC), partial hospitalization (PHP) or intensive outpatient treatment (IOP) to address the underlying issues that contribute to disordered eating and eating disorders and begin to develop practices for healing and improved eating habits. More flexible options are also available through our virtual programming which was created for people to attend from the comfort of home.

How can you tell if you need help with an eating disorder or disordered eating?

If you or a loved one may be struggling with disordered eating habits or an eating disorder, but don’t know what the right step is, take the CFD Eating Disorder Quiz – it’s free, confidential and can help you figure out what to do next. For immediate help, you can always reach out to one of our caring advisors today.

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