National Eating Disorders Awareness Week is held every year to bring more attention to the many eating disorders that individuals cope with every day. Eating disorders are common and most manifest before the individual is 20 years old. Eating disorders are mental health illnesses which can be life-threatening and should be taken seriously.
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What eating disorders are there?
Eating disorders are outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Illnesses (DSM-5). According to the DSM-5, there are 8 eating or feeding disorders:
- Pica
- Rumination disorder
- Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder
- Anorexia nervosa
- Bulimia nervosa
- Bing-eating disorder
- Other specified feeding or eating disorder
- Unspecified feeding or eating disorder
This article will discuss anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder. This information is not meant to be medical advice. If you are concerned about yourself or someone you know who may be struggling with an eating disorder, seek professional help.
Anorexia Nervosa
Anorexia Nervosa has three diagnostic criteria, according to the DSM-5, with two subtypes. Limiting the amount of food an individual eats which results in their body weight as being significantly low. The second criteria are when the individual has an intense fear of gaining weight and ‘becoming fat’, even when they are at an extremely low weight. Criteria three to how the individuals' thought processes perceive their body image.
The two subtypes of anorexia are restricting type and binge-eating/purging type. A restricting type diagnosis is given when the individual does not engage in purging behavior. The weight loss is achieved by limiting or restricting what they eat. A binge eating/purging type diagnosis is given when the individual achieves their weight loss by purging. Purging is when the individual rids their body of the food they have ingested by self-induced vomiting, laxatives, or other means.
Bulimia Nervosa
Bulimia nervosa has five criteria outlined in the DSM-5 qualify for a diagnosis, which is then categorized by severity. Having recurrent binging episodes is the first criteria. A person is considered having binge eating episodes when they ingest a large amount of food within a specific amount of time; the amount of food would be much more than what the average person would consume in the same amount of time. During this time, the individual feels a lack of control and cannot stop eating. An individual who has bulimia nervosa will then engage in unhealthy behaviors to rid their body of the large amount of food they have ingested. Bulimia nervosa can be diagnosed after the binge eating episodes, and compensatory behaviors have been persisting for at least three months. Bulimia nervosa will not be diagnosed of the behavior occurs during anorexia nervosa periods. The individual perception of themselves is also influenced by their body and/or weight.
If an individual is diagnosed with bulimia nervosa, they will also be given a severity level, which is outlined in the DSM-5. The severity of bulimia nervosa depends on how often the individual engages in compensatory behaviors. The range of severity ranges from mild (1-3 episodes of unhealthy compensatory behavior a week); moderate (4-7 episodes of unhealthy compensatory behavior a week); Severe (8-13 episodes of unhealthy compensatory behavior a week); and extreme (14 or more episodes of unhealthy compensatory behavior a week).
Binge Eating Disorder
Binge eating disorder is diagnosed when an individual has recurrent binge eating episodes. During the binge eating episodes, the individual may experience negative feelings such as disgust, shame, or guilt because of the amount of food they ate; they may eat alone because they are embarrassed; eat faster; eat until they are ‘uncomfortably full’; or eat when they are not hungry. Individuals who have been diagnosed with binge eating disorder will feel extremely distressed because of their eating. In order for a diagnosis of binge eating disorder, the behaviors must not coincide with anorexia nervosa episodes or any unhealthy compensatory behaviors.
Eating Disorder Facts
- Eating disorders affect 9% of the world’s population.
- 95% of individuals diagnosed with an eating disorder are between 12 and 25 years old.
- Every 52 minutes, someone dies due to an eating disorder.
Binge eating is the most common eating disorder in the United States.
Myths About Eating Disorders
- Only females can develop an eating disorder.
- Males and females can both develop an eating disorder.
- Individuals make a choice to either eat too much or too little.
- People who have an eating disorder feel as if they do not have a choice and cannot control their eating habits.
- Individuals with eating disorders are vain.
- Most people with eating disorders have low self-esteem and a negative self-perception of their body.
- All an individual must do to be rid of an eating disorder is to gain or lose weight.
- Eating disorders may not go away as soon as the individual reaches a healthy weight. An individual may have to work at keeping this weight and not falling back into their disordered eating habits.
- Eating disorders are not harmful.
- Eating disorders can be very harmful. Individuals who are not eating enough will not be able to get the nutrients their bodies need, which can impact cardiovascular health. Every aspect of the body can be impacted, from muscles to organs, and hair.
Organizations that Help with Eating Disorders
