Eating Disorders
Eating disorders
Overview – Eating disorders
An eating disorder is a mental health condition where you control food to cope with feelings and other situations.
A person with unhealthy eating behaviour may over or under eat, worry about their weight or shape, or worry too much about their weight.
Teenagers between 13 and 17 are mostly affected by eating disorders, but anyone can develop one.
Most people can recover from eating disorders with treatment.
Types of eating disorders
The most common eating disorders are:
- anorexia nervosa – trying to control your weight by not eating enough food, exercising too much, or doing both
- bulimia – losing control over how much you eat and then taking drastic action not to put on weight
- binge eating disorder (BED) – eating large portions of food until you feel uncomfortably full
Other specified feeding or eating disorder (OSFED)
A person may have an OSFED if their symptoms do not exactly fit the expected signs for any specific eating disorders.
Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID)
ARFID is when someone avoids certain foods, limits how much they eat or does both.
Beliefs about weight or body shape are not reasons why people develop ARFID.
Possible reasons for ARFID include:
- feelings about the smell, taste, or texture of certain foods
- an unpleasant experience with food, such as choking or feeling sick after eating
- not feeling hungry or just a lack of interest in eating
Check if you have an eating disorder.
If you or someone you know is concerned that you have an unhealthy relationship with food, you could have an eating disorder.
Symptoms of eating disorders include:
- spending too much time worrying about your weight and body shape
- avoiding socialising when you think food will be involved
- eating very little food
- making yourself sick or taking laxatives after you eat
- exercising too much
- having rigorous habits or routines around food
- changes in your mood such as being withdrawn, anxious or depressed
You may also notice physical signs, including:
- feeling cold, tired or dizzy
- pains, tingling or numbness in your arms and legs (poor circulation)
- feeling your heart racing, fainting or feeling faint
- problems with your digestion, such as bloating, constipation or diarrhoea
- your weight being very high or very low for someone of your age and height
- not getting your period or other delayed signs of puberty