Eating Disorders
Eating disorders are mental health conditions that affect how people relate to food. They can lead to harmful eating habits or intense worries about weight and body shape. Some common types are anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder. These conditions can have serious effects on both physical and emotional health.
Anyone can develop an eating disorder. The good news is that treatment is available and can be effective in managing these complex medical conditions. Learning about them can help you recognize warning signs and get help early.
Types of eating disorders
Anorexia nervosa
Anorexia nervosa, often called anorexia, is a serious mental health condition where someone has an intense fear of gaining weight. People with anorexia often focus a lot on their body’s appearance and have trouble keeping a healthy weight. They may also see themselves differently than others do.
Common behaviors: People with anorexia keep their body weight low by eating very little, following strict diets, or fasting. Some may try to get rid of calories by making themselves vomit (purging), using laxatives, diuretics, enemas, or exercising excessively.
Effects on the body: Anorexia can cause malnutrition, which may damage major organs and lead to serious or even life-threatening health problems. Methods like purging or using laxatives can also be very dangerous. Among women with anorexia, amenorrhea, or the absence of regular menstrual cycles, is often a side effect.
Increased suicide risk: People with anorexia are also at a higher risk for suicide compared to other mental health conditions.
Bulimia nervosa
Bulimia nervosa, or bulimia, is a disorder where someone often eats large amounts of food in a short time and feels unable to control themselves. They often eat in secret and often feel guilt and shame afterwards. People with bulimia usually have a normal body weight and tie their self-worth closely to their weight and how they look.
Common behaviors: After binging, they may try to make up for it by purging (vomiting), using laxatives or other medications. They may fast or limit calories between binges.
Effects on the body: Both binge eating and the ways people try to make up for overeating can lead to serious, sometimes life-threatening health problems.
Binge-eating disorder
Binge-eating disorder is when someone often eats large amounts of food and feels unable to control how much they are eating during these times.
Common behaviors: People with binge-eating disorder usually feel ashamed of their eating habits and try hard to keep them hidden. They often eat alone or in secret.
Effects on the body: Unlike bulimia nervosa, binge-eating disorder does not involve purging or other actions to control weight after bingeing. People with binge-eating disorder are more likely to be overweight.
If you are concerned about your eating habits, make an appointment to talk to your health care provider right away.
Want to learn more about eating disorders?
Online resources
- Eisenberg Family Depression Center Toolkit: The Depression Center Toolkit provides information, tools, support and resources to guide you through your mental health journey.
- National Eating Disorders Association: Provides information on eating disorders in different populations, links to help find treatment, and toolkits for both parents and educators.
Recommended reading
The Body Image Workbook by Thomas Cash, 2008. This book offers a comprehensive program to help you stop focusing on your perceived imperfections and start feeling more confident about the way you look.
Next to Nothing: A Firsthand Account of One Teenager’s Experience with an Eating Disorder by Carrie Arnold, 2007. Carrie Arnold shares her story of developing and recovering from anorexia, along with advice for readers struggling with disordered eating.
Brave Girl Eating by Harriet Brown, 2010. This book chronicles a family’s struggle with anorexia nervosa, from starvation to diagnosis and treatment, to recovery.
Beating Your Eating Disorder: A Cognitive–Behavioral Self-Help Guide by Glenn Waller, 2010. This book gives a cognitive-behavioral therapy approach to the treatment of and recovery from eating disorders in an accessible format.
Help Your Teenager Beat an Eating Disorder by James Lock, 2010. This book makes the case that parental involvement in the eating disorder recovery process is essential and possible.
The Oxford Handbook of Eating Disorders by W Agras, 2010. This book reviews current research and clinical developments through synthetic chapters written by experts from various fields of study and clinical backgrounds.
My Kid is Back: Empowering Parents to Beat Anorexia by June Alexander, 2010. This book explains how family-based treatment can greatly reduce the severity of anorexia nervosa in children and adolescents, allowing the sufferer to return to normal eating patterns and their families to return to normal family life.
100 Questions and Answers about Eating Disorders by Carolyn Costin, 2007. Therapist Carolyn Costin draws on her practice in treating eating disorders and her own recovery from anorexia to answer questions she is commonly asked on the subject.
Anorexia Nervosa: A Guide to Recovery by Lindsey Hall, 1999. A guidebook that includes Q&A, personal stories from those who are and have recovered from anorexia, exercises, and information on a healthy diet and weight.
Bulimia: A Guide to Recovery by Lindsey Hall, 1999. This book provides answers to common questions, offers advice for loved ones, outlines a 3-week program to help stop bingeing, and shares personal stories of recovery.
Finding treatment
To explore mental health treatment and support options, visit our treatment services or support resource sections.