Care for eating disorder conditions is available. Therapies may include psychotherapy (talk therapy), nutritional counseling, medical monitoring or medication.
There are several types of eating disorders with different symptoms and behaviors.
It's important to remember that eating disorders are real illnesses and people who have these conditions need help. Eating disorders have some of the highest mortality rates of any mental health condition, and every 52 minutes someone dies as a direct consequence of an eating disorder. If you or someone you know is struggling, please reach out for help.
Anorexia is a very serious eating disorder that can be life-threatening. People with anorexia are very afraid of gaining weight, even if they are already very thin. They might:
Bulimia is a serious eating disorder that can be dangerous. People with bulimia have episodes where they eat a lot of food in a short time, even though they don't feel hungry. They feel like they can't stop eating.
After these episodes, they try to get rid of the food by:
People with a binge eating disorder have episodes where they eat a lot of food in a short time, even though they didn’t feel hungry. It's like bulimia, but without the part where people try to get rid of the food by throwing up, using laxatives, or exercising a lot.
People with binge eating disorder often feel bad about themselves and their eating habits. They might also have problems with their relationships and social life.
ARFID is a type of eating disorder where people don't eat a lot of different foods or don't eat enough. It's different from other eating disorders because it's not about being afraid of getting fat or being unhappy with their body.
People with ARFID might:
OSFED is a category for people who have a serious eating disorder, but don't fit the exact definition of anorexia, bulimia, or binge eating disorder. It means they still have a problem with their eating, but it might not be exactly the same as those other disorders.
UFED is a term for when someone has problems with their eating that cause them a lot of trouble in their life, but they don't fit the exact definition of any other eating disorder.
It means they might have some of the symptoms of an eating disorder, like not eating enough or eating too much, but not all of them.
While an eating disorder is often its own condition, symptoms of an eating disorder can be related to a physical health condition. For this reason, it is important to talk with your health care provider to rule out or address potential medical cause of symptoms.
Eating disorders can also be part of or exist alongside other mental health conditions such as depression, or anxiety. For this reason, careful assessment and accurate diagnosis is important.
If there is uncertainty about your diagnosis, consider speaking to your provider about reevaluating your diagnosis or treatment plan. It may also be helpful to get a second opinion or seek additional assessment.
Care for eating disorder conditions is available. Therapies may include psychotherapy (talk therapy), nutritional counseling, medical monitoring or medication.
Care for eating disorder conditions is available. Therapies may include psychotherapy (talk therapy), nutritional counseling, medical monitoring or medication.
