Disordered Eating vs Eating Disorders
Written by CCTC Staff Writer
Eating disorders and disordered eating habits have become increasingly prevalent in our culture, but it can be difficult to understand the difference between them. Eating disorders are often thought of as extreme behaviors that involve a person consistently engaging in extremely restrictive diets or binging on food, but there is much more to this type of behavior than meets the eye. Disordered eating, on the other hand, is often incorrectly viewed as less extreme yet can be equally disruptive involving an individual's relationship with food and body image. This article will look at the differences between disordered eating and full-blown eating disorders and how individuals can address these issues in a healthy way.
To begin understanding the difference between eating disorders and disordered eating, it is important to understand what ‘normal’ eating looks like.
What is normal eating?
While there is no one definitive answer to this question, ‘normal’ eating has a few identifiable characteristics. Someone who is able to eat in a ‘normal’ manner may exhibit flexibility around what food they eat, when they eat, and who they eat with. They are able to identify their hunger and fullness cues and listen to them without delay, anxiety or guilt. They are able to eat for pleasure or in social circumstances that allow them to be fully present in their lives without overwhelming thoughts about food, weight and body.
What is disordered eating?
Disordered eating is a broad term used to describe unhealthy and destructive habits around food and body image. These can range from extreme dieting, skipping meals, binge eating, or obsessive food thoughts.
Disordered eating behaviors include:
Rigidity around eating
Excessive dieting or skipping meals
Binge eating, including consuming large amounts of food in a shorter period of time and feeling out of control while doing so
Obsessive counting of calories or other nutritional values
Unhealthy fixation on body weight or shape
Eating when not physically hungry
Ritualistic eating such as cutting food into the same pieces before consuming
Excessive exercise to compensate for intake
Basing self-worth on body size or shape and/or dieting success/failures
Feeling guilt or shame after eating certain foods or in general
Using laxatives, diuretics or other substances to control weight or shape
Experiencing fear around gaining weight or body changes
Disordered thoughts may include:
“I don’t deserve to eat this because I am not good enough.”
“I have to look a certain way in order for people to find me attractive and worthy of love.”
“I don’t deserve to be happy if I can’t get my body to look the way it should.”
“My worth is determined by how much I weigh or how I look in clothes.”
“I have to be perfect with my eating habits or else I am a failure.”
“My self-worth is dependent on how disciplined I am with my diet and exercise routine.”
"Foods are either good or bad, there is no in-between."
“Other people are judging me for the way I look or how much I eat.”
“If I don’t eat perfectly then it means I am a bad person and don’t deserve to be happy.”
“I can never be happy unless I am thin.”
“I have to hide my eating habits from others or else they will judge me.”
“I have to be constantly restricting what I eat or else I will gain weight.”
What is an eating disorder?
When someone's eating habits become unusually extreme to the point of disrupting their daily life, it is likely a sign that they are suffering from some form of an eating disorder.
Eating disorders are serious mental illnesses that involve extreme disturbances in eating behavior and related thoughts and emotions. Eating disorders can include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge-eating disorder, or other specified feeding or eating disorders (OSFED).
A diagnosis is based on a person’s reported experiences, as well as a comprehensive evaluation by an eating disorder specialist. Eating disorders are diagnosed based on criteria from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5).
This includes physical, medical, and psychological evaluations.
In order to be diagnosed with an eating disorder, a person must experience both psychological and physical symptoms that can range in severity.
Symptoms may include intense fear of gaining weight, body image distortions, dieting to extremes, and extreme obsession with food and exercise.
Does disordered eating always lead to an eating disorder?
While disordered eating does not always end in an eating disorder diagnosis, it can still have serious psychological and physical repercussions if left unaddressed. Ultimately, it is essential to recognize that disordered eating practices do not emerge out of thin air. They are a result of an amalgamation of triggers such as past traumas, mental health issues, and environmental influences.
When one develops a full blown eating disorder there is often some type of significant impact whether physically or emotional distress.
When is help necessary for disordered eating?
The bottom line to this question comes down to this: every person deserves to have a healthy relationship with food and body image. There is no prerequisite to be “sick” enough or deserving of help. When someone is struggling with a preoccupation around food, weight and body image, they deserve to find freedom. You do not need to struggle in silence to prove you are worthy of support.
Getting support for disordered eating is important because it can have a significant effect on an individual’s physical and mental health the more time passes. Moreover, those struggling with disordered eating often suffer from depression, anxiety and low self-esteem that can severely impair their quality of life.
When someone gets the support they need for disordered eating, it can help them to establish a healthy relationship with food and body image, gain confidence in themselves, and develop healthier coping strategies. Recovery from disordered eating is an ongoing process that requires hard work and dedication but with the right kind of support, it is possible to find balance and contentment.
Ultimately, getting the right support can make all the difference in recovery from disordered eating. It can help to provide structure, accountability and connection that are essential when learning new skills and navigating challenging emotions. Finding the courage to ask for help is a major part of the journey toward healing.
Early intervention and seeking support as soon as possible is strongly encouraged. If you are looking for help to begin your journey of recovery from disordered eating, Central Coast Treatment Center is here to help you. Learn more about our treatment programs and reach out to us today.