A Brief Overview Of Eating Disorders

Binge Eating Disorder

Binge eating disorder (BED) is severe and life-threatening like other eating disorders and is characterized by repeated binge eating episodes often to the point of significant discomfort in a short space of time. Individuals with BED also experience a feeling of loss of control during the binge eating episode and feelings of shame or guilt afterward. However, unlike bulimia, BED does not include purging to compensate for binge eating. Though it is one of the newest eating disorders classified in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM–5), BED is reportedly the most common eating disorder in the United States.

Binge eating episodes associated with BED display three or more of these signs including eating much quicker than usual, eating until uncomfortably full, and eating significant amounts of food when not hungry. Other signs include eating alone due to embarrassment about the amount of food they are eating, and feelings of disgust, guilt, or depression after the episode. Apart from this, other symptoms include frequent diets, creating schedules to make time for binge eating, a significant concern with weight and shape, weight fluctuations, developing strict food rituals, and disruptions in regular eating behaviors. Patients may also experience stomach cramps, acid reflux, and constipation.

Orthorexia

Unlike other eating disorders previously discussed, orthorexia is not formally recognized as an eating disorder in the DSM-5, although awareness is on the rise for this condition. Orthorexia, coined in 1998, means an obsession with healthful eating. Expressing mild concern with the nutritional content of the food consumed is not an issue. The issue with orthorexia is that the individual affected by it becomes so fixated or obsessed with healthy eating that they damage their well-being. Unfortunately, because there are no formal criteria to diagnose orthorexia, it is hard to get a handle on exactly what this condition is, such as an eating disorder on its own, a subcategory of an existing eating disorder, or a subtype of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Symptoms of orthorexia include compulsively checking nutritional labels and ingredient lists on packaged foods, cutting out more and more food groups, significant distress when healthy foods are not available, and a significant and unusually high interest in the nutrition of the food others are eating. Individuals often obsessively follow health food and lifestyle blogs and cannot eat anything but a narrow selection of foods deemed healthy or 'safe.'