What is Disordered Eating?

What is disordered eating?

Many people struggle with their relationship with food, and unhealthy behaviors are often normalized. It is important to quickly recognize signs of disordered eating, as it can lead to serious eating disorders (EDs). Early intervention can help prevent the significant mental and physical health risks associated with these patterns of eating.

Disordered eating is a range of irregular eating behaviors/patterns that may or may not warrant a diagnosis of a specific ED. While conditions like anorexia nervosa or binge eating disorder are forms of disordered eating, you do not need to meet diagnostic criteria to exhibit disordered eating patterns.

People of all ages and genders can experience disordered eating, and it is not merely associated with being underweight.

Signs of Disordered Eating

Frequent dieting and rigid food rules are common indicators of disordered eating. People may find themselves trapped in the Diet Cycle, which begins with restriction-- where someone limits or completely cuts out certain food groups or reduces overall food intake. This can lead to feelings of deprivation both mentally and physically, resulting in fatigue and irritability. This deprivation leads people to break their diet and may result in overeating or binging accompanied by extreme feelings of guilt, low self-esteem, and negative body image. Individuals may restart their diet, perpetuating the cycle. Participating in various fad diets such as low-carb diets can be referred to as yo-yo dieting and often causes weight fluctuations or weight cycling.

This mindset often assigns morality to food. Some people with disordered eating may resort to excessive exercise, fasting, dieting, or purging after eating foods they consider “bad.” They may also view themselves as “good” for eating certain foods and “bad” for eating others.

Negative weight and body image concerns may impact quality of life in a myriad of ways. Strict food and exercise routines or rituals may interfere with one’s social life. For example, someone may avoid going to the beach because they don’t like how they look in a swimsuit or won’t go to dinner with friends because it doesn’t align with their diet plan.

This list is not exhaustive, and individuals do not need to exhibit all symptoms mentioned above to have disordered eating patterns.

Consequences of Disordered Eating

There are many emotional and physical consequences associated with disordered eating. Limiting calories can lead to fatigue coupled with sleep issues, weakness, and fainting. Individuals may experience significant weight fluctuations and gastrointestinal issues such as stomach cramps, pains and altered bowel movements. Those with purging habits may damage their teeth and wear down enamel which leads to the formation of cavities. Another serious complication associated with disordered eating is amenorrhea or irregular periods which may affect fertility.

There are many emotional consequences with disordered eating patterns. It is often a precursor to life-threatening EDs such as anorexia nervosa. It may also exacerbate existing conditions like depression and anxiety and can cause feelings of isolation. These feelings often do not subside with weight loss.

Causes of Disordered Eating

Certain traits are associated with disordered eating including, low self-esteem, perfectionism, and difficulty regulating emotions. Comorbidities such as anxiety, depression, PTSD, obsessive compulsive disorder and substance use disorders are common. Individuals may attempt to cope with these issues by controlling food intake, trying to change their physical appearance, or compulsively exercising.

Socio-cultural factors may also play a role in the development of disordered eating patterns. Cultural ideas of thinness often pair with exercise plans, diet routines, and weight loss pills. Ads and marketing are pervasive as companies have a financial incentive to introduce new insecurities to the population to sell more products.

Social media also has an impact on body ideals. Influencers may use photoshop and editing to alter their photos and videos. These may evoke feelings of inadequacy and comparison that can be damaging.

Getting Help

If you or someone you know is struggling with disordered eating, it is important to seek help as soon as possible. These issues are much harder to address once they have progressed. It is recommended to get help from a registered dietitian with experience in disordered eating or see an ED specialist.

Written by: Jenna Wray, Dietetic Student and HAES® Intern