What is an eating disorder?

An eating disorder is a serious mental health condition that affects both the body and mind. It often involves a complicated relationship with food, body image, and control, where thoughts constantly revolve around what you eat, how your body looks, and feelings of self-criticism.

Eating disorders can manifest in different ways, such as restrictive eating, binge eating, compensatory behaviors like excessive exercise, or an intense fixation on “healthy” eating.

Although it can feel overwhelming, help is available. With the right support and treatment, you can regain a healthier relationship with food and yourself.

Common symptoms of eating disorders.

Eating disorders affect both physical and mental well-being. Here are some common signs:

Behavioral symptoms:

• Restrictive eating: consuming very small portions or excluding certain foods.
• Binge eating: consuming large amounts of food in a short time, often followed by shame and guilt.
• Purging behaviors: compensating by vomiting, using laxatives, or excessive exercise.
• Preoccupation with food and weight: constant thoughts about calories, meal planning, and body appearance.

Physical and psychological symptoms:

• Sleep disturbances and fatigue: lack of energy and difficulty recovering.
• Social withdrawal: avoiding social situations involving food.
• Anxiety and stress: feeling the need to control food intake to manage difficult emotions.

If these symptoms negatively impact your daily life, it is important to seek help.

What causes an eating disorder?

There is rarely a single cause for developing an eating disorder. Often, it is a combination of biological, psychological, and social factors.

1. Trauma and stress.

Past traumatic experiences can lead to using food and weight as a way to cope with difficult emotions. Stress and life changes can trigger or worsen an eating disorder.

2. Low self-esteem.

A negative self-image can create feelings of inadequacy and a need for control. Food and body can become a way to try to achieve self-acceptance.

3. Perfectionism.

High demands on oneself can lead to unhealthy eating habits. Striving for “perfection” in diet and exercise can become compulsive. Read more about perfectionism and how to manage it.

Read more about perfectionism and get practical tips on how to manage it.

4. Anxiety and mental health issues.

Many people with eating disorders also experience anxiety or depression. Controlling food intake may feel like a way to handle worry and uncertainty.

Understanding the underlying causes can be an important step toward breaking negative patterns and finding a more balanced approach to food and well-being.

Common types of eating disorders.

Eating disorders can vary and affect people in different ways. Here are some of the most common forms:

Anorexia Nervosa.

• Severe food restriction and fear of gaining weight.
• Distorted body image – seeing oneself as larger than reality.
• Can lead to serious malnutrition and health risks.

Bulimia Nervosa.

• Binge eating followed by compensatory behaviors such as vomiting or excessive exercise.
• Feelings of shame and guilt after binge episodes.
• Weight may be normal, making the disorder harder to detect.

Binge Eating Disorder (BED).

• Eating large amounts of food in a short time without compensating behaviors.
• Often leads to discomfort and strong feelings of guilt and anxiety.
• More common than anorexia and bulimia but often less recognized.

Orthorexia Nervosa.

• A fixation on eating “healthy” food that becomes compulsive.
• Can lead to exclusion of important nutrients and social isolation.
• Not yet an official diagnosis but can have serious consequences.

How to recover from an eating disorder?

Breaking negative eating patterns can feel difficult, but there are strategies that can help:

• Seek support. Talk to someone you trust, a friend, family member, or therapist. Putting your thoughts and feelings into words can reduce feelings of loneliness.
• Challenge negative thoughts. Work actively to change self-critical thoughts about your body and food. A therapist can provide tools to strengthen your self-esteem.
• Create healthy habits. Find activities that bring joy without focusing on performance, such as music or art. Prioritize recovery and balance over strict control.
• Allow yourself to take it step by step. Changing ingrained patterns takes time and that’s okay. Small steps can lead to big changes in the long run.

When should you seek professional help?

If thoughts about food and weight start to control your daily life, it is important to seek professional help. A therapist specializing in eating disorders can help you:

• Build a healthier relationship with food and your body.
• Identify and change negative thought patterns.
• Address underlying causes such as trauma or low self-esteem.

Seeking help is a sign of strength, and there are effective treatments to support you on your path to recovery.

Common therapy methods for treating eating disorders.

There are several common therapy methods used to treat eating disorders. Here are some of the most commonly used ones:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): helps identify and change negative thoughts and behaviors around food and body image.
• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): focuses on accepting feelings without acting destructively on them.
• Psychodynamic Therapy (PDT): explores underlying causes such as trauma or low self-esteem.

Find out if therapy could be the next step for you.

By taking our therapy test and answering a few questions, you’ll gain a better understanding of whether therapy could be a useful tool for managing your challenges. The test takes just a few minutes to complete.

Take the test here.