Here are some very brief definitions for the most common types of disordered eating.
Binge-Eating (BED)
- The most prevalent — more than bulimia and anorexia combined
- You consume a lot of food in a short time
- You can’t stop bingeing, which is out-of-control, compulsive, impulsive
Bulimia (BN)
- Binge-eating / overeating followed by purging
- You can’t stop either behavior, which is out-of-control, compulsive, impulsive
- You might purge by vomiting, using laxatives, over-exercising, or food restriction
Anorexia (AN)
- The most deadly
- You increasingly develop severe food restriction, which can lead to death
- You need to feel in control; you become addicted to resisting food
Orthorexia
- On the increase
- You become preoccupied with eating “healthy”
- You restrict food with excessive / obsessive worry
Emotional/stress eating
- Instead of physical hunger, you eat in response to feelings, physical and emotional
- You turn to food for comfort or stress relief
- Your behavior can be linked to dieting or food restriction
Food addiction
- Controversial. Compulsive overeating of highly palatable foods (rich in sugar, fat, salt)
- Your brain’s reward system is activated, similar to substance addiction
- You can lose control, develop frequent cravings, and suffer negative health effects
Note that food addiction is not (yet) recognized as an eating disorder, but it can be part of one.
Research increasingly shows that people can become addicted to certain behaviors, and to certain foods like sugar, fat, salt or any combination of these — the ingredients in most junk and ultra-processed food.
I’m honored to have contributed a chapter to a textbook on food addiction (Processed Food Addiction: Foundations, Assessment and Recovery, 2018) showing that my own history meets all eleven criteria for substance use disorder (i.e., addiction) in the DSM-5.
featured image by Abdul Kayum from Pixabay