What is Disordered Eating?
As a Registered Dietitian, I’m no stranger to working with clients with a long history of dieting and food rules. Today, let’s explore the topic of disordered eating.
What is disordered eating?
Disordered eating refers to a range of abnormal thoughts and behaviors around food, eating, and body image.
These problematic behaviors often include restricting food, excessive dieting, excessive exercise, skipping meals, excluding entire food groups from the diet, or binge eating.
A person with disordered eating may or may not be diagnosed with a formal eating disorder.
Emotional signs and symptoms of disordered eating
Obsessive thoughts about food or your body
Fear of gaining weight
Frequent dieting
Avoidance of social situations that involve food
Rigid rules about food and/or exercise
Eliminating entire food groups from the diet
Binge eating or feeling a loss of control around certain foods
Preoccupation with body size, shape, or how certain body parts look
Physical signs and symptoms of disordered eating
Changes in bowel habits
Gastrointestinal distress
Frequent stomach pain or cramping
Weight fluctuations
Changes in menstrual regularity
Skin, hair, and nail changes
Feeling dizzy or faint
Feeling hungry all the time, or feeling completely out of touch with hunger cues
Disordered eating vs. eating disorders
Disordered eating and eating disorders share similar behaviors, but there are significant differences between the two.
An eating disorder is a mental health illness characterized by atypical eating behaviors and impaired psychological functioning.
In order to be diagnosed with an eating disorder, certain criteria must be met in terms of frequency, duration, and/or severity of signs and symptoms.
Unfortunately, disordered eating is a risk factor for eating disorders. Statistics show that 35% of dieters will progress into disordered eating, and 30-35% of those with disordered eating will be diagnosed with an eating disorder [1].
Disordered eating is a descriptive phrase, NOT a diagnosis. This is in part, what makes disordered eating treatment so tricky!
Disordered Eating Treatment
Since there is no all-encompassing diagnosis for disordered eating, very little research exists on the best approach to stop disordered eating before it becomes severe enough to be diagnosed as an eating disorder.
But we do know that therapy helps, working with a non-diet dietitian helps, and working with a certified intuitive eating counselor helps in the treatment of disordered eating.
Our integrative approach to disordered eating treatment at Mindfull combines therapy and nutrition for meaningful results.
Disordered eating is harmful
Even though disordered eating is not currently a mental health diagnosis, it does cause significant harm from mental, emotional, psychological, and even physical perspectives.
Besides an increased risk of developing an eating disorder, some of the risks associated with disordered eating include:
Anxiety
Depression
Social isolation
Bone loss
Gastrointestinal problems
Electrolyte and fluid imbalances
It’s important to recognize the signs that someone might have disordered eating and intervene early to prevent long term damage.
Click here to learn more about our small group program for disordered eating treatment, and other ways to work with us!
