Feeding and Eating Disorders

Feeding and Eating Disorders

These disorders are of particular relevance to young people, as they often emerge during adolescence and early adulthood. The three main types covered here are anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder. What ties them together is a disturbed pattern of eating behaviour that significantly impairs physical health and psychological well-being.

Anorexia Nervosa

The core feature of anorexia nervosa is a distorted body image. The individual genuinely sees herself or himself as overweight, even when dangerously underweight. This misperception drives a relentless pursuit of thinness.

Common behaviours include:

• Refusing to eat, or eating very little
• Compulsive, excessive exercise
• Developing unusual habits, such as refusing to eat in front of others

The consequences are severe. The person may lose massive amounts of weight and, in extreme cases, starve to death. Anorexia nervosa has the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric disorder.

Bulimia Nervosa

Bulimia nervosa follows a distinct cycle: binge eating followed by purging.

First, the individual consumes an excessive amount of food in a short period — this is the binge. Then, to undo the effects of the binge, they purge the body of the food. Purging methods include:

• Self-induced vomiting
• Misusing laxatives or diuretics (water pills)

The emotional experience is telling. During the binge, the person feels disgusted and ashamed. After purging, they feel relieved of tension and negative emotions. This relief reinforces the cycle, making the disorder difficult to break.

Binge Eating Disorder

In binge eating disorder, the individual has frequent episodes of out-of-control eating. The key difference from bulimia is that no purging follows the binge.

The eating pattern during a binge episode includes: …