Common Types Of Eating Disorders

Posted on Jan 31, 2022 | 0 comments

It’s that time of year when we are all focused on changing our habits, our eating habits being a main focus for many so we have been talking about eating disorders on Conscious Straight Talk With Katie & Lindsey. As many people strive to change their eating habits, it is important to remain balanced. Yet many do not.

More than 30 million American men and women each year are affected by some form of eating disorder. It is thought that eating disorders are caused by a variety of environmental, genetic and personality factors and more often than not the person has significant unhealed childhood trauma. So we really need to get (and keep) this conversation going.

Common Types of Eating Disorders

Anorexia Nervosa – usually develops in adolescence or young adulthood, it is the act of refusing/denying ones’ self food. Anorexia causes one to view oneself as obese giving one an intense fear of gaining weight, even if one is dangerously underweight. It causes obsessive thoughts leading to compulsive behaviors – controlling the foods, having long lists of things one can not eat for bogus reasons, perfectionist behaviors, obsessively feeling fat and gross. This can be life-threatening as one is often not getting the nutrients we all need to survive. Organs will begin to shut down and the body will cease to function when one starves themselves this way.

Bulimia Nervosa – again, it usually develops in adolescence or young adulthood; it is the act of binging on food and throwing it up (purging) after. A binge session is when a person uncontrollably eats food until they are painfully full, then purges – throws it up – after to relieve the discomfort and compensate for the calories. They often view themselves as fat and fear gaining weight, but love eating so much they figure this is a good solution. Until their hair and teeth start falling out and they get a throat or tongue cancer scare… This too can be life-threatening and an addicting habit that needs attention and help to correct as the person feels they have no control.

Binge Eating Disorder – usually develops in adolescence or young adulthood, though can form later in life too. Especially in rough seasons of life. This is the act of eating a mass amount with little to no control over it. Often times this is done in hiding, in secret. It can also be called comfort eating, however a person with this disorder can not control it and binges regularly causing them constant guilt and shame.

Pica – this one is not often talked about at all and causes people some embarrassment even though it is not their fault. This is the need to eat nonfood items – like metals, dirt, soil, soap, hair, paint and so on. This affects anyone of any age, but more likely to a pregnant woman, children and people with mental disorders. They risk poisoning and serious illnesses because of these uncontrollable cravings.

Orthorexia Nervosa – usually found in adults, this is the obsession with health, calories, food and everything that includes, to the point where your life is disrupted. They count calories, they judge others for what they are eating, they will not eat foods prepared by anyone else – they are obsessed with what goes in to their bodies.

Watch this video on Orthorexia Nervosa: