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...for those affected by eating disorders
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Home | types | resources | services | news & events | feedback | search
...for those affected by eating disorders awareness
support
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Types of Eating Disorders Anorexia nervosa Anorexia nervosa is characterised by a fear of gaining weight, self-starvation, and a distorted body image. Individuals with anorexia nervosa refuse to maintain body weight at a normal level for their age and height. They may be preoccupied with thoughts about food and worry excessively about body image. There may be a denial of the seriousness of the current low body weight. Among females, a lack of nutrition ceases the menstrual cycle (or postpones it in females who had not begun menstruating prior to the eating disorder). There are two subtypes of anorexia nervosa, a restricting subtype, characterised by strict dieting, and a binge/purge subtype, characterised by binging and purging. About 10% of individuals with anorexia nervosa are male. Anorexia nervosa is a life-threatening illness. Bulimia nervosa Bulimia nervosa involves recurrent episodes of binge eating followed by high-risk compensatory behaviours. During an episode of binge eating a person will consume a very large amount of food during a discrete period of time (e.g., 2-hour period). The amount of food is definitely larger than what most people would eat during that period. Binge eating episodes are accompanied by a sense of loss of control (i.e. the sense that one cannot stop eating or control how much one is eating). Behaviours used to compensate for binge eating vary, though the most common is purging (i.e. vomiting). There are two subtypes of bulimia nervosa, a purging type and a non-purging type (uses other compensatory methods besides purging). Bulimia nervosa cannot be diagnosed if the individual is suffering from anorexia nervosa. Males make up about 10% of those who have bulimia nervosa. Binge eating disorder Binge eating disorder is characterised by recurrent episodes of binge eating in the absence of the use of inappropriate compensatory behaviours (i.e. purging or other behaviours). Binge eating episodes are distressing to the individual. Binge eating episodes may involve eating more rapidly than usual, eating until uncomfortably full, eating when not even hungry, eating alone due to embarrassment, and feeling bad about oneself or guilty after binge eating. Eating disorder not otherwise specified (EDNOS) EDNOS is a diagnostic category that is often used to diagnose people who meet some, but not all, of the criteria for anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa. For instance, a person who meets the criteria for anorexia nervosa, except has a regular menstrual cycle, may be diagnosed as EDNOS. A distinct disorder called purging disorder has recently been identified. It is currently listed within the EDNOS diagnostic category while undergoing further research. It involves recurrent purging and inappropriate compensatory behaviours in the absence of binge eating episodes. Source: American Psychiatric Association (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed., text revision). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association. |
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