What Is An Eating Disorder?

Anorexia Nervosa

Anorexia nervosa is one of the most prevalent of all eating disorders and one of the most life threatening. A person suffering from anorexia refuses to maintain a healthy body weight. Anorexics have an intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat and strive for perfection. Due to the loss of fat and weight, girls and women may suffer repeated missed menstrual cycles. People suffering from anorexia are generally very restrictive in their eating habits.

Bulimia Nervosa

A person who suffers from bulimia binges and purges. Bulimics will eat a large quantity of food in a short amount of time and then self-induce vomiting. They do this to punish themselves or because they feel overwhelmed, sometimes with feeling fat but sometimes out of frustration or anger. Binging and purging will occur at least twice a week for three months. People with bulimia don't usually lose as much weight as people with anorexia.

Binge Eating Disorder

A person who suffers from binge eating disorder periodically goes on a large binge (like with bulimia) but does not purge afterwards. They are typically at a normal weight or overweight. They often binge to hide their emotions, fill a void in their lives, or as self-punishment. To be diagnosed as binge eating, this behavior will need to occur at least twice a week for six months. Binge eating disorder is probably the most common eating disorder.

Compulsive Eating

Compulsive overeaters use food to fill a void, hide from their emotions or cope with their problems. They tend to be overweight and use their physical appearance as a barrier. People who suffer from compulsive eating typically have very low self-esteem and feel shame about their weight. Unfortunately, they comfort themselves with food when they feel this shame, creating a cycle of emotional highs and lows.

Read more about compulsive eating

Night Eating Syndrome

Night-eating syndrome is a pattern that consists of morning restricting, evening overeating and insomnia. It seems to be precipitated by stress and can predict the failure of attempts at weight reduction. A complaint among night eaters is the inability to stop eating once they have started — as long as there is food available.