Disordered Eating vs Eating Disorders: What’s the Difference?

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8/30/22, 956 AM
Disordered Eating vs Eating Disorders Whats the
Difference? ILC
Disordered Eating vs Eating Disorders Whats
the Difference?
Home / Eating Disorder Disordered Eating vs
Eating Disorders
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At some point in your life, you might have found
yourself wondering what, if any, the differences
are between disordered eating versus eating
disorders. Maybe you used to be caught up in a
fad diet that severely restricted your calorie
intake. Maybe youve used several tubs of ice
cream to cope with intense emotions in the past.
Is there a point where you should be worried? Are
Eating Disorders the same as disordered eating?
What exactly is disordered eating and when do you
need to seek help from a professional?
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Eating Disorders The Diagnostic Specifics
8/30/22, 956 AM Disordered Eating vs Eating
Disorders Whats the Difference? ILC
You might be familiar with Anorexia Nervosa and
Bulimia Nervosa. These are two of the most
common eating disorders categorized within the
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM). The DSM
is a tool that psychologists, psychiatrists,
counselors, therapists, and other mental health
professionals use to diagnose patients. ANOREXIA
To meet the DSMs diagnostic criteria for
Anorexia, a person has to have significantly
low weight, intense fear of gaining weight,
persistent behavior that interferes with gaining
weight, and a disturbance in the way ones body
weight or shape is experienced. There are some
specifiers that are of note for clinicians. These
include if a person is restricting, or
fasting, avoiding food, or exercising
excessively. This could also be if a person is
binge-eating/purging, meaning the person uses
laxatives, diuretics, or binges food and then
forces themselves to vomit. BULIMIA To meet the
DSMs diagnostic criteria for Bulimia, a person
must experience recurrent episodes of binge
eating. Binge eating is defined as eating a
larger portion of food than what most
individuals would eat in the same period of time.
Characterized by a feeling of losing control,
those struggling with bulimia also engage in
compensatory behaviors to prevent weight gain
such as self-induced vomiting, laxatives,
fasting, and/or excessive exercise. These
episodes must occur at least once a week for 3
months and are unduly influenced by body weight
and shape. You might be at least somewhat
familiar with these diagnoses, as theyre shown
from time to time in movies, music videos, and TV
shows. However, the DSM also
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8/30/22, 956 AM Disordered Eating vs Eating
Disorders Whats the Difference? ILC specifies
several other eating disorders, including Pica
eating substances that are not food Rumination
Disorder regurgitation of food Avoidant/Restricti
ve Food Intake Disorder feeding/eating
disturbance due to lack of interest, sensory
characteristics of food, or concern about the
consequences of eating Binge-Eating Disorder
consuming more food in a specific period of time
than most individuals normally would without
purging behaviors Other Specified Feeding or
Eating Disorders symptoms characteristic of
other disorders, but do not meet the full
criteria As you can see, the criteria needed for
a clinical diagnosis of an eating disorder can
be a bit complex. Diagnosis requires a qualified
professional for accurate specifiers. Eating
Disorders require a clinical diagnosis but what
about disordered eating? Is it the same thing?
According to mental health professionals, there
are some very important distinctions between the
two. Disorde red Eating Disordered eating is
defined as irregular behaviors surrounding eating
that do not meet criteria for an eating disorder
as defined by the DSMs diagnostic
criteria. That definition might sound like
disordered eating is a step down from a full-
blown eating disorder. However, disordered eating
can cause a significant
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8/30/22, 956 AM Disordered Eating vs Eating
Disorders Whats the Difference? ILC amount of
anxiety for someone. Additionally, preoccupation
with food or dieting can sometimes be the
slippery slope towards a diagnosed eating
disorder. TO MORE FULLY UNDERSTAND DISORDERED
EATING, LETS LOOK AT AN EXAMPLE Social media
sites like Instagram seem like a great way to
gain inspiration, right? Transformation photos,
exercise tutorials, and meal plans aplenty. You
start following fitness and healthy recipe
accounts after the holiday season to kickstart
your year. At first glance, they seem to be full
of helpful tips and tricks to make quick and
easy healthy meals. Beautiful photos of delicious
looking healthy snacks inspire you and your
grocery list. However, as you spend more time
diving into hashtags, accounts, and trends, you
notice your eating habits are changing. This is
the dark side of social media how gymlife or
Whole30 can negatively impact and influence
your eating and exercise habits. Photos of girls
that lift and meal prep every day has convinced
you to skip two a day a few times a week. Maybe
you dont realize until a close friend or family
member points it out or until you have pushed
your body to its brink, but one day (hopefully)
you come to the realization that you were caught
up in a whirlwind of fad diets and photoshopped
bodies. Disordered Eating Can Happen Quickly The
behavior described above is just one example of
behavior that could qualify as disordered
eating. It was an irregular behavior surrounding
eating that did not continue over a long period
of time. At the time, you simply seemed
preoccupied with healthy eating but are quick
to recognize your irrational eating choices and
are able to reassess. You have a supportive
group of friends, who sympathize and then cheer
you on to continue what you know is a healthy,
moderated relationship with food and eating.
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8/30/22, 956 AM Disordered Eating vs Eating
Disorders Whats the Difference? ILC With the
availability of social media increasing at a
seemingly exponential rate, it is no surprise
that the prevalence of disordered eating is on
the rise. Signs of disordered eating might seem
more common just because theyre present on
social media. Obsessive calorie counting,
obsessive exercise routines, or a strict
avoidance of several certain types of foods might
seem like just another thing people are doing to
be healthy. KEY DIFFERENCES TO BE AWARE OF
WITH DISORDERED EATING The key difference between
eating disorders and disordered eating is the
frequency with which the unusual and irregular
patterns surrounding eating occur. Those
suffering from eating disorders are often unable
to think about much else. Their thoughts are
consumed with their relationship with food and
eating. And can be so overwhelming that they are
often unable to focus on their daily tasks of
living.
RED FLAGS Disordered eating can sometimes be a
warning sign of an eating disorder to come.
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8/30/22, 956 AM Disordered Eating vs Eating
Disorders Whats the Difference? ILC If you
are find that that you are exhibiting the
following potential warning signs, you may want
to reach out for professional help. The use of
laxatives or diet pills to manage weight becomes
more and more frequent Fasting becomes a daily
ritual in the pursuit of avoiding weight gain It
is becoming common for you to self-induce
vomiting after every dinner Please bear in mind
it is not necessary to wait until these behaviors
become increasingly frequent. You can speak with
a therapist or counselor at any time. MANAGING
DISORDERED EATING Even if disordered eating does
not consume your daily thoughts, it might present
some challenges. A mental health professional
can help you work through some of the challenges
that disordered eating might present. If you
struggle with Body image issues Anxiety
surrounding food/eating Fear of your gaining
weight Feelings of shame Obsessive thoughts about
food/eating or your body image A professional can
help you. Integrative Life Center has a strong
team of qualified mental health professionals
ready to assist with healthy coping skills, life
goals, and becoming more empowered in your
eating habits as well as yourself. Therapy can
help you redirect negative self talk, respecting
your bodys optimal nutrition needs, and allow
you to become more confident and content with
yourself. Reach out today to speak with a member
of the ILC team to begin your journey to healing.
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8/30/22, 956 AM
Disordered Eating vs Eating Disorders Whats the
Difference? ILC
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