Eating disorders

What is an eating disorder?

Eating disorders all have one thing in common - they all involve problems related to your relationship with food. However, eating disorders are as much or more to do with control (or loss of control) over your body than they are to do with not liking food. See also the separate leaflet called Types of Eating Disorder.

What causes an eating disorder?

Food is the tool you use to help you cope with emotional distress, or to feel more in control of your life. Sadly, the food-related behaviour that results can fuel your psychological problems. For instance, self-loathing and low self-esteem are common in bulimia and binge eating disorder. You may feel an overwhelming urge to binge, because it gives you temporary relief from these feelings. However, afterwards you may feel even more disgusted with yourself because of your 'weakness' for giving in to the urge to binge.

Patient picks for Eating disorders

Mental health

How do stereotypes prevent Black people from seeking help for eating disorders?

Research conducted by eating disorder charity Beat found that 4 in 10 people incorrectly believe that eating disorders are much more common in white people. This stigma often results in Black people either not feeling able to reach out for help for their EDs, or not receiving full support when they do.

by Emily Jane Bashforth

Mental health

Bulimia nervosa

Bulimia is an eating disorder. People with bulimia nervosa have episodes of binge eating. This is followed by deliberately fasting, making themselves sick, excessive exercise or other measures to counteract the excessive food intake.

by Dr Colin Tidy, MRCGP

So eating disorders are classified together because they have two things in common: the first is an unhealthy relationship with food (too little, too much, only the 'right' kind) and the second is the psychological distress which goes with it. Whatever kind of eating disorder you have, it's likely to have a major impact on your life.