Eating disorders
Peer reviewed by Dr Hayley Willacy, FRCGP Last updated by Dr Krishna Vakharia, MRCGPLast updated 21 Feb 2023
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In this series:Types of eating disordersAnorexia nervosaBulimia nervosa
We all have to do it - but while for some people, eating is a pleasure, for others the very thought of eating is worrying and a source of anxiety.
In this article:
Continue reading below
What is an eating disorder?
How do you treat eating disorders?
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 to help a friend with an eating disorder
Trying to talk to someone you suspect has an eating disorder can be a daunting prospect. But this tricky conversation can be an essential first step to getting them the specialist support they need. Once they have confided in you, there's a lot you can do to support them too.
by Danny Chadburn
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.
Further reading and references
- Body Mass Index (BMI) charts for girls and boys age 2-18; Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and Dept of Health
- Eating disorders: recognition and treatment; NICE Guideline (May 2017 - last updated December 2020)
- Classifying eating disorders - DSM-5: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; Eating Disorders Victoria, 2016
Article history
The information on this page is written and peer reviewed by qualified clinicians.
Next review due: 9 Jan 2028
21 Feb 2023 | Latest version
13 Nov 2017 | Originally published
Authored by:
Dr Sarah Jarvis MBE, FRCGP
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