Eating Disorders

Anorexia Nervosa is a serious and potentially life-threatening condition that can affect both men and women. The defining features of Anorexia Nervosa are refusal to maintain a minimally normal body weight (less than 85% of normal weight for a person’s age and height), expressing an intense fear of gaining weight, and a distorted and unrealistic image of one’s own body. Subtypes of this disorder include Restricting Type (weight loss is accomplished through dieting, fasting, or excessive exercise) and Binge-Eating/Purging Type (binge eating occurs and is accompanied by purging and other compensatory behaviors to achieve weight loss).

While many people overeat from time to time, individuals with Binge Eating Disorder will consume an unusually large amount of food and often feel that their eating is out of control. Other signs of this condition also include: eating until one is uncomfortably full, eating more quickly during binge episodes, eating alone due to embarrassment about the amount of food one eats, and feeling depressed or guilty after overeating.

The defining features of Bulimia are binge eating (typically sweet, high-calorie foods) and subsequent compensatory behaviors to prevent one from gaining weight (i.e. self-induced vomiting; use of laxatives, diuretics, enemas; excessive exercise; fasting). Unlike individuals with Anorexia Nervosa however, individuals with bulimia often have normal body or even above average body weight due to their binge eating behaviors. Subtypes of Bulimia include Purging Type and Nonpurging Type.