Understanding Disordered Eating Beyond Labels
Have you ever felt like your relationship with food and your body is a constant battle? Maybe you don’t meet the criteria for anorexia, bulimia, or binge eating disorder, but thoughts about food and your body still consume your mind. You find yourself worrying about how every meal will affect your body. No matter how hard you try to control your eating, the scale doesn’t budge. You think, “I must not have an eating disorder because my weight is ‘normal,’” but deep down, you still feel trapped, hating your body. You might even wish for a clear diagnosis, just so you could have a name for what you’re going through.
Does this sound familiar? If so, you’re not alone.
Disordered Eating is a Spectrum
Disordered eating exists on a spectrum. While some people have a healthy relationship with food and others meet the criteria for diagnosable eating disorders, many find themselves somewhere in the middle. You may not meet the textbook definitions of anorexia or bulimia, but that doesn’t mean your struggles aren’t real. In fact, there are several lesser-known eating disorders that don’t always get the recognition they deserve.
Eating Disorders You Might Not Know About
Atypical Anorexia: You may meet all the criteria for anorexia but not fall into the “underweight” category. This doesn’t mean the emotional and physical challenges are any less severe.
Low-Frequency Binge Eating or Bulimia: Maybe you engage in binge eating or purging, but it doesn’t happen as frequently as the criteria require. These behaviors still take a toll.
Purging Disorder: Purging without binge eating, like in bulimia nervosa, is also a form of disordered eating.
Night Eating Syndrome: Do you find yourself waking up in the middle of the night to eat large amounts of food? This can be a sign of night eating syndrome.
Diabulimia (ED-DMT1): For people with type 1 diabetes, intentionally omitting insulin to lose weight is a dangerous practice that can lead to severe health consequences.
Orthorexia: The obsession with eating “healthy” can sometimes become so extreme that it negatively impacts your health, social life, and mental well-being.
Muscle Dysmorphia (Bigorexia): Often seen in men, this disorder involves an unhealthy preoccupation with gaining muscle and achieving a particular physique.
Drunkorexia: Restricting food intake before drinking alcohol or purging afterward to avoid weight gain can seriously harm your body.
Pregorexia: Some pregnant individuals restrict food or exercise excessively due to fears of weight gain, risking both their health and their baby’s health.
Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S): Athletes who don’t consume enough calories for their level of physical activity can experience a range of health problems, from weakened bones to hormone imbalances.
You Don’t Have to Struggle Alone
If you find that thoughts about food and your body are taking over your life—stealing your joy and constantly leading to comparisons with others—you’re not alone. You deserve to live a life where food doesn’t dominate your thoughts, where you feel comfortable in your own body. Recovery may be a difficult process, but you can get there. You can learn to enjoy food again and feel confident in your body.
At Transformation Counseling, we understand that disordered eating is not always black and white. If you’re struggling with food or body image, reach out to us today. Together, we’ll work toward helping you achieve a life where food is a source of nourishment, not anxiety, and where you can enjoy being present with the people and activities you love.
