Eating Disorders

N AT I O N A L I N S T I T U T E O F M E N TA L H E A LT H
Eating Disorders:
About More Than Food
Has your urge to eat less or more food
spiraled out of control?
Are you overly concerned about your
outward appearance?
If so, you may have an eating disorder.
What are eating disorders?
The eating disorders anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating
disorder, and their variants, all feature serious disturbances in eating behavior
and weight regulation. They are associated with a wide range of adverse
psychological, physical, and social consequences. A person with an eating
disorder may start out just eating smaller or larger amounts of food, but at
some point, their urge to eat less or more spirals out of control. Severe distress
or concern about body weight or shape, or extreme efforts to manage weight or
food intake, also may characterize an eating disorder.
Eating disorders are real, treatable medical illnesses. They frequently coexist
with other illnesses such as depression, substance abuse, or anxiety disorders.
Other symptoms can become life-threatening if a person does not receive
treatment, which is reflected by anorexia being associated with the highest
mortality rate of any psychiatric disorder.
Eating disorders affect both genders, although rates among women and girls
are 2½ times greater than among men and boys. Eating disorders frequently
appear during the teen years or young adulthood but also may develop during
childhood or later in life.
What are the different

types of eating disorders?
Anorexia nervosa
Many people with anorexia nervosa see themselves as overweight, even
when they are clearly underweight. Eating, food, and weight control become
obsessions. People with anorexia nervosa typically weigh themselves
repeatedly, portion food carefully, and eat very small quantities of only certain
foods. Some people with anorexia nervosa also may engage in binge eating
followed by extreme dieting, excessive exercise, self-induced vomiting, or misuse
of laxatives, diuretics, or enemas.
Symptoms of anorexia nervosa include:
◗ Extremely low body weight
◗ Severe food restriction
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Some who have anorexia nervosa recover with treatment after only one episode. Others
get well but have relapses. Still others have a more chronic, or long-lasting, form of
anorexia nervosa, in which their health declines as they battle the illness.
Other symptoms and medical complications may develop over time, including:
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Bulimia nervosa
People with bulimia nervosa have recurrent and frequent episodes of eating unusually
large amounts of food and feel a lack of control over these episodes. This binge eating
is followed by behavior that compensates for the overeating such as forced vomiting,
excessive use of laxatives or diuretics, fasting, excessive exercise, or a combination of
these behaviors.
Unlike anorexia nervosa, people with bulimia nervosa usually maintain what is considered
a healthy or normal weight, while some are slightly overweight. But like people with
anorexia nervosa, they often fear gaining weight, want desperately to lose weight, and
are intensely unhappy with their body size and shape. Usually, bulimic behavior is done
secretly because it is often accompanied by feelings of disgust or shame. The binge eating
and purging cycle can happen anywhere from several times a week to many times a day.
Other symptoms include:
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Binge-eating disorder
People with binge-eating disorder lose control over their eating. Unlike bulimia nervosa,
periods of binge eating are not followed by compensatory behaviors like purging,
excessive exercise, or fasting. As a result, people with binge-eating disorder often are
overweight or obese. People with binge-eating disorder who are obese are at higher risk
for developing cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure. They also experience guilt,
shame, and distress about their binge eating, which can lead to more binge eating.
How are eating disorders treated?
Typical treatment goals include restoring adequate nutrition, bringing weight
to a healthy level, reducing excessive exercise, and stopping binge eating
and purging behaviors. Specific forms of psychotherapy, or talk therapy—
including a family-based therapy called the Maudsley approach and cognitive
behavioral approaches—have been shown to be useful for treating specific
eating disorders. Evidence also suggests that antidepressant medications
approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration may help for bulimia
nervosa and also may be effective for treating co-occurring anxiety or
depression for other eating disorders.
Treatment plans often are tailored to individual needs and may include one or
more of the following:
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Some patients also may need to be hospitalized to treat problems caused
by malnutrition or to ensure they eat enough if they are very underweight.
Complete recovery is possible
What is being done to better understand

and treat eating disorders?
Researchers are finding that eating disorders are caused by a complex
interaction of genetic, biological, psychological, and social factors. But many
questions still need answers. Researchers are studying questions about
behavior, genetics, and brain function to better understand risk factors,
identify biological markers, and develop specific psychotherapies and
medications that can target areas in the brain that control eating behavior.
Brain imaging and genetic studies may provide clues for how each person
may respond to specific treatments for these medical illnesses. Ongoing
efforts also are aimed at developing and refining strategies for preventing and
treating eating disorders among adolescents and adults.
Where can I find more information?
To learn more about eating disorders, visit:
MedlinePlus (National Library of Medicine):
http://medlineplus.gov
(En Español: http://medlineplus.gov/spanish)
For information on clinical trials, visit:

ClinicalTrials.gov: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov
For more information on conditions that affect mental health, resources, and research, go to
MentalHealth.gov at http://www.mentalhealth.gov, the NIMH website at
http://www.nimh.nih.gov, or contact us at:
National Institute of Mental Health
Office of Science Policy, Planning, and Communications
Science Writing, Press, and Dissemination Branch
6001 Executive Boulevard
Room 6200, MSC 9663
Bethesda, MD 20892-9663
Phone: 301-443-4513 or
1-866-615-NIMH (6464) toll-free
TTY: 301-443-8431 or
1-866-415-8051 toll-free
Fax: 301-443-4279
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.nimh.nih.gov
NIH Publication No.TR 14-4901

Revised 2014

Eating Disorders

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N AT I O N A L I N S T I T U T E O F M E N TA L H E A LT H

What are the different

What is being done to better understand

For information on clinical trials, visit:

NIH Publication No.TR 14-4901

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