Eating Disorders

What is an eating disorder?

An eating disorder is a mental health condition where someone uses the control of food to cope with feelings and other situations (NHS England).

Problems with eating can be complex and there is no one single cause of eating disorders. They are not the same as changing your diet and worrying about the way you look. They can take over your life and the lives of your family and the people around you. Eating disorders are serious and everyone who has one deserves care and support.

People with eating disorders are often secretive about their eating and may feel guilty and ashamed. They may focus excessively on their weight and shape, leading them to make unhealthy choices about food, which can affect them in many ways.

These are different types of eating disorder:

• Anorexia Nervosa – a person with anorexia nervosa has a distorted body image and an exaggerated fear of becoming overweight/fat, so they deliberately try to lose weight by limiting what they eat, over-exercising and counting calories.
• Bulimia Nervosa -Eating a lot of food in a very short amount of time (binging) and then taking drastic action to get rid of the food from the body to avoid gaining weight, for example making yourself sick.
• Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) – Avoiding or restricting food intake due to sensory sensitivities, lack of interest in eating or fear of negative consequences (e.g. choking). It is not driven by body image concerns.
• Other types: Binge Eating Disorder, Eating Disorders Not Otherwise Specified (EDNOS).

Everyone is different and so eating disorders can differ from person to person, too. It can take time to be officially diagnosed. It is important to access support around your child’s mental health if they are experiencing eating difficulties. Recovery is possible with the right help.

Common signs of an eating disorder

• spending a lot of time worrying about your weight and body shape
• avoiding socialising when you think food will be involved
• eating very little food
• making yourself sick or taking laxatives after you eat
• exercising too much
• having very strict habits or routines around food
• changes in your mood such as being withdrawn, anxious or depressed