Behavioral conditions recognized as severe and persistent disturbances of eating behaviors in conjunction with distressing thoughts and emotions are Eating Disorders (ED) and related conditions.
Eating disorders and related conditions are complex and profound. Types include the following:
Anorexia Nervosa (AN): AN is identified as self-starvation and weight loss resulting in low weight for height and range. There are two types of AN: 1) Restricting Type: Individuals lose weight from fasting, dieting or exercising excessively. 2) Binge-eating/Purging Type: Individuals lose weight from intermittent binge eating and/or purging.
Bulimia Nervosa (BN): BN is identified as alternating dieting and low-calorie consumption with binge eating (eating an excessive amount of food in a short period of time with feelings of a loss of control over the amount and what is eaten).
Binge Eating Disorder (BED): BED is identified as having episodes of binge eating of large quantities of food in a short period, associated with a loss of control.
Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID):ARFID is identified as a disturbance in eating resulting in persistent failure to meet nutritional requirements and extreme picky eating.
Orthorexia & Orthorexia Nervosa (ON): Orthorexia nervosa is an emerging and controversial eating disorder characterized by an obsessive preoccupation with healthy eating and an extreme fixation on food purity. and controversial eating disorder characterized by an obsessive preoccupation with healthy eating and an extreme fixation on food purity.
Pica: PICA is identified as eating things that are not food repeatedly over at least one month.
Rumination Disorder (RD): RD is identified as a repeated regurgitation and re-chewing of food that has been eatign and swallowed and then brought back up.
Unspecified Feeding or Eating Disorder (UFED): Unspecified feeding or eating disorder (UFED) applies to situations in which a person presents with symptoms of a feeding and eating disorder that cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of life, but do not meet the full criteria for any of the disorders.
Exercise Bulimia: A form of purging where individuals engage in extreme amounts of exercise to compensate for calorie intake, rather than vomiting.
Anorexia Athletica: Driven by an, often irrational, compulsion to exercise, this involves excessive training that overrides the need for rest, injuries, or illness.
Muscle Dysmorphia:Often linked with obsessive lifting and strict dieting, this is a preoccupation with the belief that one’s body is not sufficiently muscular or lean.
Exercise Addiction: While not a formally recognized diagnosis, this is a psychological dependence on exercise, often co-occurring with eating disorders (40–50% comorbidity rate).
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Many people do not understand what an individual with an eating disorder experiences or is challenged with. Food, the very thing we need to live, provides a daily struggle. If you are looking for a safe, supportive environment to explore how you are not alone in this, please call. We can collaboratively find the therapeutic journey that is safe and fulfilling for you.
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American Psychiatric Association (APA). (n.d.). What are eating disorders? American Psychiatric Association. Retrieved on July 19, 2025 from https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/eating-disorders/what-are-eating-disorders