Disordered eating involves abnormal eating behaviors such as impulsive eating, purging, and food restriction; it is influenced by various factors and is often associated with negative body image. Although these behaviors are less severe than eating disorders, they can still significantly affect body weight and overall health.
What is disordered eating?
Disordered eating refers to a pattern of abnormal eating behaviors like impulsive eating, purging, restricting food intake, and using potentially harmful and ineffective methods to manage body weight. These behaviors are influenced by various biological, psychological, and social factors and are often associated with negative body image and distorted attitudes toward food.
Although disordered eating behaviors are less frequent or severe compared to those needed for the diagnosis of an eating disorder, they can still have significant effects on body weight and overall health.[1]
What are the main signs and symptoms of disordered eating?
Disordered eating behaviors may include frequent dieting, anxiety related to specific foods or meal skipping, chronic weight fluctuations, rigid rituals and routines surrounding food and exercise, and feelings of guilt and shame associated with eating.
Individuals with disordered eating are often preoccupied by distorted thoughts about food, weight, and body image. They may also experience a loss of control around food and engage in compulsive eating habits. In an attempt to compensate for consuming what they perceive as "bad foods," they may resort to using exercise, food restriction, fasting, or purging.[1]
How is disordered eating diagnosed?
Diagnostic tools used for eating disorders can also be used to identify disordered eating behaviors, but because disordered eating doesn’t meet the clinical diagnostic criteria, it doesn’t receive a diagnosis. Different health providers can play a role in identifying these behaviors with questionnaires about a person’s dietary history, nutrient intake, and eating habits.[1]
What are some of the main medical treatments for disordered eating?
Most interventions for disordered eating are still in the experimental stages and are not considered medical treatments, but telephone-provided cognitive behavioral therapy reduced disordered eating in a small study of participants who had undergone bariatric surgery.[2]
Are there any other treatments for disordered eating?
Intuitive eating, cognitive dissonance-based group treatment, mindfulness, and yoga have all been studied for preventing or reducing disordered eating behaviors, with varying efficacy. Intuitive eating and cognitive dissonance-based interventions appear to be the most effective ways to prevent or reduce disordered eating behaviors.[3][4][5]
Mindfulness shows some promise for reducing certain disordered eating behaviors in adults, but it may not be appropriate for adolescents.[6][7] Based on the limited amount of research, yoga can lead to a more positive mood, but it doesn’t appear to improve risk factors for disordered eating.[8]
Other interventions aimed at improving body image — such as body appreciation and education on social media usage — may also help to prevent disordered eating behaviors.[5][9]
What causes disordered eating?
Disordered eating behaviors can be triggered by a variety of situations, including stressful life events like divorce, the death of a loved one, childhood trauma, or the diagnosis of a serious illness or injury. The behaviors can sometimes be a way to regain a sense of control after experiencing a major life change. Dieting and using nutrition trackers to lose weight can also lead to the development of disordered eating behaviors.[10][11][12][1]
Other risk factors include perfectionism, negative self-image, being teased or bullied as a child, problematic social media use, and tracking body weight, all of which can contribute to body comparison and dissatisfaction.[13][7]
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Frequently asked questions
What is disordered eating?
Disordered eating refers to a pattern of abnormal eating behaviors like impulsive eating, purging, restricting food intake, and using potentially harmful and ineffective methods to manage body weight. These behaviors are influenced by various biological, psychological, and social factors and are often associated with negative body image and distorted attitudes toward food.
Although disordered eating behaviors are less frequent or severe compared to those needed for the diagnosis of an eating disorder, they can still have significant effects on body weight and overall health.[1]
What does “normal eating” mean?
Quick answer:
Normal eating involves a balanced diet that meets the body's nutritional needs while allowing for flexibility and a positive relationship with food that is free from guilt or labeling. It adapts to various factors like hunger and emotions without causing excessive preoccupation or weight changes.
Normal eating generally involves following a well-balanced diet that provides sufficient nutrients and calories to support the body's requirements while maintaining a flexible mindset towards food. A flexible approach includes all foods without guilt, shame, anxiety, or labeling any food as “good” or “bad.” Normal eating is adaptable and varies based on factors such as hunger, schedule, proximity to food, and emotions but doesn’t lead to preoccupation or excessive weight fluctuations. [1]
What are the main signs and symptoms of disordered eating?
The main signs and symptoms of disordered eating include frequent dieting, anxiety about food, chronic weight fluctuations, and rigid food-related rituals. Individuals may also experience distorted thoughts about food and body image and feelings of guilt, and they may engage in compensatory behaviors like exercise or purging.
Disordered eating behaviors may include frequent dieting, anxiety related to specific foods or meal skipping, chronic weight fluctuations, rigid rituals and routines surrounding food and exercise, and feelings of guilt and shame associated with eating.
Individuals with disordered eating are often preoccupied by distorted thoughts about food, weight, and body image. They may also experience a loss of control around food and engage in compulsive eating habits. In an attempt to compensate for consuming what they perceive as "bad foods," they may resort to using exercise, food restriction, fasting, or purging.[1]
How is disordered eating diagnosed?
Disordered eating is identified using the diagnostic tools for eating disorders, but it is not a formal diagnosis because it doesn't meet the clinical criteria. Health providers can assess disordered eating behaviors through questionnaires on dietary history, nutrient intake, and eating habits.
Diagnostic tools used for eating disorders can also be used to identify disordered eating behaviors, but because disordered eating doesn’t meet the clinical diagnostic criteria, it doesn’t receive a diagnosis. Different health providers can play a role in identifying these behaviors with questionnaires about a person’s dietary history, nutrient intake, and eating habits.[1]
What are some of the main medical treatments for disordered eating?
Most interventions for disordered eating are experimental and are not classified as medical treatments. However, a small study indicated that telephone-provided cognitive behavioral therapy was effective in reducing disordered eating among participants who had undergone bariatric surgery.
Most interventions for disordered eating are still in the experimental stages and are not considered medical treatments, but telephone-provided cognitive behavioral therapy reduced disordered eating in a small study of participants who had undergone bariatric surgery.[2]
Are there any other treatments for disordered eating?
Intuitive eating and cognitive-dissonance-based group treatment are the most effective interventions for preventing or reducing disordered eating behaviors, and mindfulness shows promise for adults but may not be suitable for adolescents. Additionally, yoga may improve mood, but it does not address disordered eating risk factors, and other body image interventions could also be beneficial.
Intuitive eating, cognitive dissonance-based group treatment, mindfulness, and yoga have all been studied for preventing or reducing disordered eating behaviors, with varying efficacy. Intuitive eating and cognitive dissonance-based interventions appear to be the most effective ways to prevent or reduce disordered eating behaviors.[3][4][5]
Mindfulness shows some promise for reducing certain disordered eating behaviors in adults, but it may not be appropriate for adolescents.[6][7] Based on the limited amount of research, yoga can lead to a more positive mood, but it doesn’t appear to improve risk factors for disordered eating.[8]
Other interventions aimed at improving body image — such as body appreciation and education on social media usage — may also help to prevent disordered eating behaviors.[5][9]
How do treatments for disordered eating work?
Quick answer:
Treatments for disordered eating focus on addressing internalized weight stigma, body image issues, and rigid food rules through various methods, including dissonance-based therapies, mindfulness practices, and intuitive eating. Additionally, interventions that promote body appreciation and education on the effects of social media can help reduce eating pathology and improve emotional regulation.
Most treatments for disordered eating work by addressing the underlying internalized weight stigma, body image disturbances, and rigid food rules.
Dissonance-based treatments include verbal, written, and behavioral activities that work by highlighting the costs of pursuing the thin ideal and engaging in disordered eating behaviors and emphasizing their conflict with the participant’s values.[4][5]
Mindfulness practices involve noticing and responding to hunger and fullness cues, rather than following external rules about what or how much to eat, and may also reduce disordered eating behaviors by improving emotional regulation skills. Intuitive eating integrates mindful eating with other practices that address body image concerns and strict food rules, similar to dissonance-based treatments.[3][6]
Interventions that encourage body appreciation and self-compassion may also reduce or prevent eating pathology by addressing the underlying body image concerns that create a drive for a specific physique. Education programs that focus on social media use can help adolescents understand the ways that social media can negatively affect body image and potentially reduce their susceptibility to problematic content such as photoshopped pictures that depict unrealistic beauty standards.[5][9]
What causes disordered eating?
Disordered eating can be triggered by stressful life events, childhood trauma, and serious health diagnoses; it often develops as a means to regain control. Additional risk factors include dieting, perfectionism, negative self-image, bullying, and problematic social media use, which can lead to body comparison and dissatisfaction.
Disordered eating behaviors can be triggered by a variety of situations, including stressful life events like divorce, the death of a loved one, childhood trauma, or the diagnosis of a serious illness or injury. The behaviors can sometimes be a way to regain a sense of control after experiencing a major life change. Dieting and using nutrition trackers to lose weight can also lead to the development of disordered eating behaviors.[10][11][12][1]
Other risk factors include perfectionism, negative self-image, being teased or bullied as a child, problematic social media use, and tracking body weight, all of which can contribute to body comparison and dissatisfaction.[13][7]
Does macronutrient tracking cause disordered eating?
Quick answer:
Although it is possible to use nutrition trackers without developing disordered eating behaviors, there is a positive correlation between nutrition tracking and eating pathology. Research indicates that the motivation behind using the tracker, rather than the act of tracking itself, is what connects it to eating disorders.
It is possible to use nutrition trackers without developing disordered eating behaviors.[14] However, there is a positive correlation between nutrition tracking and eating pathology, and participants in some observational studies have reported that use of a nutrition tracker contributed to their eating disorder. Most research suggests that it’s the reason for using the tracker — not simply the tracking itself — that links nutrient tracking to eating pathologies.[11][12][7]
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