What is an eating disorder?
An eating disorder is a mental health condition defined by irregular eating behaviors that negatively impact one’s physical and mental well-being.
Some facts about eating disorders:
- Eating disorders are increasing among diverse ethnic and sociocultural communities despite beliefs that this only affects underweight, white females.
- Eating disorder behaviors in individuals who are over-concerned with body image are a physical manifestation of severe inner struggle.
- Eating disorders affect over 30 million people in the United States.
- Eating disorders are coping mechanisms that individuals have created to manage difficult experiences or feelings.
- Eating disorders frequently coexist with other psychiatric disorders, such as depression, substance use, OCD, PTSD, ADHD, or anxiety disorders.
- Eating disorders have the second highest mortality of any psychiatric diagnosis following opiate addiction.
In addition, there is much confusion about eating disorders and obesity. Obesity is not an eating disorder. Eating disorders are complex bio/psycho/social disorders that can do incredible harm and can be fatal and do not share the same way they are diagnosed and treated.
