Eating Disorders Vs. Disordered Eating
What Is Disordered Eating?
Disordered eating includes behaviors like frequent dieting, skipping meals, emotional eating, obsessing over “good” vs. “bad” foods, or feeling guilt after eating. These patterns might not meet the clinical criteria for an eating disorder, but they can still affect your health, your energy, your mood, and your relationship with food.
Disordered eating is often overlooked or even praised in our culture. You might hear comments like “I was so bad this weekend” or “I’m doing a detox.” These behaviors may be normalized, but that doesn’t mean they’re supportive of long-term well-being.
When these patterns become rigid, stressful, or start interfering with daily life, they deserve attention. You don’t have to wait for things to get worse to seek help.
What Are Eating Disorders?
Eating disorders are serious, complex mental health conditions that go far beyond food. They often involve distressing thoughts, rigid behaviors, and deep emotional struggles—around control, identity, anxiety, depression, or trauma.
Common diagnoses include:
• Anorexia nervosa
• Bulimia nervosa
• Binge eating disorder (BED)
• Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID)
• Other specified feeding or eating disorder (OSFED)
Eating disorders can affect people of any age, gender, body size, or background. No one is immune. And yes—people in larger bodies can have anorexia. People who eat daily can be restricting. People who smile a lot can be struggling.
What Contributes to These Struggles?
There’s no single cause for disordered eating or eating disorders—but we know that they develop from a mix of biological, psychological, and environmental factors.
• Biology: Brain systems related to hunger, reward, and emotion—like the hypothalamus, amygdala, and dopamine circuits—can all play a role. Hormones like cortisol, insulin, ghrelin, and leptin are often disrupted. Gut health and microbiome imbalances may also influence mood and appetite.
• Genetics: Studies suggest that traits related to eating disorders may be 50–80% heritable. Family history can increase risk, but it’s not destiny.
• Environment: Cultural ideals, weight stigma, food insecurity, chronic dieting, and early experiences with food (like pressure to clean your plate or being teased about body size) can all contribute. Marginalized identities often face unique pressures that increase risk.
• Mental health: Anxiety, trauma, ADHD, autism, depression, OCD—these and other neurodivergent experiences often show up alongside or beneath disordered eating.
And still: your reason doesn’t have to be dramatic or clearly defined to be valid. If you’re struggling, you’re struggling. That’s enough.
Signs You Might Need Support
Even if you’re not sure where you fall on the spectrum of disordered eating, these questions may be a helpful place to start:
• Do I feel out of control with food, or turn to it when I’m stressed, sad, or overwhelmed?
• Do I feel shame, guilt, or anxiety after eating?
• Do I avoid social events because of food or body discomfort?
• Am I constantly thinking about food, weight, or exercise?
• Do I ignore hunger or push through fullness?
You don’t need a “yes” to all of these. Even one “maybe” is reason enough to check in with yourself—or with someone who can help. Support is always allowed.
What Does Healing Look Like?
Healing is possible. And while it might not be linear, it’s always worth it.
Recovery can include:
• Therapy that supports emotional regulation, body image, and trauma healing
• Nutrition counseling that prioritizes nourishment without judgment
• Mindful and intuitive eating approaches that rebuild trust with your body
A Health at Every Size® (HAES) lens that centers well-being, not weight
• Community, which helps ease the shame and isolation many people feel
Healing isn’t about “fixing” your body or doing recovery perfectly. It’s about returning to yourself, slowly and kindly—through curiosity, connection, and care.
You don’t have to wait until you’re “sick enough.” You don’t need permission or a label. You’re allowed to care for yourself—now.
Resources and Support
If you’re looking for a place to start, these organizations and tools offer inclusive, evidence-based, and compassionate support:
• The Alliance for Eating Disorders Awareness – Offers free virtual support groups and connects individuals to care
• Project HEAL – Helps bridge gaps in access to treatment, particularly for underserved populations
• SEA WAVES – A community-based nonprofit supporting eating disorder recovery through peer connection and education
• Anti-Diet by Christy Harrison – A helpful read for unlearning diet culture and making peace with food
