The term eating disorder refers to a group of disorders in which a disturbance in eating behavior endangers an individual’s physical and psychosocial health. Eating disorders are serious mental health problems and can be life-threatening.
Anorexia Nervosa
A condition in which a person purposely limits food intake and refuses to maintain a weight within a healthy range for his or her height and age. People with anorexia nervosa may also binge and purge.
Bulimia Nervosa
Involves cycles of bingeing and behaviors that follow to prevent weight gain and can include vomiting, use of laxatives, diuretics or involvement in excessive exercise.
Binge Eating Disorder
Refers to people who binge eat, but do not attempt to control their weight through unhealthy purging behaviors. As many as one third of people with obesity may have this eating disorder but have gone undiagnosed.
Eating Disorder NOS (not otherwise specified)
A term used with individuals who have disordered eating behaviors, dissatisfaction with their body weight or shape and harmful weight-control behaviors that do not meet full criteria for one of the more severe eating disorders above.
