About Eating Disorders

The basics

Eating disorders exist on a continuum, ranging from problems with food and weight preoccupation to severe, and often fatal, difficulties with food. Eating disorders are usually much more than a diet gone wrong—they are serious illnesses that often go hand in hand with depression, anxiety, and other mental disorders. Like many other mental illnesses, research shows that eating disorders can be caused by a mixture of biological and environmental factors.

Anorexia nervosa is often characterized by low self-esteem and a need for control. People with anorexia use starvation and restriction to control not only their weight, but also their emotions.

Bulimia nervosa involves the use of binging and purging (not always by vomiting) as a means of control or of self-punishment.

People with compulsive eating disorder can be described as having an addiction to food, which they often use to fill a void that they feel inside and to cope with difficult emotions.

People with binge eating disorder suffer from symptoms of compulsive eating disorder and of bulimia; their symptoms involve binge eating that is not followed by purging. Reasons for this disorder are similar to those for compulsive eating.

Eating disorders not otherwise specified (known as EDNOS) are exactly that: eating disorders that do not fit into the above categories. People with EDNOS suffer from a combination of symptoms, and do not fit the clinical criteria for other eating disorders, but their condition is often just as serious. People with EDNOS, compulsive eating and binge eating disorders, and even with the more-recognized bulimia can have difficulty finding treatment because they often appear physically healthy.


Statistics


Here are just a few statistics regarding the prevalence and severity of eating disorders. Please visit our links page for other websites with more information.

Anorexia nervosa has the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric illness – it is estimated that 10% of individuals with AN will die within 10 years of the onset of the disorder. (nedic.ca)

Thirty-seven percent of girls in grade nine and 40% in grade ten perceived themselves as too fat. Even among students of normal-weight (based on BMI), 19% believed that they were too fat, and 12% of students reported attempting to lose weight. (nedic.ca)

More than 1/2 of girls and 1/3 of boys engage in unhealthy weight control behaviors (e.g., fasting, vomiting, laxatives, skipping meals, or smoking to control appetite). (nedic.ca)

In the United States, as many as 10 million females and 1 million males are fighting a life and death battle with an eating disorder such as anorexia or bulimia. Millions more are struggling with binge eating disorder. (nationaleatingdisorders.org)

42% of 1st-3rd grade girls want to be thinner. (nationaleatingdisorders.org)

Recovery


Recovery from an eating disorder is difficult but possible, and resources to help people with eating disorders are becoming more common. Support groups are available in many communities in many countries. Many of the organizations on our links page offer free support groups; organizations such as beat, Eating Disorders Anonymous, and ANAD offer nation-wide or international services. If you know of an organization that offers free support that we do not have listed, please contact us at purple.ribbons@gmail.com.

For online support, information on recovery, or how to help a friend, family member, or colleague, please see specified sections on the links page.