3 Common Types Of Eating Disorders

What comes to mind when the phrase ‘eating disorder’ is mentioned? Food, I guess. But the term is far more than just about food.

Eating disorders are serious mental health conditions, and they often result in the development of very unhealthy eating habits. In most cases, those with such problems get unusually obsessed with food, but there is also a definite fixation with body shape or weight.

Although eating disorders can affect anyone—young or old, male or female, they are mostly found among women.

Check out the list below for the common types of eating disorders that there are:

Anorexia nervosa:

This is probably the most prevalent type of eating disorder. It develops generally during young adulthood or adolescence and tends to affect women mostly.

People living with Anorexia nervosa are always conscious of their weight. They see themselves as overweight, even when they are terribly underweight. And so they refrain from eating certain kinds of foods.

Bulimia nervosa:

This disorder will make a person eat an abnormally large amount of food for a particular period of time. They will eat excessively until they can no longer take a bite. As a symptom, people with this condition will consume large amounts of foods they will not consider on a normal day, and then purge.

Pica:

Pica occurs in both adults and children, but it is most frequently found in children. The disorder makes a person crave non-edible substances like ice, chalk, hair, cloth, and the likes, and like the other disorders on this list, can prove to be fatal.

The contents of this article should not be used as a tool for diagnosis, treatment, or in place of professional help. Please consult a medical doctor for further information and help.

If you or anyone you know is struggling with an ED, please seek out professional help immediately.