Eating disorders

Anorexia nervosa is a mental health disorder characterized by abrupt weight loss resulting from drastic dieting, fasting, induced vomiting, use of laxatives or excessive exercise. Anorexia nervosa is also associated with an intense fear of gaining weight and a distorted body image.

Bulimia is a mental health disorder characterized by the presence of compulsive eating, followed by compensatory methods such as drastic dieting, fasting, induced vomiting, excessive exercise, and many others. Feelings of shame, guilt and disgust often follow these episodes.

Binge eating disorder (or bulimic hyperphagia) is a mental health disorder characterized by the presence of compulsive eating, but without compensatory methods. Episodes of compulsive eating occur when, in a limited period of time, a much greater quantity of food is consumed than most people would consume in a similar period of time and under the same circumstances. They are often accompanied by a feeling of loss of control. Following this episode, the sufferer experiences guilt, shame, and disgust.

Unspecified eating disorders include problems that do not precisely meet the criteria for specific eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia and binge eating. Examples include orthorexia and bigorexia. Despite this fact, people suffering from an unspecified eating disorder can also live with low self-esteem and an obsession with body image. They may count calories, institute crash diets, adopt overtraining habits and so on.