A diet turns into an eating disorder when the circumstances around withholding or indulging in food becomes an obsession. Compulsive and ruminating thoughts can lead to extreme behaviors that result in starvation, purging of food, binge eating or eating to excess. An eating disorder is more frequent among women and girls, but men and boys are not an exception. If food and dieting interfere with other areas of your life, this is a strong indication you have a problem. Get the help of a licensed mental health practitioner, nutritionist or medical doctor. You may have additional psychological or physical conditions underlying a disordered preoccupation with diet and food that may worsen and lead to serious medical problems if left untreated.
Anorexia Nervosa
Anorexia nervosa is a disorder in which you refuse to take in food for fear of gaining weight. Most cases of anorexia nervosa carry a concurrent psychological disorder known as body dysmorphic disorder or dysmorphophobia, in which you are preoccupied with perfectionism and the need to fix real or perceived defects in your bodily appearance. According to the National Eating Disorders Association, some people resort to excessive exercise to accomplish this goal.
Bulimia Nervosa
Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder that results in purging of food after a meal. In some cases, you eat to excess and then feel consumed by guilt and resort to vomiting or the use of diuretics and laxatives to purge the food. You may suffer dental and esophageal damage, and become dependent on diuretics and laxatives as a result of gastrointestinal disorders and poor digestive health. This condition is a significant problem and can impair other areas of your life. For instance, bulimia nervosa requires heavy planning around eating and bathroom visits. This can occupy the course of the day for most and can interrupt work productivity, parenting and the ability to function socially.
Binge Eating
Binge eating is a condition in which you consume a larger amount of food than most. In this situation, someone who responds to emotionally charged events or stressors with food may order the equivalent to two or more meals to satiate the need to soothe herself. If this isn't an everyday occurrence, it's called binge eating, appropriately named for consuming vast amounts of food on a whim.
Orthorexia
Many people with thoughts related to the food supply and organic food make up a new set of standards for disordered eating called orthorexia. Labeled in 2010 by Dr. Steven Bratman, M.D., orthorexia is considered a parallel to an obsessive compulsive disorder in relation to an unhealthy preoccupation with healthy foods. Although it may seem like a justifiable diet change in regard to unhealthy options, it can become a dangerous medical condition very similar to standard anorexia nervosa. The National Eating Disorders Association is the first major organization to validate the claims made by Dr. Bratman, acknowledging problematic structured eating patterns, fasting and rigidity of exercise programs that often coincide with stringent food choices and withholding of certain foods. The notion is that being mindful of food choices can place you in control of your life, gain spirituality through wholeness and establish a sense of personal identity via joining groups affiliated with a strict food choice structure. Orthorexia is not considered a true diagnosis in the psychological community yet.
