Anorexia Nervosa :

Individuals with anorexia nervosa are unable or unwilling to maintain a body weight that is normal or expected for their age and height. 85% of normal weight is used as a reasonable guide. Individuals with anorexia nervosa usually display a pronounced fear of weight gain and a dread of becoming fat even though they are markedly underweight. Concerns about their weight and about how they believe they look have a powerful influence on the individuals's self-evaluation. The seriousness of the weight loss and its health implications is usually minimized, if not denied, by the individual.

Binge Eating Disorder :

The term, binge eating disorder (BED), was officially introduced in 1992. The term was developed to describe individuals who binge eat but do not regularly use inappropriate compensatory weight control behaviors such as fasting or purging to lose weight.The binge eating may involve rapid consumption of food, uncomfortable fullness after eating, and eating large amounts of food when not hungry. Feelings of shame and embarrassment are prominent. Binge Eating Disorder is often associated with obesity. In the past these individuals were often referred to as compulsive overeaters, emotional overeaters, or food addicts.

Bulimia Nervosa :  Individuals with bulimia nervosa regularly engage in discrete periods of overeating which are followed by attempts to compensate for overeating and to avoid weight gain. There can be considerable variation in the nature of the overeating but the typical episode of overeating involves the consumption of an amount of food that would be considered excessive in normal circumstances. The individual's subjective experience is dominated by a sense of a lack of control over the eating. Binge eating is followed by inappropriate compensatory behaviors such as self-induced vomiting, misuse of laxatives, enemas, diuretics, severe caloric restriction, or excessive exercising.

   Profound concerns about weight and shape are also characteristic of individuals with bulimia nervosa. Self-evaluation is centered on the individual's perceptions of her body image.

      As with anorexia nervosa, there are two subtypes of bulimia nervosa. The Purging Type describes individuals who regularly compensate for the binge eating with self-induced vomiting or through the use of laxatives, diuretics, or enemas. The Non-Purging Type is used to describe individuals who compensate through excessive exercising or dietary fasting.

Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (EDNOS) : There are numerous variants of disordered eating in addition to binge eating disorder that do not meet the diagnostic criteria for anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa, but nevertheless are eating disorders requiring treatment. A substantial number of individuals with eating disorders fit this category. Individuals with eating disordered behaviors that resemble anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa but whose eating behaviors do not meet one or more essential diagnostic criteria may be diagnosed with EDNOS. Examples of EDNOS include individuals who regularly purge but do not binge eat, individuals who meet criteria for anorexia nervosa but continue to menstruate, and individuals who meet criteria for bulimia nervosa, but binge eat less than twice weekly.

   

Eating Disorders :

Eating disorders are characterized by a persistent pattern of aberrant eating or dieting behavior. These patterns of eating behavior are associated with significant emotional, physical, and relational distress.

The line between normal variations in eating patterns and eating disorders can be hard to delineate. Formal diagnoses are best made by clinicians on the basis of specific criteria from The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR)(American Psychiatric Association, 2000).  The diagnosis of an eating disorder can be difficult. The boundaries between normal and disordered eating are somewhat blurry. Many patients with clearly disordered eating do not meet the formal diagnostic criteria for one of the specific disorders and are classified as having EDNOS. The failure to meet formal criteria does not necessarily mean that the individual does not have a serious and significant disorder. Formal evaluations for diagnosis and treatment should only be made by qualified clinicians.