Disordered Eating vs. Eating Disorder. How They Differ and Overlap.
Written by Isabel Vasquez RD, LDN
In today’s day-and-age, so many people struggle in their relationships with food and their bodies. Controlling your food intake, eliminating entire food groups, and speaking harshly about your body are all too common. Yet, these can be signs of disordered eating and in some cases, of an eating disorder.
If you’re struggling yourself or you know a loved one struggling, it can be difficult to distinguish disordered eating from an eating disorder. While they can both be distressing and signal a poor relationship with food, there are differences that also impact the best treatment approach.
In this blog post, learn the differences between an eating disorder and disordered eating and how to get help.
What is an eating disorder?
An eating disorder is a diagnosable mental illness that warrants intensive treatment and support. Each eating disorder has a clinical definition with specifications for severity, frequency, and duration of disordered behaviors.
The four main eating disorders, according to the National Institute of Mental Health, are
Anorexia nervosa: restrictive food behaviors, an intense fear of gaining weight, and a distorted perception of one’s body size
Bulimia nervosa: periods of binge eating followed by periods of compensation (vomiting, laxative abuse, excessive exercise, and/or fasting)
Binge eating disorder: repeated episodes of eating an unusually large amount of food in a way that feels out of control, no compensatory behaviors
Avoidant-restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID): food restriction that’s related to an extreme disinterest in food, a prior trauma related to food (like food poisoning or a choking incident), or sensory sensitivities, not related to a fear of weight gain
One left out of this list is “other specified feeding and eating disorders”, also known as OSFED. It’s a catch-all for other severe disordered eating behaviors that don’t fit neatly into one of the other four eating disorder diagnoses listed above.
A 2021 study in BJPsych Open found that there’s lots of variation in the symptoms of patients with OSFED. The authors couldn’t easily place participants into two groups of binge/purge behaviors and restrictive behaviors.
What is disordered eating?
Having worked with hundreds of clients with eating disorders and disordered eating, I define disordered eating as having a poor relationship with food, but not enough to meet the clinical definition of an eating disorder.
Essentially, there is no clinical definition for disordered eating.
Disordered eating exists on a spectrum, so it can range from mild to severe. In some cases, someone may have a subclinical eating disorder, where they have quite severe disordered eating behaviors but not enough to qualify them for an eating disorder diagnosis.
Some signs of disordered eating include:
Limiting certain foods or food groups
Feeling guilty after eating
Skipping meals on purpose
Eating to the point of extreme fullness regularly
Using food to cope with emotions on a regular basis
Feeling out of control around food
Using exercise to justify eating certain foods
Tying your worth to your eating habits
Using your weight to decide what to eat
Avoiding eating socially
Differences Between Eating Disorders and Disordered Eating
The key difference between disordered eating and an eating disorder is that an eating disorder has a clinical definition and can be officially diagnosed, whereas disordered eating does not.
An eating disorder is often a more severe form of disordered eating, but that’s not to say disordered eating can’t also be severe and warrant comprehensive support from a therapist and dietitian.
The behaviors can be quite similar, but someone struggling with disordered eating may not meet the frequency and duration of behaviors required to be diagnosed with an eating disorder.
Both can be rooted in issues beyond just food and body, but this is most common for eating disorders. They’re not just about wanting to control your weight and food behaviors.
While they may be partly triggered by diet culture’s extreme food claims and elevation of the thin ideal, there are often deeper issues underlying an eating disorder. The unhealthy behaviors around food and weight are maladaptive coping skills often used to control, comfort, or numb.
For example, eating disorders often emerge or re-emerge during times of transition or loss as a way of exerting control over your body and food and suppressing tough emotions.
Furthermore, they can both cause distress and impact day-to-day functioning, but eating disorders tend to have a greater impact on physical, mental, emotional, and interpersonal health.
How to Find Help
The treatment for an eating disorder typically entails working with a registered dietitian, therapist, and doctor. Sometimes, other providers like a psychiatrist, physical therapist, or occupational therapist are also needed.
The goal of treatment is first to promote medical stability, and then to establish a consistent, adequate eating pattern with a dietitian and explore the underlying emotional and psychological issues in therapy.
Recovering from disordered eating may be less intensive than recovering from an eating disorder, depending on the severity. However, it is usually still helpful to work with a registered dietitian and therapist.
Related: Are Nutritionists & Dietitians Covered by Insurance?
If you’re unsure whether you have an eating disorder or disordered eating, or you’re looking for support, we recommend contacting Project Heal. They have a variety of programs that can help diagnose and support you with disordered eating or an eating disorder.
Final Thoughts
Eating disorders and disordered eating are both characterized by a poor relationship to food and your body. Remember, the key difference is that eating disorders can be diagnosed using clinical criteria, whereas disordered eating cannot.
Disordered eating exists on a spectrum, and just because there’s no formal diagnosis doesn’t mean it isn’t also worth taking seriously.
For education on how to ADD nutrition to your favorite Latine cultural dishes, make peace with food, and focus on your health without dieting, join our nutrition library for just $27/month.
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