Disordered eating encompasses a variety of eating behaviours that are linked with unhealthy eating patterns or practises. It involves having differing viewpoints or practices on eating that are unhealthy or that do not facilitate a healthy relationship with food.
Eating disorders can be classified as disordered eating although not all forms of disordered eating qualify to be termed as eating disorders. Several signs and symptoms associated with eating disorders may be characteristic of disordered eating. Although even with these similar signs and symptoms, these eating behaviours do not qualify to be categorized as eating disorders as per current diagnosis of eating disorders. To illustrate, an individual may frequently engage in dieting or fasting, common among bulimic individuals, but if this person does not have the other signs of bulimia, then he or she can be said to have disordered eating. Notably, disordered eating can progress to an eating disorder.
Disordered eating has certain signs and symptoms similar to those of eating disorders. Among those signs and symptoms of disordered eating are:
- Frequently skipping meals
- Binge-eating
- Restrictive dieting
- Fasting
- The regular use of fad diets
- The exclusion of food groups or being involved in particular cleansing diet routines
- A preoccupation with body image-body weight or shape
- A preoccupation with dieting, calorie count, food
- Eating privately
- Fear of adding weight
- Performing specific food rituals
Likely complications and effects of disordered eating are:
- Significant fluctuations in weight
- Abdominal pain or discomfort
- Fatigue
- Changes in bowel patterns
- Changes in menstrual regularity, including missing periods
- Dizziness
- Changes in hair and skin (become brittle or dry)
Disordered eating characterizes a variety of eating patterns or behaviours that are unhealthy. Indeed, eating disorders are a form of disordered eating but not all disordered eating is an eating disorder. Disordered eating behaviours or patterns tend to involve restrictive dieting, skipping meals regularly, avoiding or restricting particular food groups etc. However, while these eating behaviours may align with those of an eating disorder, they do not qualify to be termed as eating disorders as they do not meet the set criterion of what an eating disorder is. Therefore, disordered eating entails any unhealthy eating patterns or behaviours- simply said, it is any unhealthy relationship with food.