Disordered Eating

What is disordered eating?

How to get help?

What is disordered eating?

Disordered eating is more common than many people might think. It occurs when a number of unhealthy behaviors related to eating and exercise coincide.

While the focus is usually on a person’s eating patterns and weight, disordered eating is a response to life situations such as: age, gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic factors, culture, religion, and relationships. Some examples of disordered eating patterns are binging, purging, or fasting behaviors.

Some possible warning signs are:

• Preoccupation with food and weight
• Claiming to feel fat when weight is normal or low
• Social withdrawal
• Preoccupation with appearance
• Difficulty concentrating
• Marked weight loss
• Oversensitivity to criticism
• Secretive behavior
• Guilt and shame about eating
• Perfectionism
• Low self-esteem

Bulimia Nervosa:

Bulimia is marked by periods of uncontrolled eating (binging) and some form of purging in an effort to avoid weight gain. Purging may include vomiting, use of laxatives, or fasting. People living with bulimia experience a persistent concern with maintaining or losing weight.

Compulsive Eating:

Compulsive eating is marked by episodes of uncontrolled eating. The pattern is often triggered by chronic dieting and is maintained by an inability to deal with daily problems and uncomfortable feelings. A person who is a compulsive eater can be any weight, shape, or size.

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How to get help?

If you feel that you might have an eating disorder there is help and support available.

Support, education and resources are also available for friends and family. The Eating Disorder Resource Centre of BC provides of variety of information and services.

They can be reached at
Tel: 604-875-2084 or 1-800-665-1822 (toll free)
E-mail: edrcbc@cw.bc.ca

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