Therapy for Eating Disorders

Types of Eating Disorders

Eating disorders can present in different ways, but all involve serious disturbances in eating behaviors and related thoughts and emotions. Understanding the specific patterns of your symptoms helps create more targeted and effective treatment.

• Anorexia Nervosa — Characterized by restriction of food intake leading to significant weight loss (and/or changes to growth chart in children and adolescents) intense fear of weight gain, and distorted body image. Often accompanied by excessive exercise and preoccupation with body size and shape. Note: Atypical anorexia—in which all criteria are met except that weight remains in or above a "normal" range—is formally categorized under OSFED, though most clinicians and researchers agree this distinction reflects weight bias rather than meaningful clinical differences. Atypical anorexia is equally serious and medically dangerous.

• Bulimia Nervosa — Involves recurrent episodes of binge eating followed by compensatory behaviors such as self-induced vomiting, laxative or diuretic misuse, fasting, or excessive exercise. Self-worth is often heavily influenced by body weight and shape.

• Binge Eating Disorder — Recurrent episodes of consuming large amounts of food in a short period, accompanied by feelings of loss of control, distress, and shame. Episodes may involve eating more rapidly than usual, eating until uncomfortably full, or eating when not physically hungry.

• Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) — Restrictive or selective eating patterns leading to nutritional deficiencies, significant weight loss, or impaired growth. Often involves sensitivity to food textures, tastes, or smells, or lack of interest in eating. Unlike other eating disorders, not driven by body image concerns.

• Orthorexia — An obsession with healthy or "clean" eating that becomes rigid and all-consuming, leading to severe dietary restrictions, anxiety around food choices, and disruption to daily life. While not a formal DSM-5 diagnosis, it is clinically recognized and often overlaps with other eating disorders or OCD.

• Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder (OSFED) — Includes presentations that cause significant distress and impairment but don't meet full criteria for other diagnoses. Examples include purging disorder (purging without binge eating), night eating syndrome, and other clinically significant patterns. OSFED is as serious as other eating disorders and requires treatment.

• Unspecified Feeding or Eating Disorder (UFED) — Used when symptoms cause significant distress or impairment but don't fit criteria for other diagnoses, or there is insufficient information to make a more specific diagnosis. UFED is a serious condition requiring the same level of clinical attention as other eating disorders.

• Pica — Persistent eating of non-food substances (such as dirt, chalk, paper, or ice) for at least one month. The behavior is not part of a culturally supported practice and occurs at a developmentally inappropriate age. Can lead to serious medical complications and nutritional deficiencies.

• Rumination Disorder — Repeated regurgitation of food that may be re-chewed, re-swallowed, or spit out. The behavior is not due to a medical condition and occurs for at least one month. Often begins in infancy or childhood but can occur in adolescence and adulthood, sometimes overlapping with other eating disorders.