An eating disorder is a mental disorder defined by abnormal eating behaviors that adversely affect a person's physical or mental health. These behaviors include eating either too much or too little. Types of eating disorders include binge eating disorder, where the patient keeps eating large amounts in a short period of time typically while not being hungry; anorexia nervosa, where the person has an intense fear of gaining weight and restricts food or overexercises to manage this fear; bulimia nervosa, where individuals eat a large quantity (binging) then try to rid themselves of the food (purging); pica, where the patient eats non-food items; rumination syndrome, where the patient regurgitates undigested or minimally digested food; avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID), where people have a reduced or selective food intake due to some psychological reasons; and a group of other specified feeding or eating disorders. Anxiety disorders, depression and substance abuse are common among people with eating disorders. These disorders do not include obesity. People often experience comorbidity between an eating disorder and OCD. It is estimated 20–60% of patients with an ED have a history of OCD.
Bulimia nervosa, also known simply as bulimia, is an eating disorder characterized by binge eating followed by compensatory behaviors, such as vomiting, excessive exercise, or fasting to prevent weight gain.
Marya Justine Hornbacher is an American author and freelance journalist.
Wasted: A Memoir of Anorexia and Bulimia is an autobiography written by Marya Hornbacher, detailing her fourteen-year battle with eating disorders. Published by HarperCollins in 1997, Wasted was a critical and commercial success. The author's young age surprised many readers, and the memoir was praised for its maturity and candor.
Hannah Ashworth is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Emma Rigby. Hannah first appeared on-screen on 27 September 2005 and her last appearance was on 12 February 2010. It was announced on 8 November 2023 that she was to return after 13 years away for a number of episodes in early January, and was later announced to be making a permanent return. Hannah briefly returned for a short stint from 19 to 23 January 2024, before a permanent return on 26 April of the same year. Rigby quit the role once again, only one month after her permanent return, in June 2024.
Ellen West (1888–1921) was a patient of Dr. Ludwig Binswanger who had anorexia nervosa. She became a famous example of Daseinsanalysis who died by suicide at age 33 by poisoning herself.
Purging disorder is an eating disorder characterized by the DSM-5 as self-induced vomiting, or misuse of laxatives, diuretics, or enemas to forcefully evacuate matter from the body. Purging disorder differs from bulimia nervosa (BN) because individuals do not consume a large amount of food before they purge. In current diagnostic systems, purging disorder is a form of other specified feeding or eating disorder. Research indicates that purging disorder, while not rare, is not as commonly found as anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa. This syndrome is associated with clinically significant levels of distress, and that it appears to be distinct from bulimia nervosa on measures of hunger and ability to control food intake. Some of the signs of purging disorder are frequent trips to the bathroom directly after a meal, frequent use of laxatives, and obsession over one's appearance and weight. Other signs include swollen cheeks, popped blood vessels in the eyes, and clear teeth which are all signs of excessive vomiting.
Hungry: A Mother and Daughter Fight Anorexia is a 2009 book cowritten by Sheila Himmel and Lisa Himmel. Written by a daughter and her mother, Hungry depicts Lisa Himmel's struggle with anorexia and bulimia. Published by Berkley Trade, Hungry took six years to be completed because of Lisa's relapses.
The Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI) is a self-report questionnaire used to assess the presence of eating disorders, (a) anorexia nervosa both restricting and binge-eating/purging type; (b) bulimia nervosa; and (c) eating disorder not otherwise specified including binge eating disorder. The original questionnaire consisted of 64 questions, divided into eight subscales. It was created in 1984 by David M. Garner and others. There have been two subsequent revisions by Garner: the Eating Disorder Inventory-2 (EDI-2) and the Eating Disorder Inventory-3 (EDI-3).
Anorexia nervosa (AN), often referred to simply as anorexia, is an eating disorder characterized by food restriction, body image disturbance, fear of gaining weight, and an overpowering desire to be thin.
Sam Thomas is a campaigner for men living with eating disorders, mental health & alcohol addiction. In 2008 he founded Men Get Eating Disorders Too (MGEDT) which in December 2010 became a registered charity in the UK.
Wintergirls (2009) is a realistic fiction novel by the American author Laurie Halse Anderson. The novel was published in 2009 by Viking. The story focuses on a girl, Lia Overbrook, who suffers from anorexia and self harm. Lia struggles to cope with her mental illness while balancing everything else going on in her life. Some months after a fall out with her best friend Cassie, Lia receives the news that she has died from bulimia. This complicates Lia's life even more and forces her to confront her own illness.
To the Bone is a 2017 American drama film, written and directed by Marti Noxon. The film follows a young woman, portrayed by Lily Collins, as she battles anorexia. The film premiered in competition at the Sundance Film Festival on January 22, 2017, as a contender in the U.S. Dramatic Competition. It was released worldwide on Netflix on July 14, 2017. Netflix's release of the film was met with controversy, with some arguing that the film glamorises anorexia.
Paul E. Garfinkel is a Canadian psychiatrist, researcher and an academic leader. He is a professor at the University of Toronto and a staff psychiatrist at Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH).
Worthy of Love is a 2019 Canadian young adult coming-of-age novel by Andre Fenton, which follows the story of mixed-race Nova Scotian teenager Adrian Carter, a boy who has an eating disorder. The book received generally positive reviews from critics, and was commended for featuring taboo subject matter of eating disorders in men. Worthy of Love won Bronze in The Coast Best Of, a Nova Scotian annual contest.
Kim: Empty Inside: The Diary of an Anonymous Teenager is a 2002 young adult psychological coming-of-age novel by Beatrice Sparks, written as the "true" diary of Kim, a teenage gymnast who suffers from anorexia, bulimia and self-deprecating fatphobia in a struggle for self-control. The book was released by Avon and HarperTeen, and received positive reviews from critics. It was Sparks's first published book on the subject of eating disorders.
The Best Little Girl in the World is a 1979 American young adult coming of age novel by Steven Levenkron, telling the story of Kessa, a teen who suffers from an eating disorder. The book was originally published by Warner Books in 1979. It was adapted into a 1981 ABC TV film by the same name, and it won the American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults Award.
