What is the difference between eating disorder and disordered food?

What is the difference between eating disorder and disordered food?

According to a specific diet or many exercises, it is common and even encouraged to our health culture and image. With increased awareness food allergies And other dietary requirements, it often happens that someone limits or eliminates some foods.

But these behaviors can also be a sign of unhealthy relationship with food. You may have a problematic food pattern without diagnosing eating disorders.

So where is the line? What is disordered food and what is a nutritional disorder?

What is disordered food?

Disordered food He describes negative attitudes and behaviors against food and food that can lead to a disturbed food pattern.

May include:

  • diet

  • skipping meals

  • Avoiding some food groups

  • Binge eating

  • Incorrect exploit of laxatives and drugs for slimming

  • Induction of vomiting (sometimes known as cleansing)

  • exercises compulsively.

Disordered food is a term used when these behaviors are not Often and/or heavy To meet the diagnosis of eating disorders.

Not everyone who is involved in these behaviors will develop a nutrition disorder. But disordered food – Especially diet – It usually precedes a eating disorder.

What is a nutritional disorder?

Eating disorders are complex psychiatric illnesses This may negatively affect the body, mind and social life. They are characterized by persistent disturbances in how someone thinks, feels and behaves around food and their bodies.

To make a diagnosis, a qualified health care worker will exploit a combination of normalized questionnaires, as well as more general interrogations. They mark how constant and difficult behaviors are and how they affect everyday functioning.

Examples of clinical diagnoses include Awsoja ateIN Bulimia nervosaIN Eating disorder AND Avoiding/restrictive food intake.

How are eating disorders and disordered food?

The answer may vary quite radically depending on the study and how it defines disordered behavior and attitudes.

Estimated 8.4% of women and 2.2% of men will develop a nutrition disorder at some point in life. This is the most common during puberty.

There is also especially disordered food common in young people With 30% of girls and 17% of boys aged 6-18 reporting engaging in these behaviors.

Although research still appears, it seems that disturbed eating disorders are even more common in diverse sex people.

Can we prevent eating disorders?

Is a few evidence Programs for preventing eating disorders, which are focused on risk factors – such as diet and fears about shape and weight – can be effective in a low period to some extent.

The problem is that most of these studies last only a few months. Therefore, we cannot determine whether the involved people have developed a nutrition disorder in long -term.

In addition, most studies concerned girls or women in behind schedule high school and university. Nutritional disorders usually appeared at this age. Thus, these studies cannot tell us so much about preventing eating disorders, and also neglects a wide range of people at risk of eating disorders.

Is Ortorexia a nutritional disorder?

By determining the border between eating disorders and disordered food, orthorexia is a controversial problem.

The name literally means “Proper appetite“And it covers Pathological obsession with proper nutrition, characterized by a restrictive diet and rigidly avoiding food considered “unhealthy” or “unclean”.

These Disordered nutritional behavior It should be taken seriously because they can lead to malnutrition, loss of relationships and general impoverished quality of life.

However, Eating Ortorexia is not an official eating disorder in any diagnostic textbook.

In addition, with the popularity of special diets (such as keto or paleo), narrow transient food and dietary requirements (for example, without gluten) it can sometimes be tough to decipher when diet fears have become disturbed, and may even be a dysfunction of nutrition.

For example, about 6% of people have Food allergy. Emerging evidence suggests that they are also More likely To have restrictive types of eating disorders, such as mental ate and food intake disorder.

However, after a special diet, such as veganism or food allergy, does not automatically lead to disordered food or eating disorders.

It is essential to recognize Various motivations of people to eat or avoid some foods. For example, vegan may limit some food groups due to concerns about animal rights, not disordered food symptoms.

What to watch out for

If you are worried about your own relationship with food or a loved one, here are a few Signs that should be noted:

  • Occupying food and food

  • Cutting food groups or completely skipping meals

  • Obsession with weight or shape

  • Huge weight fluctuations

  • compulsive exercise

  • Mood changes and social withdrawal.

It is always best to look for support early. But it’s never too behind schedule to seek support.


In Australia, if you have difficulties in your relationship with food and body, you can contact you National helpline of the Butterfly Foundation Foundation in 1800 33 4673 (or via online chat).

For parents concerned, their child can develop in relation to relationships with food, weight and image of the body, Feed your instinct He emphasizes common warning signs, provides useful information about the search for support and can generate a personalized report that healthcare employees are to take.

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