What Is the Difference Between Disordered Eating and an Eating Disorder?
Disordered eating refers to a wide range of irregular eating behaviors and attitudes toward food, weight, and body image. It's important to distinguish disordered eating from clinically diagnosed eating disorders, though both can have detrimental effects on physical and mental health and both deserve support, care, and full recovery.
While both disordered eating and eating disorders involve challenges with food, body image, and eating behaviors, they exist on different levels of severity. Let’s explore the differences between the two and why recognizing these distinctions matters.
1. Disordered Eating: A Widespread Challenge
Disordered eating refers to a wide range of irregular eating behaviors that may not qualify as a specific eating disorder but still impact one’s physical or emotional health. It’s common and can look like:
Skipping meals or avoiding food groups to lose weight or control appearance
Fad dieting or constantly trying the newest diet trend
Obsessing over calories or food to the point where it affects daily life
Using exercise excessively to “burn off” food or control weight
Engaging in emotional eating when stressed, anxious, or bored
These behaviors may not happen all the time, and someone engaging in disordered eating might not meet the clinical criteria for an eating disorder. However, disordered eating can still have significant effects on your mental and physical health, including nutrient deficiencies, low energy, or feeling constantly preoccupied with food and body image.
Disordered eating is often a response to societal pressures around appearance, weight, and health. While many people struggle with disordered eating behaviors at some point, it can sometimes go unnoticed because our culture tends to normalize restrictive eating or overexercising in the name of “health.”
2. Eating Disorders: A Serious Medical Condition
Eating disorders are mental health conditions that require professional diagnosis and treatment. They involve more severe, persistent patterns of disordered eating that interfere with daily life and have significant physical, emotional, and social consequences. Some of the most common eating disorders include:
Anorexia Nervosa: Characterized by extreme food restriction, an intense fear of gaining weight, and a distorted body image.
Bulimia Nervosa: Involves cycles of binge eating followed by behaviors like vomiting, excessive exercise, or laxative use to compensate for the binge.
Binge Eating Disorder: Defined by recurrent episodes of eating large quantities of food in a short period, often followed by feelings of shame or guilt, without compensatory behaviors.
Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID): Characterized by avoiding certain foods or food groups without the fear of weight gain but often leading to malnutrition or nutritional deficiencies.
The key difference between disordered eating and an eating disorder is the severity and impact. While disordered eating can be harmful, eating disorders are typically more intense, last longer, and come with more serious medical risks. For example, someone with an eating disorder may experience significant weight changes, malnutrition, organ damage, or even life-threatening complications.
3. When Does Disordered Eating Become an Eating Disorder?
There isn’t always a clear-cut point where disordered eating transitions into an eating disorder, but there are some warning signs to be aware of. If you notice any of the following, it could indicate that disordered eating has developed into something more serious:
Rigid rules around food: If food rules become inflexible and begin to take over your life, it might be a sign of an eating disorder.
Significant emotional distress: If your relationship with food leads to intense feelings of guilt, anxiety, or shame, or if it feels impossible to eat without distress, it may be time to seek help.
Physical symptoms: Noticeable changes in weight, energy levels, digestive problems, or physical symptoms related to malnutrition could indicate a more serious issue.
Interference with daily life: If your eating behaviors are interfering with your ability to function in your daily life—whether it’s affecting your relationships, work, or social life—it could suggest an eating disorder.
4. Why It’s Important to Seek Support Early
While disordered eating may not seem as serious as an eating disorder, it’s important to address these behaviors before they escalate. Disordered eating can be a gateway to developing a full-blown eating disorder if left unchecked. Additionally, disordered eating patterns can still negatively impact your mental and physical health, even if they don’t meet the criteria for an eating disorder.
A dietitian, therapist, or healthcare provider can help you work through disordered eating behaviors and prevent them from becoming more severe. Early intervention is key in both preventing the development of an eating disorder and helping you build a healthier relationship with food and your body.
5. Finding Compassion for Yourself
Whether you’re struggling with disordered eating or suspect you may have an eating disorder, it’s important to approach yourself with compassion. These behaviors often develop in response to societal pressures, stress, or difficult emotions, and they’re not a reflection of your worth or ability to control your life.
Seeking help isn’t a sign of failure—it’s a courageous step toward healing. Whether you need guidance on how to approach food in a more balanced way or require more intensive support, there are professionals available to help you regain control of your well-being.
Moving Toward Healing
Understanding the difference between disordered eating and an eating disorder is important in recognizing when you may need support. Whether you’re dealing with irregular eating behaviors or more severe symptoms, reaching out for help can guide you toward a healthier, more compassionate relationship with food.
Remember, you don’t have to go through this journey alone.
At Side By Side Nutrition, our certified medical nutrition therapy dietitians provide personalized, one-on-one nutrition counseling specifically tailored for individuals facing disordered eating, restrictive eating disorder, and chronic dieting.
Our approach is grounded in a holistic philosophy that prioritizes behaviors, and overall well-being, fostering a positive relationship with food and our bodies, and practicing self-compassion rather than fixating on numbers. This philosophy forms the foundation of values-aligned, intuitive eating, sustainable health and well-being. Our focus lies in assisting clients in cultivating a sustainable, empathetic, respectful, and trusting connection with food, body image, and self.
Our dietitians are based in Colorado Springs and Fort Collins, Colorado, as well as Woodinville, Washington, and we work with patients from all over the state and country providing in-person and online nutrition counseling.