Eating Disorders

Broadly, an eating disorder is a medical condition that affects how a person eats and how they think about eating. Common types are anorexia nervosa (usually just called “anorexia”), bulimia nervosa (usually just called “bulimia”), binge eating, and avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID).

Anorexia nervosa is characterized by significantly decreased eating due to a fear of gaining weight and/or looking “fat”.

Bulimia nervosa is characterized by eating significantly more than others in one sitting due to a lack of control and then compensating for it by getting rid of the food before it is digested.

Binge eating is characterized by eating significantly more than others in one sitting due to a lack of control.
There are many different treatment strategies for these conditions, so please schedule an appointment if you are concerned about your child.