Eating healthy is a worthy goal—but when eating conscientiously turns from mindfulness to an obsession, orthorexia can kick in. Orthorexia Nervosa, as it’s properly known, occurs when someone begins obsessively eating only foods that they deem as “pure,” “healthy,” or “clean.” Orthorexia isn’t just a diet; this eating habit becomes…
On the surface, the fitness guru you follow is inspirational—but they’re also driving unhealthy, relentless exercising into some of their followers. What about the diet teas or fizz drinks that everyone is drinking (according to the influencers you follow) in order to lose weight? How about the waist trainers they…
When you think of picky eaters, what comes to mind? Maybe a toddler who only ever wants chicken nuggets. Or perhaps a young child who refuses to eat vegetables. But what about children who only eat three types of foods and gag at the idea of trying something new? When…
Newly discovered warnings signs could help doctors identify eating disorders early. Researchers from Swansea University Medical School analyzed the health records from 15,558 people diagnosed with an eating disorder, such as anorexia nervosa or binge eating disorder, between 1990 and 2017. The team saw that in the two years prior…
Educate Yourself First, Talk to Your Friend Second If you suspect a friend or loved one has an eating disorder you should first educate yourself about the disorder. You want to familiarize yourself with the signs of an eating disorder, gain a better understanding of why people develop eating disorders…
We’re bombarded with information about food and dieting on a daily basis—this can cause one to be overcritical about their eating habits and ultimately develop an unhealthy relationship with food. Instead of focusing on the latest diet craze, losing weight, or crunching numbers, we should put our energy into cultivating…
There are two different kinds of anorexia: the restricting type and the binge eating/purging type. With the former, the individual severely restricts their food intake, but does not binge eat or purge. In the latter case, the individual eats large quantities of food and then makes him or herself vomit…
Binge-eating is eating a lot of food in a short time period; it isn’t occasionally pigging out, but is instead often characteristic of a binge-eating disorder. Symptoms of binge-eating disorder include engaging in recurrent episodes of eating a large amount of food in a small amount of time a lack…
Today’s society places tremendous importance on body size and shape. People of all ages are consumed with physical beauty. With celebrities flaunting their lives on social media, magazines showing photoshopped, airbrushed models, and television shows creating flawless fictional characters, it’s easy for anyone to become obsessed with his or her…
Scott Griffiths is a National Health and Medical Research Council Fellow at the University of Melbourne. He researches eating and body image disorders, including muscle dysmorphia, anorexia nervosa, body dysmorphic disorder, anabolic steroids, and the contributions that masculinity, femininity, and stigma make to these. In this TEDxSydney Talk, Scott discusses…
Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) is a newly recognized eating disorder that can occur throughout life—in infants, children, teens and adults, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5), which is published by the American Psychiatric Association. The disorder was originally diagnosed in infants and…
A 22-year-old woman arrived at the dentist office complaining of pain and swelling in her lower jaw. She was a successful electrical engineer who appeared to be in good health . . . but dental professionals knew something wasn’t quite right. Upon further questioning, the young woman reluctantly admitted that…