Common Types of Eating Disorders

Currently living and working in Arvada, Colorado, David M Garner, PhD, is an academic researcher and is the President of Eating Attitudes LLC which provides information information related to the eating disorders screening to researchers and the public. Dr. David M Garner has had a long-standing professional interest in eating disorders, of which there are a number of common forms.

An eating disorder can be classified as a mental health condition that has a negative impact on a person physically due to their eating habits. There are a number of different factors that can cause eating disorders to appear, including environment and genetics.

Anorexia nervosa is the most well-known and diagnosed eating disorder, and it normally develops in adolescents and young teens. People with this diagnosis will usually look at themselves as obese even if they are very underweight. They will tend to avoid eating certain foods, restrict calories, and skip meals completely.

Bulimia nervosa is another common eating disorder that also typically starts to appear in adolescents and young teens. Binge eating, or eating large volumes of food, is a common part of bulimia, as the person experiences overwhelming thoughts about food. This binge-eating is normally followed by purging, or vomiting, to lower their caloric intake. Many bulimia sufferers report a lack of self-control when binging.

Pica is an eating disorder that is not common, and it involves compulsively eating things that are not classified as food. This disorder can be found in any age group, but most commonly occurs in children, people with mental disorders, and pregnant women. This can cause health concerns for the patient, as they may ingest things that could physically hurt or even poison them.