Types of Eating Disorders

By the clinical team at Next Step Psychiatry • Lilburn, GA

Eating Disorders Are Psychiatric Conditions, Not Lifestyle Choices

Eating disorders are among the deadliest mental health conditions—anorexia nervosa has the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric illness. Yet eating disorders remain profoundly misunderstood, often dismissed as vanity, dieting gone wrong, or a phase. They are none of these things. Eating disorders are complex psychiatric conditions involving distorted body image, disordered eating behaviors, and significant physical and psychological harm.

An estimated 28.8 million Americans will experience an eating disorder at some point in their lives. They affect all genders, ages, races, and body sizes.

Anorexia Nervosa

Anorexia involves persistent restriction of food intake leading to significantly low body weight, intense fear of weight gain, and a distorted perception of body size. People with anorexia may see themselves as overweight despite being dangerously underweight. Physical complications include heart arrhythmias, bone loss, organ damage, and hormone disruption.

There are two subtypes: restricting type (limiting food intake) and binge-purge type (restriction alternating with binge eating and purging behaviors).

Bulimia Nervosa

Bulimia involves cycles of binge eating (consuming large amounts of food with a sense of loss of control) followed by compensatory behaviors—purging through vomiting, laxative misuse, excessive exercise, or fasting. Unlike anorexia, people with bulimia are often at a normal weight, which makes the disorder harder to detect. Physical consequences include electrolyte imbalances, dental erosion, esophageal tears, and kidney problems.

Binge Eating Disorder (BED)

BED is the most common eating disorder in the United States, affecting 3.5% of women and 2% of men. It involves recurrent episodes of eating large quantities of food while feeling out of control, followed by shame and distress—but without the compensatory behaviors seen in bulimia. BED frequently co-occurs with depression, anxiety, and is a contributing factor to obesity.

Other Eating Disorders

Beyond the three most well-known disorders, there are several others.

• ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder): Extreme picky eating that leads to nutritional deficiency, not driven by body image concerns
• Orthorexia: Obsessive focus on “clean” or “healthy” eating that becomes restrictive and harmful
• OSFED (Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder): Clinically significant eating disorders that don’t meet full criteria for the above categories
• Night Eating Syndrome: Consuming most daily calories after dinner, often linked to sleep and mood disorders

How Psychiatry Helps

Eating disorder treatment requires a team approach: therapist, dietitian, medical provider, and often a psychiatrist. The psychiatric role is crucial because eating disorders frequently co-occur with depression, anxiety, OCD, ADHD, and PTSD. Treating these co-occurring conditions with medication often makes therapy and nutritional rehabilitation more effective.

At Next Step Psychiatry, we work with patients who have eating disorders to manage co-occurring psychiatric conditions, monitor medication effects on appetite and weight, and coordinate with eating disorder treatment teams across Georgia.

This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider. If you or someone you know is in crisis, call 911 or the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.