Eating disorders are serious mental illnesses that mess with people’s thoughts and feelings about food, weight, and body image.

They can be life-threatening, with anorexia being the deadliest of all mental illnesses. About 1.25 million people in the UK have an eating disorder. These are just estimates, though, because some people hide their eating disorders due to shame and stigma.

There are four main types of eating disorders:

  • Binge eating disorder: eating large amounts of food in a short time.
  • Anorexia nervosa: restricting food and trying to be very thin, even when underweight.
  • Bulimia nervosa: binge eating and then getting rid of the food (throwing up, laxatives, etc.).
  • OSFED: Other specified feeding and eating disorders that don’t fit neatly into the other categories.

Eating disorders are not about food itself. They’re a way people cope with difficult emotions. Anyone can get an eating disorder, regardless of age, gender, race, or anything else. Everyone’s experience is different, and the symptoms can vary from person to person.

We don’t know exactly what causes eating disorders, but it’s probably a mix of different things like genes, brain chemistry, and life experiences. There’s no one-size-fits-all treatment, and recovery takes time. For more information, check out this About Eating Disorders leaflet from Eating Disorders NI.

What we SAY!

If you think you or someone you know might have an eating disorder, get help right away. The sooner you get treatment, the better the chances of recovery.