Disordered Eating and Eating Disorders

Running head: DISORDERED EATING AND EATING DISORDERS 1
Disordered Eating and Eating Disorders
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DISORDERED EATING AND EATING DISORDERS 2
Introduction
A lot of individuals think that disordered eating (DE) and eating disorders (ED) are
similar in description. However, the two diseases are different in definition and manifestation.
Disordered eating is a collective term that point to the various abnormal behaviors of eating
meals (Culbert, Racine, & Klump, 2015). On the other hand, eating disorders are diseases that
change the eating habits of an individual (Mehler, & Andersen, 2017). The causes of eating
disorders include depressions and stress due to changes in body shape or weight. The diseases
are characterized by taking little than normal food uptake by an individual. Other people
consume excessive chunks of meals when they have the eating diseases. The absorption of
excess or a small amount of food interferes with the normal functioning of body organs.
Examples of the disorders are Binge, Bulimia Nervosa, and Anorexia Nervosa (Brownell,
& Walsh, 2017). The diseases occur at any developmental phase of human beings. However,
physiologists report a majority of cases at the early stages of growth. Therefore, a large
percentage of the disorders affect children. Well-Constructed treatment methods help to alleviate
the diseases. The affected individuals should visit health facilities for a check-up before the
symptoms become severe. Delayed diagnosis and treatment worsen the effects of the dietary
diseases and can lead death of an individual (Douglas, 2015). Eating disorders are mental
disorders and majorly occur as a result of depression, anxiety, and drug addiction. The clear
distinction between DE and ED is the severity level and occurrence frequency. This paper will
look at the difference between DE and ED. Furthermore, the essay will discuss the types of EDs
and treatment recommendations.
Types of Disordered Eating (DE)

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There is a variety of DEs and EDs at the same time. Disordered Eating habits include
Binge-eating and fasting (Nagata et al., 2018). The individuals who fast go for days, weeks, or
even months without feeding. In most scenarios, the people fasting drink water and entirely
forego meals. There is a group of individuals who have the habits of skipping meals. The
skippers can take a break first and skip lunch after which they eat dinner. There are those who
control the type of food elements that they partake. For instance, an individual can opt to take
carbohydrates and refuse to eat proteins.
Some individuals take diet pills to compensate for the foods that they cannot have during
feeding. An example is an individual who does not take fatty foods but opts for tablets to cover
up the lack of fats in the diet (Herpertz-Dahlmann et al., 2015). The use of creatine and steroids
is also an example of DE. Athletes use the mentioned supplements to improve their performance
on the various sporting categories. The supplements also change their appearances. However,
excessive use of supplements is detrimental to the health of the athletes. The individuals should
use little amounts of supplements to prevent harm.
Types of Eating Disorders (ED)
Anorexia Nervosa
The disease affects both males and females and occurs at all phases of development.
However, the complication is rampant in individuals approaching adulthood (Boraska et al.,
2014). The affected individuals believe that proper eating leads to weight gain. Furthermore, the
persons affected to decline the chance of maintaining their weight. Anorexia Nervosa also makes
individuals to view the image of their body in a false perspective (Zipfel et al., 2015). Therefore,
those affected are not comfortable with their shapes and sizes. The people crave to maintain their
weight by all means. The condition makes people take little food to avoid being overweight.

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Anorexia Nervosa makes people see themselves in an oversize scenario. Few individuals may be
genuinely overweight, but a majority is of the right weight. The obese individuals minimize
feeding to gain the proper pressure. However, those with desirable weight become thin due to the
disease. The disease has serious health drawbacks on the affected individuals. The condition
leads to brain disorders and bone loss. Furthermore, anorexia causes infertility in women. There
are also reported cases of heart and organ failures in the affected individuals (Zipfel et al., 2015).
The disease can also lead to coma, and severe cases lead to deaths if not noticed and treated at
early stages.
Bulimia Nervosa
The affected individuals tend to have habits of binge-eating which they frequently repeat.
The affected persons also develop habits of compensating for their overeating habits. The
behaviors include too much exercise and induced vomiting (Wilson, & Bannon, 2018). Certain
individuals use diuretics and laxatives to correct their overeating habits. The individuals
consume excessive food but fear to gain weight. Moreover, Bulimia makes the affected persons
sad due to their expanding body shape and size. Therefore, they use corrective measures to
match their feeding habits. The main aim of the victims is to maintain their weight regardless of
their feeding behaviors.
The victims carry out the binge-eating in secrecy due to the fear of shame. The
individuals also undergo the cycle of plunging away from people since they cannot control the
behavior (Wilson, & Bannon, 2018). Moreover, Bulimia makes victims guilty hence most of
them live secret lives. Furthermore, they feed and perform habits such as induced vomiting away
from people. The disease leads to internal injury like gastrointestinal complications. The