pathoscribe

Written by Hephzibah Ikpe | Art by Mollyann Calufield

Eating disorders are characterized by distressing thoughts and emotions towards food and eating behaviors. The specific symptoms regarding eating disorders vary from person to person, but some of the most common symptoms include restrictive eating, overeating, or purging. This often harms one’s ability to get the necessary nutrients for proper functioning, making this disorder extremely harmful. Despite this, many people are uneducated on the different types of eating disorders and how they may impact the affected person. 

Binge Eating Disorder (BED):

First, Binge Eating Disorder, or BED, occurs when  a person has episodes of overeating where they consume excessive amounts of food in a short amount of time, often when they are not even hungry. This is also accompanied by feelings of disgust, embarrassment, or loss of control, as people with BED struggle to stop eating, even when they are uncomfortably full. This is extremely dangerous as it puts people with BED at risk for health conditions such as obesity, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, and more. Some treatment options include cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, which is designed to help people with BED gain a better sense of control while developing healthy-eating patterns. Integrative cognitive-affective therapy, or ICAT, is talk therapy that helps people with BED change the emotions and behaviors that lead to binge eating. Dialectical behavior therapy is also a type of talk therapy designed to help people with BED manage stress, emotions, and relationships, ultimately lessening a desire to binge eat. 

Orthorexia Nervosa:

Orthorexia nervosa, or orthorexia, occurs when  a person has an obsession with proper nutrition to the point of having a restrictive diet with ritualized eating patterns and a strong fear of specific foods. The defining characteristic of this disorder is valuing the quality of the food eaten more than the quantity. People with this disorder tend to worry about losing control, the quality of their food, and sickness. This disorder is much more dangerous than people realize, as it can lead to malnutrition, strained relationships, severe weight loss, and other issues. Some treatment options for people with orthorexia include group therapy, which gives the person struggling with orthorexia a support group, where they can feel more comfortable opening up; exposure therapy, which slowly exposes people with orthorexia to their fear foods; and behavioral therapies, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, and acceptance and commitment therapy.  These therapies teach the person with orthorexia to learn to identify disordered thoughts and work towards experiencing them without acting upon them. 

Pica:

Pica occurs when  a person eats and sometimes craves items that aren’t food, and have no nutritional value or benefit. Pica tends to occur in small children, who grow out of it, but it can also occur from nutritional deficiencies, such as low iron or zinc. People with pica must have their eating pattern for at least one month, and they tend to eat things like feces, paper, ice, clay, dirt, or sand. This disorder comes with a range of risks, though, as it may cause nausea and bloating from a blockage in the stomach/intestine, fatigue, or even lead poisoning. Fortunately, there are help options for people with pica.  One such example is mild aversion therapy, where people with pica will be taught to avoid nonfood items by pairing them with a mildly unpleasant consequence, and also rewarding them if they eat healthy items. Behavioral therapy can change behaviors through coping mechanisms and other strategies. Differential reinforcement teaches people with pica to focus on other behaviors and activities so they do not  eat nonfood items. 

Eating disorders are very serious, as they can severely harm the person dealing with the disorder, leaving them with long-term health problems. Fortunately, there is help for those who want it. Through recovery and support groups, people can fix their eating habits by developing newer, healthier ones that repair their relationship with food. While this is often a long, painful process, with time, people with eating disorders can work through their issues to improve both their physical and mental health and start living their best life. 

Works Cited: 

Binge-eating disorder – Diagnosis and treatment – Mayo Clinic. (n.d.). https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/binge-eating-disorder/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20353633

Eating Disorders. (2025, June 2). Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/4152-eating-disorders

Koven, N., & Abry, A. (2015). The clinical basis of orthorexia nervosa: emerging perspectives. Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, 385. https://doi.org/10.2147/ndt.s61665

National Library of Medicine. (n.d.). Eating Disorders. https://medlineplus.gov/eatingdisorders.html

The Alliance for Eating Disorders Awareness. (2022, July 8). A Quick Guide to Orthorexia Nervosa. National Alliance for Eating Disorders. https://www.allianceforeatingdisorders.com/orthorexia-nervosa/

What are Eating Disorders? (n.d.). https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/eating-disorders/what-are-eating-disorders

What Is Orthorexia? (n.d.). WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/eating-disorders/what-is-orthorexia