Anorexia Nervosa (commonly called Anorexia) condition where people avoid food, severely restrict food or eat very small quantities of only certain foods. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, symptoms may include but are not limited to: 

• Extremely restricted eating

• Extreme thinness (emaciation)

• A relentless pursuit of thinness and unwillingness to maintain a normal or healthy weight

• Intense fear of gaining weight

• Distorted body image, a self-esteem that is heavily influenced by perceptions of body weight and shape, or a denial of the seriousness of low body weight

Bulimia Nervosa (commonly called Bulimia) is a condition where people have recurrent and frequent episodes of eating large amounts of food and feeling a lack of control over these episodes. This binge-eating is followed by behavior that compensates for the overeating such as forced vomiting, excessive use of laxatives or diuretics, fasting, excessive exercise, or a combination of these behaviors. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, symptoms may include but are not limited to: 

• Chronically inflamed and sore throat

• Swollen salivary glands in the neck and jaw area

• Worn tooth enamel and increasingly sensitive and decaying teeth as a result of exposure to stomach acid

• Acid reflux disorder and other gastrointestinal problems

• Intestinal distress and irritation from laxative abuse

• Severe dehydration from purging of fluids

• Electrolyte imbalance (too low or too high levels of sodium, calcium, potassium, and other minerals) which can lead to stroke or heart attack

Binge eating disorder is a condition characterized by the feeling of loss control over eating and reoccurring episodes of eating large amounts of food. Unlike bulimia nervosa, binge eating is not followed by compensatory behaviors such as purging, excessive exercise, or fasting. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, symptoms of BED may include but are not limited to: 

• Eating large amounts of food in a specific amount of time, such as a 2-hour period

• Eating even when not hungry or already full

• Eating alone or in secret to avoid embarrassment

• Feeling distressed, ashamed, or guilty about eating

• Frequently dieting, with or without weight loss

Avoidant-restrictive food intake disorder (commonly called ARFID) is a condition where people limit the amount or type of food eaten. Unlike anorexia, ARFID is not characterized by distorted body image or extreme fear of gaining weight. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, symptoms may include but are not limited to: 

• Dramatic restriction of types or amount of food eaten

• Lack of appetite or interest in food

• Dramatic weight loss

• Upset stomach, abdominal pain, or other gastrointestinal issues with no other known cause

• Limited range of preferred foods that becomes even more limited (“picky eating” that gets progressively worse)

While not an officially recognized diagnosis in with Diagnostic and Statistic Manual, Orthorexia is the term coined in 1998 and commonly used today to refer to a preoccupation and obsession with “healthy” or “clean” eating. While there is no diagnostic criteria for Orthorexia, according to the National Eating Disorder Association, symptoms may include: 

• Compulsive checking of ingredient lists and nutrition labels 

• Increased concern about the “health” of ingredients

• An inability to eat any food not deemed as “healthy,” “pure,” or “clean.” 

• Showing high levels of distress when “healthy” food options aren’t available. 

• Body image concerns may or may not be present.