Eating Disorders: Your GoodRx Guide

Definition

Eating disorders are mental health conditions that can affect your body image, weight, and eating habits. There are many types of eating disorders. The most common are:

• Anorexia nervosa (AN): People with anorexia often have a distorted body image and a low body weight. As part of their illness, some people with AN binge eat. Some people also purge using vomiting, exercise, or laxatives. 

• Bulimia nervosa (BN): People with bulimia have cycles of binge eating and purging. People with bulimia can have bodies of all shapes and sizes. If they have a very low body weight, they are usually more likely to be misdiagnosed with anorexia nervosa.

• Binge eating disorder (BED): Binge eating disorder causes people to have repeated episodes of binge eating. These episodes cause feelings of shame, distress, or depression, and usually happen at least once per week.

Though eating disorders are especially common in young women, they can affect people of all ages, genders, and ethnicities. Eating disorders can also affect all different body types. You cannot tell whether someone has an eating disorder just by looking at them. 

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Causes

We don’t know exactly what causes eating disorders. But we do know this: Eating disorders are not caused by “bad habits” or “poor choices.” Just like many other medical conditions, it’s likely that eating disorders are caused by a combination of factors.

Factors that can make you more likely to get an eating disorder include:

Your biology 

• Having a family member with an eating disorder

• Having a family member with mental illness

• Going on a lot of diets

• Having diabetes type 1

• Your genes (DNA)

• Your brain function

Your psychology

• Identifying as a “perfectionist” 

• Having an anxiety disorder 

• Having obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

• Having a poor body image 

Your life experiences

• Being exposed to certain cultural messages

• Being bullied or teased

• Experiencing trauma 

• Having parents or caregivers who experienced trauma 

In some research, 60% of people with an eating disorder said that they were bullied.

Certain groups of people may also be more likely to develop eating disorders, or may experience eating disorders differently. These include: 

• Athletes

• People with disabilities

• Jewish people

• People who are LGBTQ+ 

• Men and boys

• Older adults

• BIPOC

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Symptoms

Most people feel self-conscious about their body and appearance from time to time. But the difference is: Eating disorders are more than just passing thoughts. They are mental health conditions that affect how you think, behave, and function. 

Here are some things you might notice if you have an eating disorder: 

• You seem to worry about your body weight and shape more than other people worry about theirs.

• You often feel unhappy with your body shape and size.

• You feel anxious about gaining weight.

• You diet or change your eating habits a lot.

• You sometimes feel unable to control how much food you eat.

• You feel bad after eating, or hide your eating habits. 

Some people with an eating disorder also try to control their body weight and shape by:

• Throwing up 

• Exercising a lot

• Using laxatives 

• Using diuretics (water pills)

• Going without food or water

• Eating fewer than 1,200 calories a day

If any of these fit you, it’s possible that you could have an eating disorder — especially if these thoughts, feelings, or behaviors affect your health or day-to-day life. 

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Diagnosis

The first step in getting a diagnosis is to talk to your healthcare provider about your concerns. Though it can be hard to start the conversation, getting diagnosed can help you recover, and protect you from having other health problems.

In the U.S. alone, almost 30 million people will be diagnosed with an eating disorder sometime during their life.

If you’re not sure whether you need professional help, the National Eating Disorders Association has a free online screening tool that can help you decide. 

When you meet with a provider, they will want to hear about your:

• Eating patterns

• Attitude about exercise, eating, and body image

• Family history of eating disorders

• Family history of mental illness

• Family history of obesity

• Ability to function at work, school, and/or home

Your provider will also measure your weight, height, and blood pressure, and do a physical exam. They may suggest additional tests, like:

• Blood tests

• Urine tests

• Electrocardiogram

• CT scan

• X-rays

• MRI

All of this information — the interview, the exam, and tests — can help your provider determine whether you have an eating disorder. Your exact diagnosis will depend on your symptoms and current health. 

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Medications

Medication can help you recover from an eating disorder, especially when combined with talk therapy and nutritional counseling. 

Many different types of medications are used to treat eating disorders. The right medication for you will depend on your symptoms, and what you and your provider would like to see change.  

Prescription medications used to treat eating disorders include:

• Antidepressants

• Antipsychotics

• Seizure medications

• Stimulants

Some of these medications can also help you manage other conditions that can go along with an eating disorder — like anxiety, depression, and ADHD. 

Your medical team might also recommend nutritional supplements, especially if you have other health problems from your eating disorder. This might include:

• Calcium

• Vitamins

• Iron

• Zinc

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Treatments

Talk therapy

Talk therapy is one of the most important parts of eating disorder treatment. There are many different types of talk therapy that are used to treat eating disorders:

• Individual therapy

• Group therapy

• Family therapy

Therapy can help you understand and control your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. It can also help you understand how your interactions with other people — including your family — affect your eating disorder. 

Nutrition education

Nutrition education is a key part of eating disorder treatment. Working with a dietitian or nutritionist can help you understand your food behaviors, and they can help make a food plan designed to support your physical and emotional health.

Complementary and alternative medicine

When combined with medication and therapy, certain complementary and alternative medicine treatments can help with recovery. Talk to your provider about whether any of these could be right for you:

• Massage

• Light therapy

• Acupuncture

• Relaxation therapy

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Living

Building a strong support system

Just like any chronic illness, an eating disorder can be hard to live with. An eating disorder can affect your physical and mental health, self-image, and relationships. 

Many people find that it’s helpful to have a strong “treatment team” to support them on the road to recovery. This might include: 

• A primary care provider

• A therapist

• A dietician or nutritionist

• A case manager

• A psychiatrist

Your treatment team can help guide you in your medical care, and offer support and encouragement along the way. 

It’s also helpful to connect with other people who have an eating disorder. Connecting with the eating disorder community can help you find resources and be a source for hope and inspiration.

When you need more support

In some cases, people with eating disorders need a higher level of care than their clinic or provider’s office can provide. If you need more day-to-day care, you may benefit from a day program or residential (overnight) program. Talk to your provider about whether these options are right for you. 

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