Many of us have heard of the term “eating disorder.” This is a diagnostic term used in the mental health field to describe clinical conditions such as anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorder – where an individual struggles with severe caloric restriction, binge eating, and/or purging behaviors such as self-induced vomiting, abuse of laxatives and/or excessive exercise.
These diagnoses are best treated with a combination of psychotherapy and counseling with a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist who has an expertise in the treatment of Eating Disorders, such as our team at Appleman Nutrition.
More common than a clearly defined eating disorder is the presence of disordered eating, a classification that encompasses a wide range of presentations including weight cycling, and disturbing thoughts and behaviors related to one’s food intake, weight, shape and size. At Appleman Nutrition, our registered dietitian nutritionists work with clients with disordered eating as frequently as we work with clients with classically defined eating disorders.
Within the medical field, a diagnosis helps to guide treatment. Doctors diagnose someone with an affliction, and then – depending on the diagnosis – prescribe a specific medication designed to treat that condition. It is often helpful to have a diagnosis in order to determine the next steps for healing.
In the mental health world, however, these exact diagnoses are more difficult to arrive at and experiences and conditions combine in such a way that one single diagnosis doesn’t fully capture the person’s experience. A single diagnosis of an “eating disorder” can be limiting or misleading in that it may not fully or accurately capture the entirety of what the patient is experiencing.
The diagnoses of clinical “anorexia,” “bulimia” or “binge eating disorder” are diagnostic terms, but there are myriad struggles and presentations of challenges with food, food behaviors and food thoughts that do not qualify a person to meet the criteria for these diagnoses. That said, their struggle may still be seriously intense, disturbing and life interrupting.
Many people exhibit psychologically and nutritionally problematic behaviors in ways that affect their lives, but do not technically qualify for a clear diagnosis of anorexia, bulimia, or binge eating, disorder.
We use the term “Disordered Eating” because we understand that these challenges can present on a wide spectrum and in many different ways, and can include issues such as:
Using a term like “disordered eating” allows individuals and healthcare professionals to address problematic eating patterns without waiting for them to evolve into a condition that meets the criteria for a disorder.
The flexibility of the term also helps reduce the stigma that can sometimes be attached to full blown eating disorders. Many people may not recognize that their behavior is concerning, but by identifying disordered eating, healthcare providers can start conversations that encourage positive changes in eating habits before more severe health risks develop.
Our role as registered dietitian nutritionists is to help you achieve a healthy relationship with food, meet your nutritional needs and address and identify setbacks to complete nourishment and body confidence. We are here to help you create long term strategies that ensure your body is being cared for in the right way for you. That is why a diagnosis is not as important as your need for intervention, and why it is so important to us to make sure that you’re getting supported where YOU are in your health journey.
Not all irregular eating behaviors warrant the same level of treatment as eating disorders, but they still deserve attention. Recognizing disordered eating can help people make healthier choices before their habits become more ingrained or dangerous. It also allows for a preventive approach, where counseling, education, and behavior modification can be employed to stop the progression of disordered eating patterns into clinically diagnosed conditions.
Appleman Nutrition is a group of highly skilled registered dietitian nutrition experts in NYC that offers support for clients in New York, CT and Florida, as well as virtually. For more information, or to get started with a member of our team, please reach out to Appleman Nutrition, today.
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