Disordered Eating vs. Eating Disorders

As psychiatric diagnoses have seeped into the lay lexicon, the general understanding of the severity of these illnesses themselves become watered down. When people say they feel depressed instead of sad, manic instead of happy or OCDing instead of anxious, it’s unclear what being psychiatrically ill actually means.

Conflating daily life with mental illness is most evident when discussing eating disorders. Many people struggle with disordered eating. They fight with distorted body image and eat based on diets or fears about weight rather than based on hunger. They exercise out of guilt rather than to enjoy movement or to improve health.

And moreover, these people who engage in disordered behaviors often believe they have an eating disorder. Even though these thoughts and behaviors can be disruptive, disordered eating does not fundamentally impact people’s lives. They are still able to work, socialize and function within society even if they spend too much time thinking about food, exercise, body and weight.

People with eating disorders are not able to live a full life. And if they are able to live somewhat fully, they suffer the constant psychological and physical consequences of their illness. The eating disorder thoughts make it very difficult to focus on other parts of their life. They struggle so much to eat and to manage their body image thoughts that it impairs their ability to make plans and develop friendships or relationships.

The difference between symptoms and illness is the amount the symptoms affect one’s life. When life is disrupted and a person cannot live fully, disordered eating becomes an eating disorder.

The reason this is important is that people with eating disorders often feel misunderstood or feel their struggles are minimized when others purport to have an eating disorder. It makes truly sick people feel as if their illness is not severe. This misconception leads to worsening symptoms and relapse.

Although disordered eating can affect a person’s life, it’s crucial that the distinction between the two are clear for all people involved.