Disordered eating refers to a variety of abnormal eating patterns or food behaviours that an individual engages in on a regular basis and is often accompanied by a negative perspective towards certain foods or calories. This does not apply to individuals who have specific food allergies or dietary restrictions. 

 

Disordered eating behaviours include but are not limited to: chronic restrained eating, compulsive eating, binge eating, self-induced vomiting, emotional eating, use of diet pills, rigid rules pertaining to food and compensatory behaviours after eating. Such eating behaviours may arise due to innocent desires to diet, emotional events, change in lifestyle, etc. Simply put, disordered eating reflects an unhealthy relationship with food. 

 

Disordered eating does not warrant a diagnosis of an eating disorder but increases the risks of developing one. People who develop disordered eating often do so to cope with uncomfortable emotions (e.g. discontentment, guilt, self-hate). They might begin focusing on their weight and calorie intake to distract themselves from other areas of their lives in which they feel inadequate, or with the idea that reaching their goal weight will finally make them happy.

 

Disordered eating hints at a person's deep-seated unresolved issues. If you feel that you, your friend or a family member may be exhibiting signs of disordered eating, talk to us and we will direct you to relevant help-seeking avenues. Every individual is unique and there is no one-size-fits-all solution. We would like to hear more from you so that we can tailor our advice to your needs.