Sometimes it’s useful to think of difficulties with eating, weight, size and body image in terms of eating disorders. A diagnosis can help identify or confirm that there is a problem to be addressed, and it can provide a pointer as to what kind of treatment might be helpful. Also, the person diagnosed may then be better able to understand what is going on, and better able to see their difficulties in a constructively neutral way without blaming themselves--just as they would with a physical illness.

When it comes to eating disorders there are a number of problems to thinking in these terms. One is that there can be a fluidity about eating issues that doesn’t match the fixedness of this approach. For example, it’s not uncommon for someone once diagnosed as having Anorexia Nervosa to later fit the criteria for Bulimia Nervosa, or to find that as they start to recover they fit the Anorexia Nervosa criteria only some of the time. Also, there are a large number of people who regularly or persistently experience significant distress in relation to eating and their body image, but who don’t fit the criteria for a diagnosis. And in many diagnosed cases there seems to be a mismatch between what people experience and the categories available to describe these experiences, so that over 50 % have a diagnosis of ‘Eating Disorders Not Otherwise Specified’.

So sometimes it’s more useful to think of difficulties with eating and weight, size or body image in terms of where they fit on a scale, like this one.

At one end of the scale are people with very severe difficulties, at the other are those who have complete freedom with food. Most people from a westernised, industrial culture are at various points in between the extremes. And they may move up and down the scale at different times in their lives.

The advantage of this way of thinking is that it helps give proper attention to those eating or body image issues which don’t fall under the strict diagnostic criteria for eating disorders but are still distressing. Also, instead of the either/or situation of having a diagnosis, it allows people to look at both the issues and at recovery from them in a more detailed way.

Whatever way you think about these issues, there’s good news:

It is possible to recover from an eating disorder.
Wherever you are on the scale, it is possible to move towards the 'no issues' end of it.

Many eating issues can be damaging to the immediate and long-term health of the person experiencing them. It's important to find out what the risks are so that you can make informed decisions. If it would be helpful to talk about this, or if it would be useful for you to know whether or not you have a diagnosable eating disorder, the next step may be to discuss it with a professional.