DEFINITION

• Eating disorders are a group of psychiatric illnesses including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and other specified/unspecified eating disorders (e.g., night eating syndrome, purging disorder) that have potentially life-threatening health impacts.
  
  • Other specified/unspecified eating disorders include presentations in which there are symptoms characteristic of an eating disorder, but full criteria for an eating disorder (e.g., anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder) are not met.
• Anorexia nervosa is characterized by persistent energy intake restriction and weight loss, an intense fear of weight gain, and a distorted perception of one’s weight or shape.
• Bulimia nervosa is characterized by recurrent episodes of binge eating followed by purging to prevent weight gain.
  
  • Binge eating is defined as eating large amounts of food - more than most people would eat in one meal - in short periods of time and a sense of loss of control over eating.
  • Purging is defined as getting rid of the food and calories through vomiting, misuse of laxatives and diuretics, fasting, or over-exercising.
• Binge eating disorder is characterized by recurrent episodes of binge eating (eating large amounts of food - more than most people would eat in one meal - in short periods of time and a sense of loss of control over eating), without purging.
• Night eating syndrome is characterized by recurrent episodes of eating after awakening from sleep or excessive food consumption after the evening meal that the person is aware of and can recall.