Every year, we observe National Eating Disorders Awareness Week (EDAW) to spread education and break stigma about eating disorders. In 2025, EDAW will be from February 24th to March 2nd, with the theme “The Time is Now.”
According to the National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA), someone dies from an eating disorder every 52 minutes. The time is now to spread education, awareness, and hope—helping people with eating disorders get the care they need, and saving lives in the process.
Read on to learn about different types of eating disorders, warning signs and symptoms, treatment options, and more.
Key takeaways
- There are many types of eating disorders, such as anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder (BED), ARFID, pica, and more.
- Eating disorders have biological, psychological, and societal causes, often rooted in trauma or mental health conditions.
- Warning signs can include physical changes, behavioral shifts, and emotional distress, with severe health risks if untreated.
- Therapy, medical monitoring, support groups, and nutritional counseling are essential for recovery.
- Access to care remains a challenge for many, especially BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ individuals.
- You can help by spreading awareness, supporting loved ones, and participating in advocacy during EDAW.
Types of eating disorders
Most people have heard of anorexia and bulimia. These are two of the most common types of eating disorders, and are often depicted in TV shows, movies, and books. But there are many types of eating disorders, each with its own distinct set of symptoms. Here’s a brief overview of common ones:
Anorexia nervosa
Anorexia is an eating disorder that includes people feeling obsessed with their weight and food intake. The main symptoms of anorexia nervosa are:
- Restricting food intake, resulting in lower body weight than what is typical for that individual
- Being intensely afraid of gaining weight or getting fat
- Feeling disturbed by their body
- An overall preoccupation with food and weight
When a person isn’t getting the food and nutrients they need, there can be a variety of mental and physical consequences. In addition to someone appearing very thin, they may have brittle nails, thinning hair, dehydration, and dry or yellowish skin. They may also experience irritability, depression, and withdrawal from social situations. In serious cases, anorexia can be fatal.
Bulimia nervosa
Bulimia nervosa is characterized by a cycle of binging and purging. Binging refers to eating a lot of food in a short period, and purging is how you get rid of this food—typically through forcing yourself to throw up or taking unnecessary laxatives. However, there’s also a “nonpurging type” of bulimia, where individuals engage in another behavior to make up for their binging, such as exercising excessively or fasting after a binge. People with bulimia nervosa often have a preoccupation with food, a sense of loss of control during binge eating, and a fear of gaining weight.
Bulimia can lead to many complications, especially if you purge through vomiting, including stomach ulcers, severe tooth decay, inflammation of the esophagus, and more.
Binge eating disorder (BED)
Binge eating disorder (BED), the most common eating disorder, is marked by a preoccupation with food and ongoing episodes of binge eating. If you have BED and are on a binge, you might eat excessive amounts of food (even if you aren’t hungry), eat quickly, and feel uncomfortably full. A person with BED typically engages in binge eating alone, so nobody sees how much they’re consuming. Those with BED experience great distress, such as disgust or guilt, after an episode of binge eating. Unlike with bulimia nervosa, there is no purging or other behavior after overeating.
ARFID (avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder)
ARFID is unique because it isn’t related to a preoccupation with body weight or body image. Rather, it involves greatly restricting what type of food they eat. This is often due to the tastes, textures, smells, or appearances of food rather than a fear of gaining weight from eating them. ARFID is also linked to fear of what could happen after eating certain foods, like throwing up or choking. It’s most common in childhood but can affect adults, too. The disorder can lead to malnutrition and weight loss if not managed.
Pica
When someone craves non-food items like hair, dirt, paper, or soap. Pica can be harmful because it increases the risk for certain infections and malnutrition. It’s most common with pregnant women, children, and intellectually disabled people.
Rumination
When after swallowing food, a person voluntarily regurgitates the food and then swallows it again or spits it out. This typically happens within 30 minutes of eating. When developed in infancy, rumination usually resolves by 12 months of age. In adults rumination disorder can be comorbid with, or occur at the same time as, anorexia nervosa.
Other specified feeding or eating disorders (OSFED)
These are lesser-known, although still serious, eating disorders. They include:
- Purging disorder – When a person purges (throws up or takes laxatives) to lose weight, but doesn’t engage in binging, as with bulimia.
- Night eating syndrome – When someone wakes up in the middle of the night to eat, often multiple times a night, and may not be able to fall asleep unless they feel full.
- Atypical anorexia nervosa – When someone meets the diagnostic criteria for anorexia, aside from being underweight/experiencing significant weight losss
- Binge eating disorder of low frequency and/or limited duration – When a person meets all criteria for BED, but it occurs less frequently or for under three months.
- Bulimia nervosa of low frequency and/or limited duration – When someone meets all criteria for bulimia, but it occurs less frequently or for under three months.
It is incredibly important to seek understanding of an eating disorder, since eating disorders often show up when we are coping with something under the surface such as depression, anxiety, low self-worth, or unresolved trauma.
- Amy Mikulski, LCSW with Grow Therapy
Root causes and risk factors
Anyone can develop an eating disorder, but there are a few risk factors that make someone more predisposed.
Biological influences
Some people are genetically predisposed to eating disorders. If someone in your family has an eating disorder, especially a parent or sibling, you have an increased risk. For example, if a female family member has anorexia, you are 11 times more likely to develop the disorder yourself.
Additionally, having a family history of any other mental health conditions can increase the likelihood of developing an eating disorder.
Psychological factors
If you have a mental health condition, such as an anxiety disorder or depression, you are at higher risk for developing an eating disorder. A history of substance use disorder is another risk factor.
Experiencing trauma, whether in childhood or later in life, also increases the likelihood of developing an eating disorder. Sexual, physical, and emotional abuse can be to blame. For example, 30% of people with an eating disorder have been sexually abused. Being bullied about weight is also a risk factor.
Additionally, some personality traits are linked to eating disorders, including:
- Being a perfectionist
- Having a poor body image
- Being impulsive
- Struggling with emotional regulation
Societal pressures
On top of biological influences and psychological factors, societal pressure can be the tipping point for developing an eating disorder. Although society has made strides with the body positivity movement, fatphobia and fat-shaming persist. Magazines, TV shows, and movies promote unrealistic beauty standards, including thinness, for both men and women.
The double-edged sword of social media
Social media is truly a double-edged sword when it comes to eating disorders. It can spread awareness about these mental health conditions and provide resources to get help when it’s coming from reputable sources—but it can also worsen self-esteem and body image.
“Diet culture,” which refers to media and products focused on things like calorie counting, weight loss, and excessive exercise, is pervasive. Individuals (including “influencers”) and brands will often spread misinformation or disinformation in the interest of increasing engagement and selling products or services.
Young people are especially vulnerable when it comes to media about weight loss and achieving a “perfect body.” Apps like Facetune can be used to digitally cinch waists or adjust bodies in other ways, perpetuating unrealistic beauty standards.
While you may find recovery communities online, you might also find “thinspiration” or “thinspo” accounts promoting disordered eating. For this reason, it’s important to use caution on social media and carefully choose what type of content you consume and the creators you follow.
Recognizing warning signs and symptoms
Be on the lookout for warning signs and symptoms of eating disorders in yourself, a loved one, a friend, or a family member. Exact symptoms depend on the specific eating disorder and any co-occurring conditions, but you can watch out for these general signs below.
Behavioral signs of eating disorders
- Change in eating habits
- Strong preoccupation with food, diets, body weight, and appearance
- Restricting food intake
- Refusing to eat certain groups of food
- Eating a lot of food in a short period of time
- Eating in secret
- Withdrawing from loved ones
- Excessive exercising
- Fasting (not related to religious or spiritual practice)
Physical signs of eating disorders
- Weight fluctuations (losing or gaining)
- Appearing emaciated
- Gastrointestinal issues (stomach cramps, constipation, acid reflux)
- Fainting
- Growing light, fine hair on the body (known as lanugo)
- Brittle nails
- Dry hair and skin
- Tooth decay and cavities
- Weakened immune system
- Missing or irregular periods
Emotional signs of eating disorders
- Irritability
- Mood swings
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Poor self-esteem
How to support a loved one with an eating disorder
Want to make a difference in your loved one’s life? Here are five ways to help someone with an eating disorder.
1. Educate yourself
Eating disorders are not voluntary. They are serious mental and physical health conditions. Without a solid understanding of eating disorders, it’s hard to understand what your loved one is dealing with. Learn about the disorder your loved one struggles with so you can grasp the symptoms, complications, and treatment options. This is a good place to start, but remember that everyone’s experience is different, and this may not be exactly what your loved one is going through.
On top of reading this blog post, you can learn more from the National Institute of Mental Health and the National Eating Disorders Association.
2. Listen without judgment
Many people with mental health conditions, including eating disorders, just want someone to be there for them and listen. Listen with compassion, be empathetic, and try your best to avoid passing judgment. It’s hard to understand how someone with an eating disorder is feeling—even if you’ve had one yourself, your loved one’s experience is likely different.
3. Encourage professional help
Gently encourage them to seek professional help if they haven’t already. Although your loved one will greatly value your support, and it takes many different supportive people to help out, eating disorders require the help of a licensed mental health professional. You can offer to help them research treatment options and different eating disorder treatment providers. You may also help them set up appointments or even take them to their first therapy session.
5. Know what not to say
As you provide support, it’s just as important to be sensitive and know what not to say to a loved one with an eating disorder. You should not comment on their body, even if you think you’re complimenting them, and don’t make remarks about their eating habits, either. Additionally, avoid saying phrases like “Why can’t you eat normally?” or “Why can’t you just stop?”
6. Don’t forget to take care of yourself, too
It’s equally important to care for yourself during this time. “The greatest thing we can do for our loved ones is to take care of our own mental health,” says Amy Mikulski, a licensed clinical social worker with Grow Therapy. She suggests the following self-care ideas:
- Taking breaks and stepping away when overwhelmed or exhausted
- Reaching out for support from others caring for a loved one with an eating disorder
- Journaling
- Working with a mental health professional
Breaking the stigma around eating disorders
It’s crucial to spread awareness and break the stigma surrounding eating disorders by promoting open conversations in schools, workplaces, communities, and on social media. Raising awareness can help break stigmas and allow people to get the support they need.
Here are a few misconceptions and myths that we’d like to bust:
- “You can tell if someone has an eating disorder based on their appearance” – You can never tell just by looking at someone if they have a mental illness, including an eating disorder. Weight loss or weight gain could be due to many factors outside of eating disorders.
- “You can’t have an eating disorder if you’re a healthy weight” – Many eating disorders to not impact a person’s physical appearance. Even if someone has a normal BMI and weighs an expected amount for their age, height, and gender, they may still have an eating disorder.
- “Eating disorders are a choice” – You cannot choose whether or not you have any mental health condition or eating disorder. Having an eating disorder is very different from choosing to go on a diet, for example.
- “Only girls have eating disorders” – You can have an eating disorder regardless of your gender identity. 1 in 3 people with an eating disorder is a male. They may also be underdiagnosed in boys and men.
- “Only white people get eating disorders.” Historically, conversations about and research on eating disorders have focused on white people due to inherent bias in the healthcare system. But studies have found that rates of eating disorders are the same (or even higher) in non-white groups compared to white people.
How therapy helps with eating disorder recovery
With professional treatment, it’s possible to make a full recovery from eating disorders. If you have a co-occurring mental health illness, it’s important to treat this, too, to achieve lasting recovery.
“It is incredibly important to seek understanding of an eating disorder, since eating disorders often show up when we are coping with something under the surface such as depression, anxiety, low self-worth, or unresolved trauma,” says Mikulski. “Personally and professionally, I can say that life after understanding the eating disorder is often more peaceful and more aligned with our truest selves.”
Various therapy modalities have been proven to help treat eating disorders. Here are a few popular examples of therapy for eating disorders.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
CBT is an evidence-based therapy that helps you rethink harmful thought and behavior patterns. It can help you address thoughts and beliefs linked to perfectionism, low self-esteem, body image, and more. By learning how your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors influence each other, you can develop healthier patterns that allow you to heal. CBT-E (enhanced cognitive behavior therapy) is a subtype of CBT that’s especially helpful for eating disorders.
Family-based treatment (FBT)
FBT is particularly helpful when a teenager has an eating disorder. In FBT, providers empower family members to aid in eating disorder treatment. Caregivers and parents will aid in teaching healthy eating behaviors, meal planning, and monitoring symptoms. This is a collaborative approach between the family, patient, and therapist.
Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
DBT is a skills-based therapy that improves emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal relationships. Research shows efficacy for binge eating disorder and bulimia. DBT helps you learn to build self-regulation and impulse-control skills, preventing you from engaging in harmful eating behaviors. You’ll learn healthier ways to cope with distress rather than binging and/or purging.
Support groups and peer-based healing
Support groups provide immense value for people in recovery.
“Peer-based healing and support groups can be very helpful for those of us in recovery because it can help us feel less alone,” says Mikulski. “Creating our own supportive community where we can help one another heal and maintain recovery can be invaluable. It can also be validating to hear others’ experiences and has the potential to be a heck of a lot more fun.”
You can browse eating disorder support groups here.
Nutritional counseling and medical monitoring
Since eating disorders directly impact physical health, it’s important to also work with qualified health care providers. Your general practitioner can monitor your health and make sure your body is healing along with your mind. Either your doctor or therapist can help provide a referral to a dietitian or nutritionist who specializes in eating disorders. They can help you plan your meals and create healthy eating patterns, making sure you receive all the nutrition your body needs.
In some more severe cases, a doctor or therapist might recommend a hospital stay or residential treatment for health and safety purposes.
Disparities in access to healthcare
When discussing eating disorder treatment, it’s important to address disparities in access to healthcare. For example, research shows that BIPOC people who struggle with mental health may be less likely to seek treatment or be able to receive treatment—whether due to cost barriers, stigma, fear of racism, or cultural differences. On top of this, BIPOC people with eating disorders are less likely to be diagnosed or receive treatment.
Similarly, LGBTQ+ individuals face barriers to care. For example, 50% of LGBTQIA+ youth who sought out mental healthcare weren’t able to get it. This is especially troublesome for those with eating disorders, since LGBTQIA+ individuals are more likely to have eating disorders than cisgender heterosexual individuals.
Resources if you’re struggling with an eating disorder
You do not have to suffer in silence or be alone in this journey. Here are some free resources:
- National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders Helpline: Call 1-888-375-7767
- National Alliance for Eating Disorders Helpline: Call 1-866-662-1235
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988
If you’re looking for official eating disorder treatment, Grow Therapy can help you find a therapist who specializes in eating disorders who is covered by insurance. Just filter by state, insurance, and specialty to find a therapist who’s right for you.
How you can take action during Eating Disorders Awareness Week
This Eating Disorders Awareness Week, make an active effort to spread awareness and do your part to help. If you want to get involved with NEDA or other advocacy groups, here are a few ways you can take action:
- Sign up to become an Eating Disorders Awareness Week collaborator here.
- Sign up to become a NEDA Campus Warrior here.
- Participate in awareness campaigns and share educational resources and graphics (like these) on social media.
- Share an easy screening tool for eating disorders on social media.
- Offer your support to any struggling friends, family members, or loved ones.
When we work together to break stigmas, raise awareness, and spread hope, we can get people the help they need. Remember, the time is now to make a difference.