Each diagnosis has specific criteria differentiating it from other mental illnesses and eating disorders. What Are the Different Types of Eating Disorders?Īs mentioned above, there are many more eating disorder diagnoses than the three most commonly heard about (Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, & Binge Eating Disorder). While eating disorders do not have a “miracle cure,” there are numerous evidence-based practices proven to support eating disorder recovery.Eating disorders can be life-threatening and have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness.Research has found a number of “genetic, biological, behavioral, psychological, and social factors” that can increase the risk of eating disorder development. There is no one distinct cause of eating disorders.Eating disorder onset typically occurs in adolescence or young adulthood but is not limited to these life stages.Eating disorders do not discriminate and are observed in “people of all ages, racial/ethnic backgrounds, body weights, and genders.However, there are some overall eating disorder facts that research has been able to clearly delineate regardless of the individual. ”Įating disorders are complicated and nuanced disorders and vary from person to person. This category specifies diagnostic criteria for the disorders of “pica, rumination disorder, avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder, anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder. The DSM-5 (Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition) lists eating disorders under the category of “Feeding & Eating Disorders” and describes that they are “characterized by a persistent disturbance of eating or eating-related behavior that results in the altered consumption or absorption of food that significantly impairs physical health or psychosocial functioning. Timberline Knolls Residential Treatment CenterĮating Disorder Definition from the DSM-5.Online Eating Disorder Treatment Programs.

We welcome your feedback on our information resources. Last reviewed: December 2020 Next review date: December 2023 Version 2.0 Sources used to create this information are available by contacting Beat. Physical illness as a result of eating harmful substances.Eating substances that aren’t supposed to be eaten.

Craving to consume substances that aren’t supposed to be eaten.It may be necessary to contact the emergency services. If you or someone you know has eaten something that isn’t supposed to be eaten, you should seek medical help immediately. Some of the items that people may feel an urge to eat because of pica can be extremely harmful. Obsessive-compulsive disorder and related disorders such as trichotillomania (hair-pulling) and excoriation disorder (skin-picking).Nonetheless, it may be more likely to occur alongside:

The percentage of people who have it is not yet known, as different researchers may use different definitions of pica, leading to some confusion. In some cases, people with pica have been found to be deficient in certain minerals or vitamins, but this is often not the case. The reasons that people develop pica are not yet clear, although several scientists have linked it to the nervous system, and have understood it as a learned behaviour or coping mechanism. If you’re concerned about yourself or someone else, you should visit your doctor as quickly as possible so that they can refer you for appropriate treatment. However, some non-food items that they consume can be very dangerous, especially if eaten in large quantities. People with pica don’t usually avoid regular food, meaning they may still be getting all the nutrients they need. In cases where it is this other illness that has caused the behaviour related to pica, a separate diagnosis of pica would be made only if it is serious enough to need clinical attention beyond that already being provided for the other illness. It can occur alongside other illnesses, including other eating disorders. Pica affects people of all genders and ages, though it is more likely to first appear among children. Often, pica is not revealed until medical consequences occur, such as metal toxicity, cracked teeth, or infections. For a diagnosis of pica, the behaviour must be present for at least one month, not part of a cultural practice, and developmentally inappropriate – generally, it’s not diagnosed in children under the age of two, as it is common for babies to “mouth” objects, which can lead to them accidentally eating substances that aren’t meant to be eaten. Pica is a feeding disorder in which someone eats non-food substances that have no nutritional value, such as paper, soap, paint, chalk, or ice.

Pica disorder stands for