What Disordered Eating Really Looks Like (Hint: It's Not Always Obvious)
- Monique Pittas
- Apr 21
- 3 min read
Disordered eating can show up in many different ways and it doesn’t always look the way people expect.
If you’ve ever felt like your relationship with food, your body, or eating habits doesn’t feel right for you, you’re not alone. You deserve support, no matter what your eating struggles look like.
What Is Disordered Eating?
Disordered eating is any pattern of eating that causes stress, anxiety, or affects your physical or emotional wellbeing. It’s not always a full-blown eating disorder, but it can still have a big impact on your life.
Sometimes disordered eating can look like:
Obsessing over calories or “clean eating”
Skipping meals then bingeing later
Exercising to “earn” or “burn off” food
Feeling intense guilt after eating
Avoiding social situations that involve food
These patterns often come from a mix of emotional pain, diet culture messaging, and a deep sense of not feeling “enough.” For neurodivergent individuals, food and eating can feel even more complicated due to sensory needs or routines around food.
Types of Eating Disorders (and What They Really Look Like)
Let’s explore a few common types of eating disorders—keeping in mind that no two experiences are the same. You don’t have to fit a certain box to deserve help.
1. Anorexia Nervosa
Often misunderstood as “just not eating,” anorexia can involve:
Extreme food restriction
Intense fear of gaining weight
Preoccupation with body shape
Feeling out of control, but hiding it well It’s not always visible—and many people with anorexia are not underweight.
2. Bulimia Nervosa
This includes cycles of:
Binge eating (eating large amounts quickly or feeling out of control)
Purging (vomiting, over-exercising, or using laxatives)
Shame and secrecy Bulimia is often hidden. People may appear to have “normal” eating habits on the outside.
3. Binge Eating Disorder (BED)
This can look like:
Eating large amounts even when not hungry
Feeling out of control during binges
Deep shame or distress after eating Unlike bulimia, there’s no purging after.
4. Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID)
ARFID is not about body image—it’s often linked to:
Sensory sensitivities (taste, texture, smell)
Fear of choking or vomiting
Low interest in food It’s especially common among autistic people or those with anxiety.
5. Orthorexia
Not yet a formal diagnosis, but growing in awareness:
Obsession with “clean” or “healthy” eating
Fear of “bad” foods
Rigid food rules that cause distress It’s praised by diet culture, but it’s rooted in fear and control.
6. OSFED (Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder)
This includes eating struggles that don’t fit into one box, like:
Night eating
Purging without bingeing
A mix of disordered patterns
OSFED is just as serious and valid as other eating disorders.
You Don’t Have to “Look” Sick to Deserve Help
Many people feel like they’re “not sick enough” to ask for support. But disordered eating isn’t about appearance it’s about how it affects your life.
If food feels stressful, your body feels like the enemy, or you’re constantly thinking about what or how to eat it’s okay to reach out.
You’re allowed to get help before things feel like a crisis.
How Therapy Can Help
At Kind Mynd Psychology, I offer compassionate, trauma-informed support that’s grounded in respect for your lived experience. Whether you’ve been diagnosed or just know something’s not right, therapy can help you:
Feel less alone with your struggles
Understand the emotional roots of your eating patterns
Build a more peaceful relationship with food and your body
Learn tools that actually work for you
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