What Is The Most Common Eating Disorder?

Anorexia nervosa may be the most well-known eating disorder in the world. Bulimia nervosa has also seen increasing recognition in the past few decades.

However, you may be supposed to know that the most common eating disorder in the US is binge eating disorder. 

Eating disorders can have multiple causes and triggers. Any stressful or traumatic event, such as divorce, a breakup, physical illness, death of a loved one or any significant life change can all trigger an eating disorder.

The specific kind of disordered behavior around eating and food is an external expression of disordered thinking in the mind. How that manifests can vary hugely between individuals.

Individuals suffering from binge eating disorder often lose control over their eating, but they don’t show the purging behaviors that mark Bulimia nervosa.

Binge eating disorder is most often seen in individuals who are obese, compared with individuals of average weight (seen most often with bulimia), or underweight (seen most often with anorexia).

Although the dangers of binge eating are different to those associated with bulimia or anorexia, they can be just as difficult to deal with and can be just as life-threatening. 

If you think you or someone you know may be suffering from an eating disorder, reach out for specialist support today. 

At Inside Wellness, Utah, our warm team of therapists specializes in caring for sufferers of eating disorders in Salt Lake and Utah Counties . We want to give you the best care possible, so we are constantly training in new therapy modalities and the latest research surrounding eating disorders.

Get the expert help and support you need by scheduling a call with our experienced intake coordinator today.

Can You Have Multiple More Than One Eating Disorder?

Everyone is unique and individual, and a person’s experience of eating disorders is no exception.

The disordered thinking that results in an eating disorder can just as easily cause two or more overlapping eating disorders, or cause one to morph into another over time.

It is completely normal for an eating disorder sufferer to experience two or more eating disorders at once, or to see one eating disorder they’ve grown accustomed to ‘managing’ change into a different eating disorder entirely. 

The mind is a fascinating, complex, and powerful place, and the point where thought crosses over into action can is fluid and can easily change with time.

Getting professional, expert help with an eating disorder is important for regaining control of your life. But if you feel you may be dealing with more than one eating disorder, or if it’s changed over time, you really need to get someone involved who knows what they’re dealing with.

The key is to look for a qualified mental health therapist who specializes in the management of eating disorders and all the unique challenges and complications that come along with that diagnosis.

At Inside Wellness, Utah, our caring team of therapists are constantly undergoing training to stay up to date with the latest advances in science and treatment modalities for eating disorders. We have the experience and knowledge to support you and help you heal.

Reach out for support today by scheduling a call with our experienced Intake Coordinator.

Do You Have ARFID?

Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), previously referred to as ‘Selective Eating Disorder,’ is a relatively new entry to the Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (the standard classification of mental disorders used by mental health professionals in the US).

However, ARFID behavior is not new - individuals have suffered from this eating disorder for a long time.

ARFID is similar to anorexia nervosa in that both disorders involve limiting the amount and/or type of food eaten. However, ARFID typically does not involve any distress or fears about body shape or size.

Children are known to often go through phases of ‘picky eating’; however an ARFID sufferer is different. In children, the disorder results in not consuming enough calories to grow and develop physically; in adults, the restriction in calories results in a struggle to maintain basic body function. 

If you’ve been diagnosed with ARFID, what can you do? Do you feel trapped by how your eating disorder affects, your daily life, your relationships, your job? Is there any hope for improvement?

Thankfully, yes - help is absolutely available and there IS hope that things can improve for you.

Although mental health therapists are trained in a general understanding of disordered thinking and the behaviors that can result from that (eg. an eating disorder), an experienced therapist who specializes in eating disorders will have access to the latest science, training, and therapy modalities relating to eating disorders, including ARFID.

Your specialist therapist can guide you through the process of reframing your thoughts and addressing any underlying issues or past trauma that may have contributed to you developing ARFID.

Help IS available and you CAN get better. At Inside Wellness, our therapists are highly-trained and experienced in helping individuals just like you to take control and regain their inner peace.

Take the first step today by scheduling a call with our caring intake coordinator.