1. The definitions are evolving.
As research adds up, our understanding of eating disorders is changing. The latest version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, called the DSM-5, now breaks it down this way:- Binge-eating disorder: This earned its own category after it was realized that binge eating — meaning eating much more than intended in a short time —is more common than once realized. How do you know you are a binge eater and not just an overeater? You feel out of control, you react to your eating with guilt, disgust, shame or embarrassment, and you binge at least once a week over the course of three months, often in secret.
- Anorexia nervosa: Those with this illness are no longer said to refuse food, which implies a choice. Instead, the new definition recognizes that a pathological fear of becoming fat combined with a distorted body image leads to drastic attempts to stay thin at all costs, including calorie restriction and excessive exercise.
- Bulimia nervosa: When binge eating is followed by efforts to avoid weight gain, such as through self-induced vomiting or use of laxatives, it becomes bulimia nervosa. It was once thought at least two episodes of bingeing and purging weekly were necessary to qualify as bulimia, but the new definition lowers that to once a week.
