Eating Disorder or Disordered Eating...
- Sarah Morris
- 4 days ago
- 2 min read
What's the Difference?
I hear these terms used interchangeably ALL the time when in reality these are two labels that exist under the same umbrella but actually reference two distinct things. So what's the difference? Well, let's start by understanding that eating habits and behaviors exist on a spectrum like the one below:
One thing to note about this spectrum is the arrows between each are pointed in both directions; forward and backward. We might grow up in a home with dieting and food rules then continue through our adulthood engaged in yo-yo dieting and restrict/binge cycles - feeling defeated and at war with the body we live in. We might go years or even decades with a strained relationship with food and our bodies without meeting ANY of the criteria for a diagnosable eating disorder. The MAJORITY of Americans live within the middle two sections you see above. We live in a diet culture fueled by a diet industry that churns out messaging like:
""donuts and candy are bad"
"I just need to lose weight and then I'll be _____"
"I have cravings because I'm not disciplined enough"
"I just need to do a juice cleanse or a detox"
The list of diet culture messaging can really go on and on. I'm sure you have heard some of these or even thought them yourself. I know I have too! The beautiful thing about the spectrum above is that landing in one area does not mean you will stay there forever. We can always make our way back to Intuitive Eating. We can grow to trust ourselves around all foods without trying to change our bodies shape and size.
So why wait until you have a "real" problem... you can heal your relationship with food and be at home in your body starting now.
To learn more about eating disorders and disordered eating, check out these resources below!
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