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Eating disorders and body image
If someone you know seems unusually preoccupied with food and their weight, has strange eating rituals or sneaks off to the bathroom straight after meals, they might be dealing with an eating disorder.
There are many different types of eating disorders from mild through to severe cases that can have dramatic health consequences and even result in death. Treatment is available to help people with disordered eating to develop a healthy attitude towards food and in turn lead healthier lives.
While many people have heard of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, there are several other eating disorders that often come under the name 'other specified feeding and eating disorders' (OSFED). These generally refer to people who might have many of the symptoms of one or more types of eating disorder, but who don't meet all the criteria for a diagnosis of any single disorder.
Head to Health, an online gateway funded by the Australian Government that can help you find free and low-cost, trusted phone and online mental health resources, including information about eating disorders. Or find out more below.
Eating disorders
This mental health condition involves an unhealthy relationship with food. About 1 in 7 people experience an eating disorder in their lifetime.
Anorexia nervosa
People with anorexia nervosa have an irrational fear of gaining weight and put themselves on restrictive diets and harsh, punishing exercise routines.
Binge-eating disorder (BED)
Binge-eating disorder (BED) often involves someone eating large amounts of food even after they feel full. Discover more about BED here.
Body dysmorphic disorder
Body dysmorphic disorder causes someone to feel shame or disgust with part of their body or appearance. Any body part can become its focus.
Body image
An unhealthy body image affects your wellbeing and mental health, and may lead to eating disorders. Here are a few tips for improving body image.
Bulimia nervosa
It's not unusual to be concerned about body image or diet, but using extreme weight loss methods can lead to eating disorders, like bulimia nervosa.
Need more information?
These trusted information partners have more on this topic.
Top results
What Is Binge Eating Disorder? | Eating Disorders Victoria
Eating Disorders Victoria provides information on what is binge eating disorder, warning signs, the physical effects, and treatment and recovery options.
Read more on Eating Disorders Victoria website

Eating Disorders in Australia
Eating disorders and disordered eating together are estimated to affect over 16% of the Australian population
Read more on NEDC - National Eating Disorders Collaboration website

Living With Someone With An Eating Disorder | Eating Disorders Victoria
Eating Disorders Victoria provides tips and guidance for people living with someone with an eating disorder. Call us at 1300 550 236 if you need more help.
Read more on Eating Disorders Victoria website

Binge eating disorder
Unlike those with bulimia nervosa, a person with binge eating disorder will not use compensatory behaviours, such as self-induced vomiting or over-exercising after binge eating
Read more on NEDC - National Eating Disorders Collaboration website

What is binge eating disorder? | Eating disorders | ReachOut Australia
There are signs that indicate someone might have binge eating disorder, as well as a number of ways to get help.
Read more on ReachOut.com website

Treatments for eating disorders | Eating disorders | ReachOut Australia
There are a number of different types of eating disorder treatments, as well as different health professionals you can talk to about them.
Read more on ReachOut.com website

Eating disorders - myDr.com.au
Anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder are the main eating disorders. Abnormal eating patterns are one symptom.
Read more on myDr website

Eating Disorders In Children, Teens, Pregnancy | Eating Disorders Victoria
Eating Disorders Victoria provides information on the life stages eating disorders can occur in: eating disorders in children, teens, pregnancy and midlife.
Read more on Eating Disorders Victoria website

When Your Sibling Has An Eating Disorder | Eating Disorders Victoria
What to do when your sibling has an eating disorder. Eating Disorders Victoria provides tips and guidance for siblings of people with an eating disorder.
Read more on Eating Disorders Victoria website

Eating Disorders & Other Health Conditions | Eating Disorders Victoria
Eating Disorders Victoria provides information on the relationship between eating disorders and other health conditions, including warning signs & symptoms.
Read more on Eating Disorders Victoria website

Top results
Eating Disorders - Types, Signs and Treatment | Ausmed
Eating disorders are complex mental illnesses, influenced by a range of factors. An eating disorder is an illness marked by irregular eating habits, distress about eating, and an obsession about body weight. Eating disorders are very serious, have severe health complications and can even be fatal.
Read more on Ausmed Education website

Eating disorders - Orygen, Revolution in Mind
Orygen is the world’s leading research and knowledge translation organisation focusing on mental ill-health in young people.
Read more on Orygen website

Moving away from common myths to a better understanding of eating disorders in young people - Orygen, Revolution in Mind
Orygen is the world’s leading research and knowledge translation organisation focusing on mental ill-health in young people.
Read more on Orygen website

Psychological treatments for people with bulimia nervosa and binging | Cochrane
Authors' conclusions: There is a small body of evidence for the efficacy of CBT in bulimia nervosa and similar syndromes, but the quality of trials is very variable and sample sizes are often small
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website

Eating and body image disorders and young people - Orygen, Revolution in Mind
Orygen is the world’s leading research and knowledge translation organisation focusing on mental ill-health in young people.
Read more on Orygen website

Prescribing and borderline personality disorder | Issue 2 | Volume 39 | Australian Prescriber
The first-line management for borderline personality disorder is psychosocial treatment, not drugs.
Read more on Australian Prescriber website

Social Phobia
Social phobia, the fear of being judged negatively, is often not recognised because patients do not like to talk about their fears. It is also not recognized because clinicians either confuse it with shyness, or judge the secondary depression or substance dependence to be the primary disorder.
Read more on CRUfAD – Clinical Research Unit for Anxiety and Depression website

Exercise for Dementia | Ausmed
There was nowhere to stand, eat, sleep, or a place to work where you could avoid hearing the laboured painful moans of the woman in room 14. There was no beginning to her cry and no end. It was on a perpetual loop, interrupted only by sleep and medications. Even the staff had started avoiding her.
Read more on Ausmed Education website

Definition of complex trauma versus single incident
Interpersonal multiple unresolved traumas (complex trauma) are common & often have severe, diverse & persistent impacts, compared to single incident PTSD.
Read more on Blue Knot Foundation website

Depression
Depression is a mood state that is characterised by significantly lowered mood and a loss of interest or pleasure in activities that are normally enjoyable. Such depressed mood is a common and normal experience in the population. However, a major depressive episode can be distinguished from this `normal’ depression by its severity, persistence, duration, and the presence of characteristic symptoms (e.g., sleep disturbances).
Read more on CRUfAD – Clinical Research Unit for Anxiety and Depression website
