Eating Disorders

Struggles with food, eating, weight and the body can be expressed in a variety of frustrations and altered behaviors related toward eating behaviors, food rules, internal chatter, perfectionism, loss of control, too much-ism or paradigms one believes to be true.

In the end, these thoughts and behaviors cause suffering. They can often disrupt a person’s relationship (with self and others), cause them to harbor feelings of inadequacy and frequent unnecessary comparisons, dread, anxiety and worry.

Life does not need to be this way and eating disorders are not a person’s fault nor are they self-inflicted or chosen. There can be a way through these struggles and the team at All Voices is here to support you in this journey towards wellness and to renew your relationship with food, body and movement.

We will dedicate time to discussing the concerns you have, the beliefs you hold and how society’s norms/expectations can often be points of tension as you regain your balance and re-open your outlook and ultimately your life.

It is sometimes hard to recognize or validate these concerns as society often praises these behaviors as: ‘having everything together’, ‘a strong self-discipline,’ and always ‘appearing perfect;’ but in reality this facade is exhausting and can be harmful if it takes over a person’s brain space and turns into a preoccupation that takes you away from your authentic self and the life you want to live.

We are here for you on this journey, it might not be easy but it is worth it!

Recovery is possible and the All Voices team is here with you

Some signs of eating disorders or disordered eating

Behavioral symptoms could include:

  • Eating increased quantities of foods

  • Purging after eating

  • Hiding or eating alone

  • Skipping meals or drastically altering consumption levels

  • Intense thoughts or emotions towards some or all foods

  • Excuses for cutting out/avoiding certain foods

Emotional symptoms could include:

  • Preoccupation with weight, food, and calories

  • Obsession with body size and shape

  • Mood swings

  • Skipping meals

  • Specific food rituals or food rules

  • Becoming withdrawn from personal relationships

Physical symptoms could include:

  • Difficulties concentrating

  • Weakness or lethargy

  • Dizziness and/or fainting

  • Missing or irregular periods

  • Changes in weight

  • Insomnia or difficulty sleeping

  • Hair loss

Eating disorders are serious mental health conditions that greatly impact the body and a person’s ability to function - without proper care eating disorders can lead to death.

If you or someone you know are exhibiting symptoms similar to this list, you can always send us an email at hello@allvoicesnutrition.com or schedule a discovery call to ask or learn more.

Additionally, you can gain more insight by continuing to scroll down and read more signs and symptoms for specific types of eating disorders.

All Voices services commonly found helpful in the prevention and recovery of eating disorders or disordered eating

Individual or Family Nutrition Counseling

Spend dedicated time discussing your concerns with a professional.

Text Support and Accountability Check Ins

When you need support in between sessions your counselor can be a text away.

Meal Support

If eating meals or snacks are challenging, you can have someone eat with you.

Support Groups

Creating community to connect and help yourself while hearing about other’s journey.

Yoga Therapeutics

Reconnecting with the body with gentle movements and somatic therapeutics.

Concierge Care

A unique approach might be what is best and we respect and can consider options.

For a full list of our services, please use the navigation at the top of the screen

Possible trigger warning

Some examples of symptoms associated with eating disorders are listed below

Anorexia Nervosa

Anorexia Nervosa is an eating disorder that causes those suffering with it to develop an intense fear of gaining weight, which leads to distorted body image and difficulty maintaining healthy body weight. There are two subtypes of Anorexia Nervosa: the restricting subtype and the binge-eating/purging subtype. If a person is struggling with the restricting subtype, they may exhibit a low body weight by significantly reducing food intake. While those who experience the binge-eating/purging subtype may restrict their food intake and routinely engage in binge-eating and/or purging behaviors. These behaviors may include self-induced vomiting, compulsive exercise, and abuse of laxatives, diuretics, or enemas.

Some additional signs/symptoms of Anorexia Nervosa include, but are not limited to-

  • Significant restriction of food, fear of eating, or refusal to eat

  • Denying hunger or the need to eat

  • Distorted body image

  • Making excuses for not eating

  • A pattern of skipping meals

  • Lying about how food consumption

  • Lack of interest or fear of eating in public or to be seen eating by others

  • A preoccupation with food, including cooking elaborate meals for others but not eating the meals themselves

  • Only eating a few “safe” foods, which tend to be low in calories as well as fat

  • Frequently checking for perceived flaws in the mirror regarding body image

  • A fear of weight gain that may include obsessively measuring or weighing one’s body

  • Commenting about ‘being fat’ or harsh self criticism about parts of the body

  • High degree of irritability

  • Insomnia patterns

  • Loss of interest in things that previously were enjoyable

  • A reduced interest in sex

  • A lack of emotion or feeling emotionally or socially withdrawn

  • Covering up using layers of clothing or blankets

  • Menstrual irregularities, such as missed periods or only experiencing a period when on hormonal contraceptives

Atypical Anorexia

Atypical anorexia is an eating disorder that is nearly identical to Anorexia Nervosa. So what is the difference? People struggling with Anorexia Nervosa are at low body weights, while people struggling with Atypical Anorexia often weigh in the ‘typical” range or live in larger bodies. Atypical Anorexia is classified as an Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder (OSFED), and is also known as Sub-threshold Anorexia. People of all shapes and sizes can suffer serious, and even fatal, complications from Atypical Anorexia and it is just as serious as Anorexia Nervosa.

Some additional signs/symptoms of Atypical Anorexia include, but are not limited to-

  • Significant restriction of food, fear of eating, or refusal to eat

  • Denying hunger or the need to eat

  • Distorted body image

  • Making excuses for not eating

  • A pattern of skipping meals

  • Lying about how food consumption

  • Lack of interest or fear of eating in public or to be seen eating by others

  • A preoccupation with food, including cooking elaborate meals for others but not eating the meals themselves

  • Only eating a few “safe” foods, which tend to be low in calories as well as fat

  • Frequently checking for perceived flaws in the mirror regarding body image

  • A fear of weight gain that may include obsessively measuring or weighing one’s body

  • Commenting about ‘being fat’ or harsh self criticism about parts of the body

  • High degree of irritability

  • Insomnia patterns

  • Loss of interest in things that previously were enjoyable

  • A reduced interest in sex

  • A lack of emotion or feeling emotionally or socially withdrawn

  • Covering up using layers of clothing or blankets

  • Menstrual irregularities, such as missed periods or only experiencing a period when on hormonal contraceptives

ARFID - Avoidant, Restrictive Food Intake Disorder

Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder also known as ARFID, and is a diagnosis that has been recently added to the DSM 5. ARFID was previously termed “Selective Eating Disorder.” In some ways, ARFID is similar to Anorexia Nervosa because someone who suffers from it limits how much food and what types of it they consume. Yet a clear difference and symptoms unique to ARFID include: fear of certain food types, food textures, colors, shapes, smells or associations related to food types, fear of choking on foods or fear of food contamination - all of these fears and anxieties cause a person suffering from ARFID to greatly reduce the variety and quantities of food they consume. Those suffering from ARFID are not afraid about gaining weight and do not feel distressed about their body size or shape. Children suffering from ARFID do not eat enough food to properly develop or grow and adults suffering from ARFID often do not eat enough to maintain basic bodily functions. ARFID can lead to issues at work or school, impaired social interactions, weight loss in adults, and slowed growth and proper weight gain in children.

Some additional signs/symptoms of ARFID include, but are not limited to-

  • General lack of interest in eating or food

  • Avoiding foods based on textures, smells, or other sensory characteristics

  • Could be labeled as ‘picky eaters’

  • Avoidance of social situations that involve food

  • Weight loss or slowed growth and development for children

  • Intense fear of food poisoning or contamination

  • Intense fear of choking on foods

  • Concern or obsessive thoughts about the consequences of eating certain foods, these concerns are not related to their body image or weight

Binge Eating Disorder

With Binge Eating Disorder (BED), people struggling experience frequent episodes of overeating that occur at a fast pace and within a short timeframe. These episodes usually occur when the person is not physically hungry and can continue beyond the point of a person reaching extreme fullness and leads to discomfort. People who struggle with BED may feel as if they have no control over their eating behaviors during an episode, meaning they cannot stop eating, they cannot decide what to eat, or cannot determine how much they should be eating or have actually ate. 

It is common for binge eating episodes to be marked by significant distress followed by feelings of shame, guilt, embarrassment or depression. Binge episodes typically happen at least once a week for three months or longer. Unlike other symptoms of eating disorders, people who suffer from Binge Eating Disorder do not usually use inappropriate or unhealthy weight control tactics such as fasting or purging to counteract their binges.

Some additional signs/symptoms of Binge Eating Disorder include, but are not limited to-

  • Feeling out of control around food

  • Secretive eating or missing food within the home

  • Self medicating with food

  • Hoarding, stealing or hiding food or food packages

  • Recurrent and persistent episodes of binge eating

  • Eating more rapidly than normal

  • Eating until feeling uncomfortably full

  • Eating large amounts of food even when not hungry

  • Eating alone, often due to embarrassment, guilt or shame of food quantities eaten

  • Noticeable differences in weight, increases and decreases

  • Social withdrawal

Bulimia Nervosa

Bulimia Nervosa is an eating disorder where someone has frequent instances of binge eating - consuming a large amount of food in a short period of time - followed by purging - getting rid of the food or the calories. These instances of bingeing and purging usually occur at least once a week for three months or more. Some ways that purges take shape are using one or several of these methods: self-induced vomiting, compulsive exercise, laxative use, diuretic use, insulin misuse, and/or diet pill use.

Bulimia Nervosa symptoms can be harder to recognize; due to the fact that those suffering from Bulimia Nervosa tend to hide their bingeing and purging behaviors. Societal stigma around what a person with an eating disorder looks like can often cause persons struggling with Bulimia Nervosa to go unnoticed by even those who are closest to them because a person struggling may appear to have a “typical” body size.

Some additional signs/symptoms of Bulimia Nervosa include, but are not limited to-

  • Feeling out of control around food

  • Secretive eating or missing food within the home

  • Bingeing and purging

  • Weight shifts

  • Puffy cheeks or face

  • Preoccupation with food

  • Frequent use of the bathroom around (before, during or after) meal times

  • Misuse of laxatives, diet pills, diuretics or exercise

  • Calluses on knuckles

  • Sore throat or hoarse voice

  • Unexplained heart burn or acid reflux

  • Increased levels of anxiety or depression

  • Red eyes or broken blood vessels in or around eyes or face

  • Discoloration of teeth

Orthorexia

Orthorexia is considered a disorder within the Other Specified Feeding and Eating Disorders (OSFED). Those struggling with Orthorexia become obsessed with “healthy” or “proper” eating. Orthorexia is an illness that unfortunately is not yet officially recognized by the DSM 5. Despite this lack of classification, Orthorexia is a harmful condition and can have just as severe and debilitating impacts on a person’s mental, social, emotional and physical wellbeing. The term “orthorexia” was first introduced to the scientific literature in 1998, when specialists were becoming increasingly aware of the disorder. It is not necessarily a harmful thing to be concerned with the nutritional quality of what a person is eating eating, people who suffer from Orthorexia often become so consumed by the intention of “healthy eating” that it can becomes detrimental to their health.

Some additional signs/symptoms of Orthorexia include, but are not limited to-

  • Compulsive reading of nutrition labels or ingredient lists

  • Habitual tracking food and exercise

  • Cutting out specific foods or food groups

  • Labeling food as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ or ‘not for me’

  • An unusually heightened interest in the health of what others are eating

  • Exhibiting high levels of stress when ‘safe’ or ‘healthy’ food options are not available

  • Obsessively following and viewing of food or ‘healthy lifestyle’ content on social media

  • Thinking you don’t want to ‘waste calories’ on certain foods

  • Covering up using layers of clothing or blankets

  • Menstrual irregularities, such as missed periods or only experiencing a period when on hormonal contraceptives

OSFED - Other Specified Feeding and Eating Disorders

Other Specified Feeding and Eating Disorders (OSFED) is a clinical notation used to describe a variety of disordered eating behavior, those maladaptive thoughts and behaviors related to food, eating and body image, that do not fit into or meet all the diagnostic criteria for a specific eating disorder, like Anorexia Nervosa or Bulimia Nervosa.

Some of the most typical forms of OSFED include: orthorexia, excessive/compulsive exercise, body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) and diabulimia. OSFED was formerly known as Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (EDNOS).