Although certain eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia are well-known, there are other terms being used that are not so common and in fact are not official diagnoses. There are three official eating disorders diagnoses: anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and eating disorder not otherwise specified (EDNOS). Within each of these diagnoses, eating disorders treatment professionals have seen a variety of ‘types of eating disorders’.  Binge eating disorder (BED) is a type of eating disorder not otherwise specified (EDNOS) and is characterized by recurrent binge eating without the regular use of compensatory measures, such as purging through vomiting, restrictive eating and/or over-exercising, to counter the binge eating.

The following terms are not recognized medical diagnoses, but have recently evolved in the media and have been used to describe some of the eating disorders “trends” seen in recent years.

Orthorexia is a popular term that refers to an unhealthy obsession with eating healthy foods. This may seem a bit odd – how can focusing on eating healthy foods be bad for you? However, when a focus on healthy foods becomes extreme and an obsession, it can be quite dangerous.

These severe dietary restrictions may transgress, leading to anorexic behaviors, severe malnutrition or even death.

Pregorexia is term coined for a subtype of anorexia. It exists when a woman who is pregnant restricts calories and/or over-exercises due to a fear of gaining additional weight or in an effort to maintain or lose weight while pregnant.

Calorie restriction during pregnancy can be quite harmful not only to the mother, but to the baby as well. It can cause vitamin deficiencies in both the mother and baby and possible growth retardation and other birth defects in the baby.

Drunkorexia is a slang term that describes the practice of minimizing or restricting food intake in order to consume more alcohol (and the calories from alcohol). In an unhealthy manner to maintain weight, many individuals will go without meals if anticipating a drinking session later in the day or week. The mixing of eating disorders and alcohol can be a dangerous cocktail.

Exercise bulimia is a sub type of bulimia nervosa. It occurs when an individual excessively exercises in an effort to burn calories and fat reserves. This behavior negatively affects his or her health. Read an earlier post of mine for more information about exercise bulimia.

Diabulimia is a term used to describe a disordered eating behavior in individuals with Type 1 diabetes. In this diabetic eating disorder, individuals will deliberately give themselves less insulin than they need for the purpose of weight loss. The lack of insulin places the body in a starvation state leaving it unable to process sugars. In this state the body excretes any consumed sugars rather than using them for energy or storing them as fat.

I encourage you not to automatically assume that someone’s effort to eat healthier or maintain an exercise schedule is an eating disorder or cause for concern. However, if you’re worried that a friend or loved one may be overly concerned with his or her body’s appearance, set aside a time to talk and express your concerns in a thoughtful manner. Additionally, contact a local resource or chat confidentially online with Eating Recovery Center (www.EatingRecoveryCenter.com) to get your questions and concerns answered.

Is there a topic related to eating disorders that you’d like to see me discuss on this blog? Please feel free to comment below with any topic suggestions or questions about this particular post.