Information about Anorexia, Bulimia & Binge Eating Disorders

Recognizing the Signs and Symptoms of Eating Disorder Behaviours

Columbus Park Collaborative recognizes and treats all of the eating disorders and eating disorder symptoms described below. Our multidisciplinary treatment team addresses the full scope of our clients’ eating disorder behaviors and utilizes a therapeutic approach that incorporates nutritional and physical restoration along with work toward behavior modification, emotional insight and healing. If you or someone you love is struggling with any of the thoughts or behaviors detailed below, we strongly encourage you to seek support and guidance from a treatment professional.

Please note that the CPC treatment team believes that while an individual may not meet all of the criteria for Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa or Binge Eating Disorder, preoccupation with food and body weight, restrictive eating, dieting, binge eating and/or any use of behaviors such as self-induced vomiting, the misuse of laxatives or diuretics, and/or compensatory exercise may pose physical danger and cause serious emotional distress. We recommend and encourage seeking appropriate treatment.

Anorexia Nervosa

Anorexia Nervosa is a serious psychiatric illness characterized by intense preoccupation with food and body shape/weight, restrictive and/or rigid eating behaviors, excessive weight loss and an intense fear of gaining weight. Left untreated, Anorexia Nervosa leads to severe malnutrition and potentially life-threatening medical complications such as kidney failure, heart arrhythmia, congestive heart failure, mitral valve prolapse, dehydration and other fluid and electrolyte imbalances, gastrointestinal disturbances, osteopenia and osteoporosis, dysregulation of normal body temperature, reproductive and endocrine problems, and cardiac arrest.

Diagnostic criteria for Anorexia Nervosa are based on the following symptoms:

  • The refusal to achieve and maintain a body weight at or above what is appropriate for age and height
  • Refusal to acknowledge clinically underweight status
  • Fear of gaining weight or "getting fat," regardless of current underweight status
  • Preoccupation with body weight or shape, and/or allowing body weight or shape to unduly influence self-evaluation, or refusal to acknowledge clinically underweight status
  • Amenorrhea in postmenarcheal females (missing at least 3 consecutive menstrual periods)

There are two sub-types of Anorexia Nervosa:

  • Restricting Type: Does not involve binge-eating or purging behaviors such as self-induced vomiting or misuse of laxatives, diuretics or enemas
  • Binge/Purge Type: Involves binge-eating and/or purging behaviors such as self-induced vomiting or misuse of laxatives, diuretics or enemas

Bulimia Nervosa

Bulimia Nervosa is a serious psychiatric illness that presents as episodes of binge eating, followed by compensatory behaviors such as self-induced vomiting, and/or the use or abuse of laxatives, enemas, diuretics or exercise. While individuals with Bulimia Nervosa often appear to be of an average weight, the behaviors associated with this disorder can result in serious and potentially fatal health consequences such as malnutrition, fluid and electrolyte imbalance, heart arrhythmia, gastrointestinal, reproductive and endocrine disturbances, and cardiac arrest.

Diagnostic criteria for Bulimia Nervosa are based on the following symptoms:

  • Repeated episodes of binge eating in which an excessive amount of food is consumed during a relatively short period of time, accompanied by a sense of urgency or lack of control and often resulting in an uncomfortable level of fullness
  • Repeated use of compensatory behaviors following a binge such as self-induced vomiting, misuse of laxatives, diuretics or enemas, excessive exercising or fasting
  • Episodes of bingeing followed by inappropriate compensatory behaviors occur at least two times per week for a three-month period to meet full criteria of Bulimia Nervosa
  • Preoccupation with body weight or shape and overemphasis on weight/shape as defining features of oneself

There are two sub-types of Bulimia Nervosa:

  • Purge Type: Engages in compensatory behaviors such as self-induced vomiting and/or misuse of laxatives, diuretics or enemas
  • Non-purge Type: Engages in compensatory behaviors such as excessive exercise or fasting but does not induce vomiting or misuse laxatives, diuretics or enemas

Binge Eating Disorder

Binge Eating Disorder involves repeated episodes of binge eating without compensatory behaviors. Episodes of binge eating are accompanied by a sense of urgency or lack of control and often result in an uncomfortable level of fullness. Body weight can range from normal weight to morbid obesity, with most of the medical consequences relating to overweight status.

Characteristics of Binge Eating Disorder include the following:

  • Repeated episodes of consumption of abnormally large quantities of food during a relatively short period of time
  • Overwhelming feeling of urgency or lack of control when eating
  • Feelings of shame, guilt, disgust, and frustration associated with binge eating behavior
  • Often binge eating episodes are in private and in the absence of hunger

Female Athlete Triad

"Female Athlete Triad" is a term used to describe a syndrome that affects highly physically active females who demonstrate disordered eating behaviors. Poor nutrition and the denial of necessary nutrients for the active body can hinder estrogen production leading to missed menstrual periods and a significant reduction in calcium levels within the bones. Inadequate calcium absorption results in a decrease in bone mass/density known as "osteopenia" or in more extreme cases of bone atrophy, "osteoporosis." The bones become porous, weak and prone to fracture. While adolescent females are the group most at risk for this syndrome, any female athlete is vulnerable. Male athletes may develop similar syndromes.