Counting calories. Banning bread. Eating past the point of fullness, then drastically cutting intake. Often associated with dieting, these behaviors may be signs of disordered eating.
Disordered eating refers to “a spectrum of problematic eating behaviors and distorted attitudes towards food, weight, shape, and appearance,” according to the National Association of Eating Disorders.
Disordered eating is distinct from an eating disorder, which is considered a mental illness. That said, disordered eating patterns sometimes overlap with those tied to eating disorders, though they tend to be less severe, intense, and frequent. Disordered eating raises your risk of developing an eating disorder, and it can wreak havoc on your mental health, your enjoyment of food, and your weight.
Signs of Disordered Eating
Any type of dieting or calorie restriction can lead you down the path of disordered eating because it moves you away from intuitive eating, where you listen and respond to your body’s cues, and toward eating according to external rules. Here are some behaviors associated with disordered eating.
Becoming Preoccupied With Food
Known now as “food noise,” this running internal monologue comprises persistent, intrusive thoughts of food. “You’re constantly thinking about what you’re going to eat next, and overanalyzing what, when, and how much to eat,” dietitian Nicole DeMasi Malcher, RD, MS, said in a recent Embody webinar.
Developing Rules Around Food
If you’re on a diet, you’re likely imposing eating rules on yourself. Rules can include eliminating certain foods (“no bread”), loading up on others (“maximize protein”), eating only at certain times of day (“no eating after 7 p.m.”), portion control (“5 ounces of chicken”), or eating “clean” food. While following balanced eating guidelines is always recommended, being excessively rigid about these principles can verge into disordered eating.
Experiencing Binge Eating
The scarcity mindset that accompanies restrictive dieting can lead to loss of control eating, also known as binge eating. “This is that rebound eating that happens when we have been trying to be ‘good’ for so long or follow the diet,” DeMasi Malcher said. “It tends to make us feel almost addicted to the food — or out of control around it.” Binge eating includes behaviors like eating large quantities of food in a short period of time past the point of fullness, eating alone, eating very quickly, or eating to cope with emotions.
Skipping Meals
Missing a meal when you’re busy or not very hungry is distinctly different from consistently and intentionally skipping meals in order to take in fewer calories. Forgoing meals to lose weight necessitates ignoring your hunger cues, which often leads to compensatory eating later, and is accompanied by negative emotions. Although some research suggests that time-restricted eating may benefit longevity, weight management, and disease prevention, careful thought should be given to fasting so meals aren’t forfeited altogether.
Avoiding Social Eating
Disordered eating may be at play if you avoid going out to eat with friends because of the stress around choosing food you feel is “safe” to eat, or if you feel embarrassment, shame, or guilt about eating in front of others. This can also lead to eating in secrecy.
The Intuitive Eating Approach to Disordered Eating
Dieting and rules and food noise suppress our natural hunger cues. Learning to tune into those cues through an approach known as intuitive eating can help heal your relationship with food. “We're all born with the innate ability to eat intuitively, but we lose it over the years with all of the food rules and the diets and the pressure from society to be thin,” DeMasi Malcher said.
Intuitive eating is tuning into your body’s needs — and then meeting those needs. You take the focus off of weight loss and try to eat a well-balanced diet that is beneficial for your overall health. Removing the restrictions and rules can help improve your ability to feel your hunger and your fullness — and to eat just for that, not to soothe your emotions or to alleviate a feeling of deprivation.
