Definition

1. Noun:
   • A psychological condition characterized by abnormal or disturbed eating habits: An "eating disorder" is a serious mental health condition that involves severe disturbances in a person's eating behaviors, thoughts, and emotions related to food, weight, and body image. It goes beyond a simple "disorder of the normal eating routine" to encompass complex psychological issues.

Usage and Examples

• Noun:
  • Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are well-known types of eating disorders.
  • She sought professional help for her eating disorder.
  • The documentary raised awareness about the dangers of eating disorders.

Advanced Usage and Context

• Clinical Context: In medical and psychological terminology, "eating disorder" is a formal diagnostic category. It implies a pattern of eating that causes significant distress or impairment in physical, social, or occupational functioning.
  • The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) lists specific criteria for each eating disorder.
• "to have/suffer from an eating disorder": This is the standard phrasing to indicate someone is affected by this condition.
  • He has been struggling with an eating disorder for years.

Variants and Related Words

• Binge-eating disorder (n): A specific type of eating disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of eating large quantities of food.
• Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder (OSFED) (n): A diagnostic category for significant eating disorders that do not meet the full criteria for anorexia or bulimia.

Synonyms

• Feeding disorder: This term is sometimes used, particularly in broader medical contexts or when referring to very young children, but "eating disorder" is the more common and specific term for psychological conditions.
• Disordered eating: A descriptive phrase for problematic eating patterns that may not constitute a full clinical diagnosis.

Related Phrases and Collocations

• "to develop an eating disorder": To begin to show signs of the condition.
  • Some people develop an eating disorder during adolescence.
• "to recover from an eating disorder": To undergo treatment and return to healthy eating habits and mental state.
  • With therapy, she is learning to recover from her eating disorder.
• "eating disorder treatment": The therapeutic and medical interventions used.
  • The clinic specializes in eating disorder treatment.

Noun

1. a disorder of the normal eating routine