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Eating Disorder Awareness Week

  • Writer: Redfish Counseling Providers
    Redfish Counseling Providers
  • 34 minutes ago
  • 6 min read

Sydney Elder, LCMHCA & Katie Davin, LCMHC

While February is widely known as the month of love, it also serves as Eating Disorder Awareness Month, with Feb 23–Mar 1 set aside as a week solely dedicated to increasing visibility of these serious mental health conditions. The umbrella term eating disorder includes a number of disorders characterized by disturbances in eating behaviors as well as a preoccupation with body weight and size. In the United States, around 9% of the population, or 28.8 million people, will experience an eating disorder in their lifetime. Additionally, these complex illnesses do not discriminate, impacting a range of people and carrying potential lethal consequences:

  • 1 in 3 people with an eating disorder is male

  • BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) people struggle with eating disorders at similar rates, or even higher, compared to white individuals; however, these individuals are often undiagnosed or undertreated

  • Though limited, preliminary research indicates that eating disorders are more prevalent in the LGBTQ+ community compared to heterosexual/cisgender populations

  • Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of all psychiatric illnesses

    • 10,200 deaths each year are the direct result of an eating disorder

    • Suicide is the leading contributor


There are different reasons that people may develop an eating disorder at some point in their lives, including biological, psychological, and socio-cultural factors. Biological factors that may contribute to eating disorder development include having a family member diagnosed with an eating disorder or other mental health condition, having a history of dieting, low energy availability (LEA) due to inadequate nutrition in relation to what your body needs to sustain certain amounts of physical activity, and type-1 diabetes. Psychological factors may include characteristics of perfectionism, cognitive inflexibility, emotion dysregulation, impulsivity, avoidance, body image dissatisfaction, or a personal history of mental health conditions or substance use disorders. Socio-cultural factors include weight stigma, teasing and/or bullying, internalizing the idea of an “ideal body,” acculturation (primarily related to racial and ethnic minority groups), limited social networks, and a personal history of trauma.


Although there are many types of eating disorders–all important and necessitating our attention–this post aims to boost exposure of the following diagnoses in order to enhance the detection of warning signs and familiarize you with resources. Below we walk you through telltale features and symptoms of the most common ones:


  • Anorexia Nervosa (AN): an eating disorder commonly associated with restrictive eating patterns, intensive exercise, and intense preoccupation surrounding weight gain and body image. Some signs that a person may be struggling with Anorexia Nervosa include:

    • Dramatic weight loss

    • Dressing in layers to hide weight loss or stay warm

    • Preoccupation with weight, food, calories, fat grams, and dieting

    • Frequent comments about feeling “fat”

    • Difficulty maintaining an appropriate body weight for height, age, and stature

    • Consistent maintenance of an excessive, rigid exercise regime – despite weather, fatigue, illness, or injury


  • Bulimia Nervosa (BN): a disorder primarily characterized by episodes of binge eating accompanied by compensatory behaviors associated with fear of gaining weight. Some symptoms that may present in someone with Bulimia Nervosa include:

    • Engaging in episodes of binge eating large amounts of food in a short period of time, often in secret.

    • Frequently engaging in compensatory behaviors such as self-induced vomiting, diuretic/laxative use, fasting/restricting, excessive exercise or manipulation of insulin dosage after a binge eating episode.

    • Drinking excessive amounts of water or non-caloric beverages, and/or uses excessive amounts of mouthwash, mints, and gum.

    • Cuts and calluses appearing across the top of finger joints (resulting from self-induced vomiting)

    • Dental problems due to purging include erosion of enamel; bleeding gums/periodontal disease; temperature sensitivity; cavities; discoloration of teeth; dry mouth; enlarged parotid/submandibular glands and swallowing problems


  • Binge Eating Disorder (BED): while similar to Bulimia Nervosa, Binge Eating Disorder differs in that it does not include compensatory behaviors in relation to binge eating episodes. Binge Eating Disorder commonly includes symptoms of:

    • Episodes of binge eating large amounts of food in a short period of time, often in secret (eating in a discrete period of time an amount of food that is much larger than most individuals would eat under similar circumstances)

    • Feeling a lack of control over ability to stop eating

    • Experiencing shame, guilt and feelings of despair after binge-eating episodes

    • Stealing or hoarding food in unusual places

    • Creating lifestyle schedules or rituals to create time for binge sessions

    • Disruption in normal eating behaviors, including eating throughout the day with no planned mealtimes; skipping meals or taking small portions of food at regular meals; engaging in sporadic fasting or repetitive dieting


  • Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID): a newly defined condition that is more commonly observed in children and adolescents and not directly tied to concerns about weight and body shape. Key signs of ARFID include:

    • Severe restriction of types or amount of food eaten due to sensory sensitivities

    • Lack of appetite or interest in food

    • Dramatic weight loss

    • Upset stomach, abdominal pain, or other gastrointestinal issues with no other known cause

    • Avoidance or specific eating preferences following a traumatic experience with eating, e.g., choking or vomiting

    • Heightened anxiety around mealtimes


  • Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder (OSFED): a diagnostic label used when an individual exhibits symptoms that do not fully meet criteria for one of the other eating disorders. However, do not be mistaken, OSFED is equally consequential. It is the most common of all eating disorders and is seen among individuals of varying genders, ages, and races. The list below is not exhaustive:

  • Weight fluctuations

  • Dietary restriction or food preoccupation

  • Compulsive exercise

  • Gastrointestinal issues

  • Excessive fatigue

  • Emotional distress

  • Distorted body image

  • Dizziness or fainting

  • Sleep disturbances

  • Dressing in layers to hide weight loss or stay warm

  • Food rituals

  • Avoiding eating with others


Treatment for an eating disorder may look different based on the severity of an individual’s symptoms and the resources they have available. There are different levels of care available, including outpatient, intensive outpatient, partial hospitalization programs, residential treatment programs, and intensive inpatient/in-hospital care. Outpatient is considered the lowest level of care for less severe presentations of symptoms, while intensive inpatient/in-hospital care is for treatment of eating disorders that are more severe and require higher levels of medical intervention. Care team providers may include a counselor, psychologist, social worker, dietitian or nutritionist, medical management with a physician, and/or a psychiatrist. There are multiple different types of evidence-based therapy approaches available, including Family-Based Treatment (FBT, otherwise known as the Maudsley method), Adolescent Focused Therapy (AFT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT or CBT-ED), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), or Guided Self-Help CBT (CBT-GSH). 


If you are curious about if you may be experiencing symptoms of an eating disorder/disordered eating, here are some self-report screening tools that may help you clarify your experience and provide insight on relevant treatment options:



If this article hit close to home, we at Redfish implore you to consult with your primary care provider and access the resources and directories below. Care for you and/or your loved one is available! 



Sydney Elder, LCMHCA


Sydney strives to help clients understand their experiences, values, and beliefs in a way that is meaningful to the individual. Sydney works from a person-centered perspective to help clients develop effective coping skills, identify areas for personal exploration and growth, and establish a framework for fulfilling needs in the future; which may look like exploring boundaries, cultivating communication skills and emotional awareness, and bringing awareness to and fostering the mind-body connection.




Katie Davin, LCMHC


Katie is motivated to assist individuals in tackling the obstacles that prevent them from connecting with others and experiencing life in the ways they want to. Katie helps clients achieve this by equipping them with knowledge and strategic, practical skills. Fueled by her love of all things science, Katie’s counseling is greatly informed by current research in the field as well as her own life experiences. She takes an eclectic approach and utilizes a variety of techniques best suited to each client. Ultimately, Katie aspires to make therapy an organic process by cultivating collaboration and acceptance within every session.






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