Maybe your middle schooler starts coming home with her lunch uneaten, or a friend begins weighing and measuring her food at every meal, or you notice that you’re avoiding food throughout the day and eating most of your calories at night—in any of these cases, you might wonder: are these just eating quirks, or something to worry about? The question can be hard to answer, in part because habits like these are often portrayed as “normal” or even desirable in our society. But the truth is that all of these behaviors (and many others) can be considered disordered, and in some cases, they may indicate a full-blown eating disorder. So how can you tell the difference between disordered eating vs. an eating disorder? And is disordered eating on its own a cause for concern?

Read on to learn the difference between disordered eating vs eating disorders, why both can be dangerous, and concrete next steps to take if you believe you or a loved one may be struggling with disordered eating.

What is a healthy relationship with food?

Before we can begin to understand disordered eating vs eating disorders, it’s helpful to have a baseline for comparison. As a caveat, every person’s eating behavior is unique to them, and there is no universal definition of “healthy” eating.

Still, if we look at the research, non-disordered eating tends to include:

• Consuming a balanced diet that provides the nutrients your body needs
• Having a positive attitude about food
• Being flexible with your eating. You eat in response to your hunger, schedule, proximity to food, and feelings, rather than rigid food rules

“Optimally, you're using interoceptive and internal cues to guide your hunger and fullness,” says Carol B. Peterson, PhD, Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at University of Minnesota Medical School. “Eating is also deeply culturally meaningful, from a social and interpersonal interconnectedness standpoint. Eating is a source of community and connection, and can and should be fun.”

According to registered dietitian Alix Turoff, balance is a key tenet of true healthy eating. “A healthy relationship with food is one where food takes up a balanced and appropriate amount of space in your life,” she says. “You care about nutrition and the impact it can have on your health and well-being, but it’s not running the entire show. You can make choices that support your health without beating yourself up if things aren’t perfect.”

Another important aspect of having a healthy relationship with food is flexibility. “You can honor hunger and fullness cues when possible, but you also know real life exists,” Turoff says. “Sometimes you eat because you’re hungry, sometimes because it’s dinner time, and sometimes because your friend baked cookies and you want one.”

One word that doesn’t come up in Turoff’s description of a healthy relationship with food is “shame” or anything related to it. “When you have a healthy relationship with food, eating isn’t constantly tied to guilt, punishment, or morality,” she says. “You’re not having a full internal crisis over eating a bowl of pasta without protein or feeling like you need to ‘make up for’ dessert. It doesn’t mean you never think about nutrition, but your food choices don’t define your everyday decisions and the thoughts that follow.”

Get free eating disorder resourcesGet expert guidance on eating disorders and other helpful resources delivered to your inbox.

Get free resources

What is disordered eating? A closer look at the behaviors

Disordered eating is a term used to describe a wide range of eating behaviors that may not warrant an eating disorder diagnosis but can cause physical and psychological harm. “Disordered eating is more of a descriptive term, and not an official psychiatric diagnosis described in the the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,” explains Katherine Hill, MD, former VP of Medical Affairs at Equip. The risk of developing disordered eating habits is a real one: in a systematic review and meta-analysis including 63,000 children and adolescents around the world, 22 percent showed disordered eating.

In her clinical experience, Turoff says most patients with disordered eating typically present a pattern of behaviors and beliefs. In addition to having rigid food rules and uncontrollable anxiety around certain eating situations, she says most clients with disordered eating have a level of preoccupation with food, exercise, or body image that goes well beyond simply wanting to be healthy. But in the context of diet culture, this preoccupation can feel like a normal or even positive thing despite causing significant distress. “A lot of people don’t realize they’re struggling, because these behaviors are so normalized,” Turoff says. “They think they’re just being disciplined or health conscious, when in reality their relationship with food is becoming increasingly rigid and stressful.”

Some of the most common disordered eating examples include:

• A rigid approach to eating (tracking calories or macronutrients, inflexible meal times, reduced food variety)
• Assigning moral value to food (judging good foods vs bad foods)
• Skipping meals, fasting, or frequent dieting
• Binge eating
• Anxiety around trying new foods or eating in different environments
• GI issues
• Exercising to compensate for what has been eaten
• Using diuretics or laxatives
• Secretly eating
• Increased preoccupation with food and body and fear of weight gain

Turoff says that in addition to labeling foods as “good” or “bad,” some clients with disordered eating habits describe themselves as being “good” or “bad” depending on what they ate that day. For many, there may also be a significant fixation on the scale. “Someone may be weighing themselves multiple times a day or letting the number dictate their mood, their food choices, or whether they feel like they were ‘successful’ that day,” she says.

Gastrointestinal issues may also be tied to disordered eating in some cases. “Sometimes they are real, but sometimes people become convinced they can’t tolerate certain foods or ingredients and start eliminating them without a clear medical reason,” Turoff says. “They might adopt diets like gluten free, dairy free, or vegan not because of an allergy or ethical reason, but because it gives them a socially acceptable way to avoid foods they’re afraid of.”

Another common characteristic of disordered eating is anxiety around eating food that was prepared by others. “Clients may dread going out to eat, avoid social situations that involve food, or feel intense stress about ingredients or calories they can’t control,” Turoff says. “Sometimes that fear centers around calories, and sometimes it centers around ingredients, which we often see with orthorexic tendencies.”

What about orthorexia?

Speaking of orthorexia, this relatively new condition merits its own discussion here. While it's not an official eating disorder diagnosis, orthorexia—which is sometimes described as “clean eating disorder” or “eating too healthy disorder”—is another type of disordered eating. According to research on the topic, people with orthorexia become fixated on consuming only foods they believe are “clean” and “healthy,” often leading to very rigid rules about what can and can't be eaten. “Orthorexia often starts with good intentions but can lead to extreme restrictive behavior that can be problematic nutritionally,” Peterson says. “And for some, it can lead to a rebound of binge eating.”

Turoff says she sees orthorexic tendencies all the time in her practice. “What makes it tricky is that it usually starts from a very genuine place,” she says. “The problem is that for some people it slowly becomes more and more restrictive.” Orothorexia can also be tricky in that it doesn’t always come with obvious physical signs like weight changes. “Someone can be extremely preoccupied with eating only certain ‘clean’ foods and avoiding others without necessarily eating more or fewer calories overall,” she says. “From the outside, it can just look like someone who is very disciplined or very informed about nutrition. In many cases, these behaviors are actually praised by friends, family, or even healthcare professionals, which can reinforce the behavior and make it harder for someone to recognize that their relationship with food has become unhealthy.”

Unfortunately, social media has had an undeniable impact on the prevalence of orthorexia and added further confusion about what “healthy eating” really is. “People are constantly exposed to content that frames certain foods or ingredients as dangerous or toxic, often from influencers who position themselves as whistleblowers exposing the ‘truth’ about the food system,” Turoff says. “That kind of messaging can create a lot of fear around foods that are perfectly acceptable and safe, and it can push people toward increasingly rigid eating patterns while making them feel like they’re simply being responsible about their health.”

Causes of disordered eating

Many different factors might lead someone to develop disordered eating behaviors, but dieting is a major one. Fad diets that encourage extreme measures like intermittent fasting, cutting out entire food groups, or “cleansing” the body by only consuming certain liquids are all inherently forms of disordered eating in themselves. Although some people may be able to practice these things without any negative consequences, for a lot of people, they can be very problematic, Peterson says.

Another contributing factor is the fact that disordered eating behaviors have become increasingly normalized and even praised in our society, making them easy to dismiss. As thin bodies continue to be idealized, and diet mentality shapes our culture, our conversations, and our conscience, habits like skipping meals or exercising for hours each day are often socially accepted. This not only means that harmful behaviors may go unnoticed, but may also encourage disordered eating behaviors in those susceptible to them.

Research suggests that disordered eating may also be caused by factors like societal or interpersonal pressure to lose weight, certain personality traits (like perfectionism), and psychological factors such as depression, anxiety, or low self-esteem.

What qualifies as an eating disorder?

To understand disordered eating vs eating disorders, it’s helpful to know these general definitions:

• Eating disorders are serious mental illnesses with specific, narrow diagnostic criteria. Eating disorders can cause malnutrition, bone loss, damage to vital organs, and other severe physical health consequences.
• Disordered eating is a more general, descriptive term that captures a number of different behaviors with varying levels of severity.

While disordered eating can show up in a wide variety of different ways, there aren’t distinct “types” of disordered eating. With eating disorders, however, there are five official diagnoses in the DSM, all with different symptoms and risks.

• Anorexia nervosa: Anorexia is characterized by extreme food restriction and an intense fear of gaining weight, leading to a significant low body weight in the context of age, sex, developmental trajectory, and physical health.
• BED (binge eating disorder): BED is characterized by recurrent episodes of uncontrollably eating a large amount of food quickly (known as a binge), often followed by distressing feelings, like guilt and shame. The bingeing occurs at least once a week for three months, and is not associated with compensatory behaviors afterward. BED is the most common eating disorder in the United States.
• Bulimia nervosa: Bulimia is an eating disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of binge eating (eating objectively large amounts of food quickly and with a lack of control) followed by compensatory purging behaviors to try to prevent weight gain. Purging may look like self-induced vomiting, misuse of laxatives or diuretics, or excessive exercise. This pattern occurs at least once a week for three months.
• ARFID (avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder): ARFID is characterized by eating a very small amount or variety of food (or both), leading to weight loss, failure to meet expected growth targets, nutritional deficiencies, the need for nutritional supplements, or a marked interference with psychosocial functioning. ARFID behaviors are not driven by body image concerns or a fear of weight gain, but rather come from sensory sensitivities, fears around eating, or a lack of interest in food.
• OSFED (other specified feeding and eating disorder): OSFED is a more general term to describe eating disorders that don't fit into other diagnoses. Some sub-categories of OSFED include atypical anorexia (when someone meets all of the criteria of anorexia nervosa except for low body weight), purging disorder, and night eating syndrome.

All of the diagnoses above involve disordered eating behaviors, such as restricting food intake or “working off” meals. However, not everyone who engages in one (or several) of these behaviors has an eating disorder. This makes discerning one from the other that much more difficult—but with some knowledge, it’s possible to identify the differences, and know when it’s time to seek help.

The key differences: Severity, frequency, and life impact

While disordered eating habits on their own don’t signify a diagnosable condition, they can easily become a slippery slope into an eating disorder. Thankfully, learning to recognize disordered eating behaviors can go a long way toward preventing harmful habits and ensuring that you or your loved one get the support you need to prevent or address an eating disorder.

The differences between disordered eating vs eating disorders lies less in what the behaviors are, and more in how they show up. Specifically, it’s important to consider:

• How often the behaviors happen
• How intense the associated thoughts and feelings are
• How much these behaviors disrupt a person's life

“There's a fine line between disordered eating and an eating disorder,” Hill says. “Disordered eating is generally mild without a significant impact on someone’s mental or physical health or self-worth.” Eating disorders, on the other hand, significantly impact all of these things.

Turoff agrees, noting that while disordered eating can still be very harmful, eating disorders tend to involve more entrenched patterns, psychological distress, and significant medical or functional consequences. “That said, there’s a lot of overlap,” she says. “The behaviors themselves can look very similar. Someone with disordered eating and someone with a diagnosable eating disorder might both be restricting, bingeing, compulsively exercising, or obsessing over food. The difference is how often it’s happening, how intense the thoughts are, and how much of the person’s life and identity are being consumed by it.”

Despite their similarities, Turoff believes it’s important to distinguish between disordered eating and EDs in order to pursue the most effective treatment possible—not because one is serious and the other isn’t. “Disordered eating is not harmless just because it doesn’t meet full diagnostic criteria,” she says. “It can still impact physical health, mental health, quality of life, and it can absolutely progress into a full eating disorder. The distinction can help guide treatment, but it should never be used to minimize someone’s suffering or convince them they’re not ‘sick enough’ to deserve support.”

Let's break down the three major differences between an eating disorder vs disordered eating so you can better determine what you or your loved one may be dealing with.

Frequency of behaviors

To be diagnosed with most eating disorders, the behaviors have to occur at a specific frequency for a certain period of time. For example, binge eating disorder is diagnosed if the person binges at least weekly for at least three months. “We'll also see people engage in bingeing less frequently, say monthly. That would potentially be disordered eating,” Peterson explains.

Another example would be a person who frequently yo-yo diets, adopting restrictive eating patterns for weeks and months at a time before going back to more “normal” eating, or even binge-like behaviors. While this would generally be considered disordered eating, it is not a diagnosable eating disorder.

Severity of thoughts and feelings

What's happening inside someone's mind matters when comparing disordered eating vs an eating disorder. While those with disordered eating habits may think about food more than others, the level of food obsession is far more intense with an eating disorder. Those struggling with an eating disorder are often so fixated on food—what they did eat, what they didn’t eat, what they will eat, how they'll avoid eating—that it impairs focus and makes it nearly impossible to stay present.

Thoughts and feelings about self-worth are another distraction. “In Western society, we see a high valuation in appearance and weight and shape, but in eating disorders, it's the number one thing,” Peterson says. “If they were to get an A on a test or lose a pound, the weight loss would have a bigger impact on their sense of self. Or if they got promoted and also gained weight, the weight gain would have a bigger impact.”

Life impact

While people with disordered eating habits may be preoccupied by thoughts around food and their body, their life generally isn't greatly impacted. With an eating disorder, however, those thoughts and behaviors occur so frequently, and are so intense, that the eating disorder reshapes life.

“You can't determine the severity of an eating disorder based on what someone does behaviorally,” Peterson says. “You want to understand what their life is like, and the extent to which these experiences and behaviors impact them. Often, their internal world is torturous."

For example, a child who skips her best friend's birthday party out of anxiety around the cake, or a teen who lies to his parents and goes out on a five-mile run despite having a bad cold are both situations where a person is likely struggling with an eating disorder. As an adult, you may be able to maintain a high level of functioning but struggle to pay attention in work meetings or truly engage with your kids.

One helpful way to think about it is to ask how often someone thinks about food or their body, and how often they want to think about food or their body. If the gulf between those two answers is significant, it shows that their brain is being monopolized by thoughts over which they don’t have control. This is a major red flag for an eating disorder.

“With an eating disorder, it is complete preoccupation,” Peterson says. “If you ask them, 'In a typical hour, how many minutes are you thinking about eating, your shape, or something related?' They'll say, 'Fifty-five minutes.'” This can make it difficult to concentrate at school, at work, and during conversations with friends.

Is it an eating disorder?Our 5-minute screener can help you determine if you should be worried.

Take the screener

When disordered eating becomes dangerous: Physical and mental red flags

If disordered eating begins to have a negative impact on health, it's probably tipped over into eating disorder territory. “Disordered eating generally does not significantly impact someone's physical or mental health, whereas an eating disorder does,” Hill says.

Watch for the red flags listed below that indicate you or your loved one may have an eating disorder. If you notice one or more of them, it’s worth making an appointment with a medical provider for an evaluation. You can also schedule a free consultation with an Equip team member, or take our free eating disorder assessment.

Medical red flags

• Stalled growth in adolescents
• Menstrual irregularities
• GI symptoms
• Decreased bone density
• Low heart rate
• Loss of tooth enamel
• Hair loss
• Electrolyte imbalances

Psychological red flags

• Mood changes
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Increased social withdrawal and secrecy
• Body checking
• Suicidal thoughts
• Obsessive thoughts that interfere with daily tasks

Behavioral red flags

• Greater tendency to skip meals
• Being more limited in what one is willing to eat
• Wanting to watch and see how food is prepared
• Saying “I ate already” at meals or food-related events
• Food going missing from the house, or evidence-of binge eating (i.e., excessive food wrappers or takeout containers)

The risks of "mild" disordered eating

It’s important to understand that even if someone's disordered eating habits don't meet the diagnostic criteria for an eating disorder, they can still cause significant harm. Research has associated disordered eating behaviors with physical and psychological problems such as:

• Anxiety and depression
• Struggles with self-esteem and body image
• Digestive problems (though it's unclear which comes first)
• Fatigue and difficulty concentrating
• Poor sleep
• Nutritional deficiencies and electrolyte imbalances
• Social isolation and withdrawal

And while disordered eating behaviors are harmful on their own (even if they never develop into a full-blown eating disorder diagnosis), someone “just” engaging in disordered eating behaviors for the time being could soon find themselves on the path toward an eating disorder.

“People don't set out to have an eating disorder. They try to cut back carbs and increase protein, or skip dessert,” Peterson says. “But for people who are vulnerable—and it's usually unclear who those are until it’s too late—the diet becomes all-consuming, much more rigid, and pervasive in the longer term. This can lead to more and more restrictive eating that results in nutritional problems and unhealthy weight loss.”

Get help for disordered eatingIf you or a loved one are struggling, we can help.

Schedule a consultation

What to do if you or a loved one are struggling with disordered eating

If you're wondering, “Do I have an eating disorder or disordered eating?” or you're worried that someone in your life is engaging in disordered eating behaviors, there's help and hope. As a first step, consider using an online eating disorder assessment to give you a better sense of what you may be dealing with.

“My biggest advice is this: do not wait until it gets worse to take it seriously,” Turoff says. “A lot of people think if they’re not underweight, not bingeing every day, or not doing whatever stereotype they associate with an eating disorder, then it’s not a big deal. But if food is causing significant stress, if your eating feels chaotic or overly rigid, if your body image is affecting your mood and your choices, or if your world is starting to get smaller because of food and exercise behaviors, it’s important to get help before things get worse. You do not need to hit some imaginary rock bottom to deserve help. In fact, getting support earlier is usually what prevents things from escalating.”

If you suspect a loved one may be struggling, talk to them during a private, low-stress time that doesn't involve food. Be mindful of how you approach the issue. Using threats or being the “food police” can make your loved one feel accused or scrutinized—which typically leads to more secrecy, Peterson says. Instead, “approach with a sense of curiosity of wanting to learn more,” she says. Express your concerns from a place of love, focus on how you're feeling and what you've noticed, and encourage professional guidance.

Here are some non-confrontational conversation starters that may help:

• "I’ve noticed that you’ve seemed a little down or stressed lately. Is there anything on your mind that you want to talk about?"
• "I've observed some changes in your routine lately. How are you feeling about everything?"
• "I know you’ve been going through a lot. Have you noticed any patterns in your eating habits that have been affecting you?"
• "I've noticed you seem anxious around food lately. Is there something I can do to help make things easier?"
• "You know, sometimes people struggle with food and their bodies without even realizing it. Have you ever felt like something might not be quite right with your eating habits?"
• "I notice you've been avoiding social situations that involve food. Is there something bothering you about those situations?"
• "You seem to be working really hard to control different aspects of your life. How does that feel for you?"

If they're open to it, offer to help them find a professional to talk to. If they're reluctant, emphasize that you love them and want to support them, and that you're there if they ever want to talk. You may have to have several conversations.

However, if someone is at medical risk, you need to step in, Peterson says: “You can say, 'This isn't a choice. We have to get you evaluated to make sure you are okay.” And if you’re the parent or caregiver for a minor who you think may have an eating disorder, it’s also important to intervene and help them get care, even if they resist.

To help a loved one or yourself get treatment, the first step is to make an appointment with your primary care provider or an eating disorder specialist for a consultation (you can also schedule a call with an Equip team member for a free, no obligation consultation). This advice holds true even if you believe the behavior isn't a full-blown eating disorder. “Early intervention is key to preventing further damage,” Hill says.

During a professional assessment, a healthcare provider may:

• Ask about any history of dieting, changes in eating and exercise habits, and use of appetite suppressants, diuretics, and other medications that can affect weight
• Perform a physical exam to look for physical symptoms like bloating, lanugo (fine hair all over the body), and knuckle calluses (evidence of purging)
• Order bloodwork to check electrolytes and other markers
• Use mental health screenings designed to help diagnose eating disorders

Whether the provider concludes you're dealing with disordered eating or an eating disorder, they can help you determine the next steps, including referring you to an eating disorder specialist. “Often people are extremely hesitant to seek treatment, afraid of forced treatment, and feel deep shame or fear of being misunderstood,” Peterson says. “Once they start treatment, they're enormously relieved. They feel understood for the first time.”

If you or a loved one are struggling with an eating disorder or any form of disordered eating, you are not alone and you are worthy of help. “We don’t feel ashamed when we need help in other areas of life,” Turoff says. “If you’re struggling with math, you might get a tutor. Working with a dietitian or therapist to improve your relationship with food is really no different. Sometimes having an experienced professional help you sort through the noise and bring some balance back into this part of your life can make a huge difference.”

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

What is the main difference between disordered eating and an eating disorder?

There are three main differences between disordered eating and an eating disorder:

1. With an eating disorder, the behaviors occur at a specific frequency for a certain period of time. With disordered eating, the behaviors are less regular and less frequent.
2. Someone with an eating disorder has more intense food- and body-related thoughts and feelings, to the point where they're constantly preoccupied.
3. An eating disorder has a significant negative impact on someone's life, where they begin to skip out on social events and can't perform as well at school and work because they're so distracted. Disordered eating generally does not significantly affect one’s life.

Can disordered eating harm my health even if it's not a full eating disorder?

Yes, disordered eating can be harmful to physical and mental health. It's associated with anxiety, depression, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, poor sleep, nutritional deficiencies, electrolyte imbalances, social isolation, and poor self-esteem.

When does dieting cross the line into an eating disorder?

Distinguishing a diet vs eating disorder can be challenging, especially since many disordered eating habits have been normalized in our society. However, red flags that dieting may have crossed the line into an eating disorder include stalled growth (in adolescents), menstrual irregularities, GI symptoms, low heart rate, mood changes, increased social withdrawal and secrecy, and obsessive thoughts that interfere with daily tasks.

Is skipping meals considered an eating disorder?

Skipping a meal here and there isn't an eating disorder. However, skipping meals can become an eating disorder if the person regularly skips meals and/or skips more than one meal a day, and this is affecting their day-to-day functioning.

What is a "mild eating disorder?"

There isn't such a thing as a “mild eating disorder.” By definition, eating disorders are serious health conditions that can lead to major health problems. Even disordered eating, which may not meet the diagnostic criteria of an eating disorder, can cause potential health complications. If you suspect that you or a loved one may have disordered eating or an eating disorder, see a medical provider for an evaluation as soon as possible.