Disordered eating and dieting

Disordered eating refers to a wide range of abnormal eating behaviours, many of which are shared with diagnosed eating disorders. The main thing differentiating disordered eating from an eating disorder is the level of severity and frequency of behaviours.

Read more: Warning Signs and Symptoms of Eating Disorders

Disordered eating can have a negative impact on a person's emotional, social and physical wellbeing. It may lead to fatigue, malnutrition or poor concentration. It can affect someone's social life (when socialising is restricted due to anxiety around food/eating), and can lead to anxiety and depression.

Disordered eating behaviours and attitudes include:

Binge eating

Dieting

Skipping meals regularly

Self-induced vomiting

Obsessive calorie counting

Self-worth based on body shape and weight

Misusing laxatives or diurectics

Fasting or chronic restrained eating (read more on fasting for cultural or religious reasons)


What is considered "normal" in terms of quantities and types of food consumed varies considerably from person to person. "Normal eating" refers to the attitude a person holds in their relationship with food, rather than the type or amount of food they eat.

It is normal to:

Eat more on some days, less on others

Eat some foods just because they taste good

Have a positive attitude towards food

Not label foods with judgement words such as "good", "bad", "clean"

Over-eat occasionally

Under-eat occasionally

Crave certain foods at times

Treat food and eating as one small part of a balanced life

Mindful eating

Mindful eating is a simple-to-learn life skill which can lead people to enjoy a satisfying, healthy and enjoyable relationship with food. It is a skill that can help people break free from 'food rules' and begin to enjoy healthy, flexible and relaxed eating practices. Mindful eating is not a diet. Mindful eating is about the way we eat, not what we eat. To learn more, download the Mindful Eating fact sheet.

Did you know? Dieting is the single most important risk factor for developing an eating disorder. Girls who diet moderately are 5 times more likely to develop an eating disorder than those who don't diet, and those who diet severely are 18 times more likely.