We're all very aware of what an eating disorder is: a disorder in which people are unhealthily assessing their body and strive to achieve a goal body at an extreme. However, we are usually only taught that there are two different eating disorders, anorexia (depriving oneself of food completely) and bulimia (binging and purging). However, what most people don't know is that in the early 1990s, the American Psychiatric Association created a new category of eating disorders that are "not otherwise specified" (EDNOS). This is a level of eating disorders designed to include all other subdiagnoses that don't meet the criteria for anorexia or bulimia.

Orthorexia - A fixation with healthy eating

We are always taught that we should strive to eat healthy, and we should. However, those who suffer from orthorexia take this to another extreme. Oftentimes, they eat only organic food, eliminate entire food groups, or refuse to eat anything that isn't pure. Orthorexics often are terrified of getting sick and crave control over their lives. They often resort to extreme restrictions as punishments for slip up. Often orthorexics feel a heightened self-esteem and see themselves as better than others for their "clean" diets. Orthorexics will often skip out on regular activities (dates, movies, parties, etc.) in order to avoid temptation. Obviously, striving to eat healthier is not an eating disorder. However, it can become unhealthy if it is taking up an inordinate amount of time, straying from the diet makes you feel extreme guilt, or it makes you isolate yourselves from others.

Anorexia Athletica - An addiction to exercise

"Fitspos" are everywhere. From the entire fitness tag on Tumblr to Jen Selters and the like on Instagram, we are constantly being inundated with workouts and perfect bodies. Jen Selter can be a great source of inspiration to get off the couch and in the gym, and this should be celebrated because working out is healthy! But working out to the point of exhaustion (such as throwing up) and becoming obsessed with counting calories is unhealthy. Suffers often equate how lean a person is to self worth.  If they don't workout they often feel extremely guilty or anxious. Athletes are especially at risk for anoreixia athletica.

Drunkorexia -Skipping meals to reserve calories for alcohol

Hey college girls, this is for you. It sounds like something you might hear as a joke on twitter, but this disorder is no joke. Believe it or not, I know so many people that do this.  A Univeristy of Missouri study found that almost 30 percent of female college students exhibit drunkorexic behavior, "saving" their calories for alcohol to avoid gaining weight and to get drunk faster. 

Have you ever dealt with any of these disorders?

Infinite x's and o's,

Kylee