The best books for supporting someone with an eating disorder
What is considered an eating disorder?
The five most common eating disorder categories are:
- binge eating disorder
- bulimia nervosa
- anorexia nervosa
- avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID)
- other specified feeding and eating disorder (OSFED)
Binge eating disorder is rarely discussed despite being one of the most common eating disorders. It involves frequent overeating without compensatory behaviours. It can contribute to body image issues and feelings of guilt.
Bulimia nervosa involves recurrent binge eating followed by behaviours aimed at preventing weight gain. These could include restrictive eating, vomiting, laxative misuse, excessive exercise, or other actions to counteract intake.
Anorexia nervosa is when someone persistently restricts food or maintains a very low body weight. It accounts for just eight per cent of all eating disorders.
Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) is driven by a sensory aversion (e.g. smell, taste, appearance, texture, temperature), low appetite, or a fear of negative consequences like choking or illness.
Other specified feeding and eating disorder (OSFED) is the most common eating disorder. It involves symptoms similar to other eating disorders, but without meeting full criteria for any one condition.
Who can be affected by eating disorders?
As the title of Dr Chukwuemeka Nwuba and Bailey Spinn’s book Eating Disorders Don’t Discriminate suggests, eating disorders can impact individuals of any gender, race, or socioeconomic background. Men are often underdiagnosed and undertreated, the LGBTQIA+ community are disproportionately affected, and according to Dr Chuks there has “been a rise in the number of Black people admitted to hospital due to eating disorders in recent years”[1]. People with eating disorders are often neurodivergent, for instance they might be autistic. They may also experience comorbidities (such as anxiety, depression, PTSD, substance use disorder, etc.) and other dysregulated behaviours.
What does eating disorder recovery look like?
Recovery from an eating disorder can be an ongoing journey and may not always follow a straight path. Recovery could entail different types of psychological therapies, medication, and self-care techniques such as journaling or mindfulness.
How do I support someone who is struggling with an eating disorder?
Supporting someone with an eating disorder can be challenging, and it’s common for carers or loved ones to feel powerless. Taking the time to independently learn about what eating disorders involve and what it’s like to experience one can be very beneficial. The person who is struggling shouldn’t be expected to take on the burden of educating others – they already have enough to cope with. Check out our full range of eating disorder books to help support your loved ones.