What is an Eating Disorder?

Eating disorders are serious mental illnesses; they are not a lifestyle choice or a diet gone ‘too far’.

The facts

Eating disorders are serious, complex and potentially life-threatening mental illnesses which impact upon a person’s physical health, mental health, and holistic wellbeing. They are characterised by disturbances in behaviours, thoughts and feelings towards body weight and shape, and/or food and eating.

Eating disorders are common and increasing in prevalence. In 2023, approximately 1.1 million Australians were experiencing an eating disorder, which is an increase of 12% from 2012. This is equivalent to 1 in 23 Australians.¹

Eating disorders do not discriminate and can occur in people of any age, weight, size, shape, gender identity, sexuality, cultural background or socioeconomic group.

The elements that contribute to the development of an eating disorder are complex, and involve a range of biological, psychological and sociocultural factors. An individual’s susceptibility to developing an eating disorder is best understood as a complex interaction between these factors, and the presence of risk factors will vary from person to person. You can read more about the factors that increase the risk of someone developing an eating disorder as well as those factors that can help to protect someone from experiencing an eating disorder at our Risk and Protective Factors webpage.

Impacts of eating disorders

Eating disorders are associated with serious medical and psychological complications.

A person with an eating disorder may experience long-term impairment to social and functional roles, and the impact may include psychiatric and behavioural problems, medical complications, social isolation, disability and an increased risk of death as a result of medical complications or suicide. Suicide is a major cause of mortality for people with eating disorders. Suicide is up to 31 times more likely to occur for someone with anorexia nervosa and 7.5 times higher for someone with bulimia nervosa than the general population.²

The impact of an eating disorder is not only felt by the individual, but often by that person’s entire family or circle of support. The impact may lead to caregiver stress, loss of family income, disruption to family relationships and a high suicide risk.

The mortality rate for people with eating disorders is up to six times higher than that for people without eating disorders. The increased risk of premature death exists for all types of eating disorders, however people living with anorexia nervosa have the highest mortality rate of all psychiatric conditions due to both psychological and physiological complications.³

Classification of eating disorders

Eating disorders are classified into different types, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), Fifth Edition. Classifications are made based on the presenting symptoms and how often these occur, and include:

• Binge eating disorder (BED)
• Other specified feeding or eating disorders (OSFED)
• Bulimia nervosa 
• Anorexia nervosa 
• Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID)
• Unspecified feeding or eating disorder (UFED)
• Pica
• Rumination disorder

Warning signs

There are various physical, psychological, and behavioural warning signs that can signal the onset or the presence of an eating disorder. For more information on these, please see our Understanding the warning signs webpage.

 References

1.Deloitte (2024). Paying the Price, Second Edition. The economic and social impact of eating disorders in Australia. Deloitte Access Economics.
2. Preti A, Rocchi MBL, Sisti D, Camboni M, Miotto P. A comprehensive meta‐analysis of the risk of suicide in eating disorders. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 2011;124(1):6-17.
3. Arcelus J, Mitchell AJ, Wales J, Nielsen S. Mortality rates in patients with anorexia nervosa and other eating disorders: a meta-analysis of 36 studies. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2011;68(7):724-31.