Anorexia Nervosa is a condition in which a person obsesses with having a very low weight and has a fear of being fat, described as a phobia.

Bulimia Nervosa is a condition which usually starts in females during late adolescence and can continue throughout their adult life, although males can be affected too. Typically people with this disorder have regular episodes of binge eating, followed by vomiting or abuse of laxatives/diuretics to avoid weight gain.

Binge Eating Disorder can be recognised when there is a recurring issue of eating excessive amounts of food, often accompanied by a feeling of loss of control. Sometimes people with this disorder eat in secret, when they are not hungry, or when they feel upset or unhappy.

Compulsive Eating Disorder (CED) is the most common of the eating disorders, affecting millions of people in the UK. A person with CED will describe an eating experience as a ‘binge’ when food is eaten that is ‘forbidden’ or unplanned, and accompanied by a craving or desire which results in feelings of guilt and self loathing.

Night Eating Syndrome refers to a type of binge eating generally more common among overweight people, where over half their total calories for a day are eaten during the time after an evening meal. Symptoms are described as a desire for foods high in fat and sugars, a low mood and restlessness in the evenings, and a lack of appetite in the mornings.

Orthorexia is a lesser known disorder, and is recognised by a desire to keep to rigid ‘health based’ eating plans compromised by episodes of binge eating. Often sufferers will explain their eating habits by using ‘food intolerances’ or ‘allergies’ as a reason for not eating certain foods.