Here are the signs of an eating disorder — the ones you know and the ones you don't

By Madeline Holcombe, CNN

Updated 4:39 AM ET, Mon February 27, 2023

Misconceptions exist about eating disorders, but they can affect people of all backgrounds, experts say.
Misconceptions exist about eating disorders, but they can affect people of all backgrounds, experts say.

(CNN)For an illness that affects so many people, there are plenty of misconceptions about eating disorders, experts say.

Eating disorders affect nearly 1 in 10 people worldwide, according to the nonprofit ANAD, which provides support services for people with these conditions.
Hospitalizations for eating disorders grew in the pandemic. The problem isn't over, experts say
Hospitalizations for eating disorders grew in the pandemic. The problem isn't over, experts say
And yet in a culture in which fat shaming and restrictive eating are prevalent, it can be easy for eating disorder behaviors to become normalized, said Jennifer Rollin, founder of The Eating Disorder Center in Rockville, Maryland.
    But these conditions threaten both a joyful and healthy life, she added. As Eating Disorders Awareness Week begins, experts share insights into what eating disorders are, what to look for and what to do if you think you see one.

      What defines an eating disorder

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        To put it simply, an "eating disorder is a psychiatric disorder, characterized by found disturbances in eating and feeding behavior that causes significant impairment to one's ability to function normally," said Stuart Murray, an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of Southern California and director of the Translational Research in Eating Disorders Laboratory.
        Eating disorder resources

        US: National Eating Disorders Association

        The NEDA has a confidential, toll-free helpline at 800-931-2237 as well as an online click-to-chat service. For 24/7 crisis support, text "NEDA" to 741-741.

        The NEDA also has a list of online and free or low-cost resources.

        US: National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders

        ANAD runs a helpline at 888-375-7767 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. CT and provides links to support groups and treatment providers.

        Australia: National Eating Disorders Collaboration

        A call center at 800-334-673 and online chat run by the Butterfly Foundation is open 8 a.m. to midnight AET every day except public holidays.

        UK: Beat (formerly known as the Eating Disorders Association)

        Helplines for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are open 9 a.m. to midnight weekdays and 4 p.m. to midnight weekends and bank holidays, every day of the year.

        More specifically, eating disorders are biopsychosocial illnesses, added Leah Graves, vice president for nutrition and culinary services for Accanto Health, a health system for eating disorder treatment.
          Inherited traits as well as psychological factors such as temperament and personality and social factors such as bullying, stigma and trauma come together to contribute to someone developing an eating disorder, she added.
          But just because people may have eating disorders in their family and might have inherited predispositions, it doesn't mean they will develop a disorder, Graves said.

          What an eating disorder isn't

          Eating disorders are not a choice, said Lauren Smolar, vice president of mission and education for the National Eating Disorders Association.
          Some may suggest that persons with eating disorders simply change their eating habits and then they will be fixed, but the problem goes much deeper, Smolar said.
          Eating disorders can affect anyone, and they are not reserved for young, affluent White women as stereotypes often portray, the USC's Murray said.