

What is an eating disorder?
Eating disorders are characterized by intrusive behaviors and thoughts related to food, body image, and weight.
Recognize the signs
These disorders can vary in intensity and complexity, and often impact multiple aspects of the person's life. The most common disorders include anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder, but there are other forms as well, sometimes with variations within the same disorder. It is also possible for a person to have multiple disorders at the same time, or for the characteristics of their disorders to change over time.
Understanding the causes
The origins of eating disorders are multiple and include biological, psychological, social and environmental factors. At Clinique A, we take this complexity into account in each treatment, to offer support that integrates all of these influences.
When to consult
You may not fully identify with the clinical descriptions of eating disorders. Please know that you do not have to meet strict diagnostic criteria to benefit from our help. Any difficulty related to your relationship with food or your body perception, if it affects your quality of life, deserves to be heard and addressed. If your eating concerns are a source of suffering, we encourage you to consult to discuss them.
Understanding Anorexia Nervosa
Anorexia nervosa is characterized by extreme dietary restriction, which often leads to significant weight loss, endangering the health and life of the person affected. Despite their obvious thinness, people affected by anorexia may not perceive their own thinness, remaining convinced that they have weight to lose.
Concerns about weight and body image become pervasive, leading to food-phobic behaviors. These individuals strictly monitor their caloric intake, exercise excessively, exclude many foods from their diet, and often isolate themselves to maintain these behaviors, despite the consequences for their physical and social well-being.
Symptoms of Anorexia
To assess whether a person suffers from anorexia, it is necessary to check whether they exhibit the following behaviors:
A - Energy restrictions leading to weight below normal for sex, age and height;
B - Intense fear of gaining weight or becoming overweight, even if the person is underweight;
C - Disturbed perception of body weight and shape; disproportionate importance given to the body in self-perception; denial of the danger associated with body thinness.
There are 2 types of anorexia:
Pure restrictive type
Type with bulimia crisis and vomiting or purgatives
Understanding Bulimia
Bulimia nervosa is characterized by repeated episodes of excessive eating in a short period of time, often followed by compensatory behaviors (such as restricting food intake, vomiting, exercising excessively, or using laxatives). People with bulimia nervosa experience a strong sense of loss of control, and feelings of shame and guilt often accompany this experience.
These binges usually occur in secret, with isolation helping to maintain the cycle. Contrary to popular belief, people with bulimia are often within the normal weight range or may be slightly overweight. Many also have a history of chronic restrictive dieting, which can contribute to the development of the disorder.
Symptoms of Bulimia
Do you think you recognize some of your behaviors? Are you worried about someone close to you? Here are the things to check:
A - Recurrence of bulimia attacks.
A binge eating crisis has the following two characteristics:
The eating, in a limited period of time (e.g., less than two hours), of an amount of food substantially greater than what most people would eat in a similar period of time and under the same circumstances;
Feeling of loss of control over eating behavior during the crisis (e.g., feeling unable to control what or how much one eats).
B - Inappropriate and recurrent compensatory behaviors aimed at preventing weight gain, such as: self-induced vomiting; excessive use of laxatives, diuretics, enemas or other medications; fasting; excessive physical exercise.
C - Binge eating and inappropriate compensatory behaviors both occur, on average, at least once a week for 3 months.
D - Self-esteem is excessively influenced by body weight and shape.
E - The disorder does not occur exclusively during episodes of anorexia nervosa.
Understanding Hyperphagia
Binge eating disorder is characterized by recurrent episodes of uncontrolled overeating, where a large amount of food is consumed in a short period of time, well beyond what most people would eat in similar circumstances. Unlike bulimia, these episodes are not followed by regular compensatory behaviors to "undo" the calories ingested.
Affected individuals often feel a loss of control during these episodes, accompanied by feelings of shame, disgust, guilt, and sometimes depressive symptoms. This disorder is frequently associated with being overweight or obese.
Recognizing Binge Eating Disorder
Specialists monitor these behaviors to make their diagnosis:
A - Recurrent episodes of binge eating with feelings of loss of control
B - Seizures are associated with at least 3 of the following criteria:
Extremely rapid and much higher than normal food intake
Eat until you feel uncomfortable abdominal distension.
Eat large amounts of food without feeling hungry
Eats alone because he feels embarrassed to eat such a large amount of food
After the attacks, feels self-loathing, depression or great guilt
C - Bulimic behavior is a source of marked suffering.
D - Bulimic behavior at least once a week over a period of 3 months
E - Bulimic behavior is not associated with inappropriate compensatory behaviors and does not occur exclusively during anorexia or bulimia.
Compulsive eating
Compulsive eating is distinct from binge eating disorder. This disorder involves frequent snacking throughout the day or eating beyond the point of satiety for reasons unrelated to physical hunger. Some people refer to this need for food as a source of comfort, relaxation, or even pleasure as "emotional eating." This behavior can also be used to combat feelings of boredom or loneliness. People who suffer from this disorder are often overweight and may feel ashamed of their body appearance, sometimes equating thinness with happiness.
This disorder is characterized by episodes of overeating at night, while very little or no food is consumed during the day. More than 25% of daily caloric intake is often ingested after dinner and during the night, which can disrupt sleep and cause insomnia. This syndrome is frequently associated with a deterioration in mood, particularly in the evening, as well as anxiety. The probable origins of this behavior are associated with genetic and hormonal factors.
Nighttime binge eating syndrome
Othorexia
Orthorexia is an obsession with healthy eating. This excessive concern pushes individuals to strictly control their diet, losing the spontaneity of their meals. The act of eating becomes a source of stress, as each food is carefully selected to match strict "health" criteria. Any deviation from these self-imposed rules is perceived with strong anxiety, and dietary flexibility disappears.
Rumination disorder, or rumination disorder, is characterized by the voluntary and repeated regurgitation of food. After being ingested and partially digested, the food is brought back into the mouth, then re-chewed and either spat out or re-swallowed. This behavior is often voluntary and constitutes a particular form of eating disorder.