Can One Still Have an Eating Disorder if Considered Obese or Overweight?

Yes, your eating disorder is eating.

Obesity: A Silent Eating Disorder

Obesity, quite often, is itself an eating disorder. Therefore, if you are obese, you are likely to have an eating disorder. This dichotomy between visible obesity and hidden eating disorders is crucial to understanding the complex relationship between body weight and eating behavior.

Various Forms of Eating Disorders

While many people associate eating disorders with extreme thinness, it's important to recognize that you can indeed have an eating disorder even if you are considered overweight or obese. The forms this can take include:

Compulsive Overeating and Binge Eating

You may be a compulsive overeater, consumed by the constant urge to consume more food than is necessary. Alternatively, you could be a binge eater, consuming unusually large amounts of food in a relatively short period. This binge eating is often uncontrolled and non-purging, leading to significant weight gain and obesity.

Bulimia Nervosa

Bulimia Nervosa is about five times more common than Anorexia Nervosa. Characterized by frequent binges of fattening foods, this condition often leads to a sense of being 'out of control' with eating habits. The aftermath can result in a chubby or fat body, despite the individual's efforts to avoid such foods.

Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (EDNOS)

About half of all treatments for eating disorders involve EDNOS. Individuals with EDNOS don't fit neatly into the strict criteria for any of the other eating disorders but may exhibit characteristics of several. For instance, they might experience significant sudden weight loss, similar to Anorexia Nervosa, but their weight remains within or above the normal range.

Reevaluation of Anorexia and Obesity

It's also important to note that the criteria for Anorexia Nervosa are not absolute. By paper, to have anorexia, you must be below a BMI of 17. However, individuals who show anorexic symptoms but have a higher weight may still be diagnosed with EDNOS. Despite the higher weight, the underlying psychological and behavioral symptoms are just as severe.

Conclusion

Understanding the overlap between obesity and eating disorders is essential. Obesity does not absolve one from having an eating disorder. Whether it’s binge eating, bulimia, or EDNOS, the underlying compulsive and obsessive aspects are valid and should be treated with the same urgency as any other eating disorder.