Clinically, it sits at the intersection of psychiatry and physical medicine — never just “a diet gone wrong.”
Eating disorders are a group of behavioural conditions marked by severe and persistent disturbance in eating behaviours, alongside distressing thoughts about food, weight, or body shape. They are classified as psychiatric conditions, but their effects are systemic — touching the heart, bones, gut, and brain.
Both major diagnostic systems — the WHO's ICD-11 and the APA's DSM-5 — group these conditions under "Feeding and Eating Disorders." The two frameworks largely agree on the core subtypes, with small differences in thresholds and specifiers.
Select a petal — each represents a distinct diagnosis under ICD-11 and DSM-5.
Persistent restriction of energy intake driving significantly low body weight, intense fear of weight gain, and disturbance in how body weight or shape is experienced.
Sustained disturbance in eating behaviour can affect nearly every organ system. Tap a system to see how.
Reduced bone density, water retention or edema, electrolyte and mineral imbalance, and in severe cases, kidney strain from dehydration or purging behaviours.
Irregular rhythm, low blood pressure, and — in the most severe cases — cardiac arrest driven by electrolyte disturbances such as low potassium or sodium.
Rhythm changes, low blood pressure, electrolyte strain.
Difficulty concentrating, low mood, and — in prolonged severe cases — measurable changes in brain volume, which can improve with sustained recovery.
Dry skin, thinning scalp hair with fine downy hair growth elsewhere, brittle nails, and increased hair shedding.
Loss of menstrual cycles, hormonal disruption, and dental erosion or tooth loss in cases involving frequent vomiting.
Eating disorders carry one of the highest mortality risks of any mental health condition — from medical complications and, for some, suicide risk. Early treatment materially changes this outcome.
Persistent low mood, anxiety, social withdrawal, and heightened suicide risk frequently accompany eating disorders and are treated alongside them.
These effects are serious but reversible in most cases — the earlier treatment starts, the more of this is preventable.
Eating disorders emerge from the overlap of biology, psychology, and environment. No one factor is sufficient on its own.
of adolescent boys report the same — the gap is narrower than most assume.
of one surveyed group were simply unsure whether cases were rising — a sign of how under-discussed this still is.
Never behaviour in isolation — medical, psychological, and differential evaluation together.
The first step rules out and measures physical impact — because eating disorders are as much medical as they are psychiatric.
A structured clinical interview maps eating behaviours, body-image beliefs, mood, and any compensatory behaviours — building toward a specific, actionable diagnosis.
Several conditions share overlapping features with eating disorders, or occur alongside them — a careful differential prevents misdiagnosis.
Many of these appear alongside an eating disorder rather than instead of one — treatment plans are built to address both.
Identifies and restructures the thought patterns that sustain restrictive or compensatory eating behaviours.
Builds psychological flexibility — making room for difficult thoughts about food and body without acting on them.
Strengthens flexible thinking and big-picture perspective, often used alongside other therapies in anorexia nervosa.
Builds distress tolerance and emotion regulation skills — particularly useful where bingeing or purging follows intense emotion.
Involves family directly in recovery, especially effective for younger patients and adolescents.
Adds emotion-focused work to standard CBT, helping people process feelings that drive disordered eating episodes.
Every plan starts with full medical and psychological evaluation — not a generic programme.
Psychiatrists, therapists, and dietitians coordinate on one shared plan for each person.
We involve families where it helps recovery — and respect independence where it doesn't.
Relapse-prevention and long-term follow-up are part of the plan from day one, not an afterthought.
Leads medical evaluation and coordinates psychiatric care across the treatment plan.
You don’t need a diagnosis in hand to reach out. An initial consultation exists precisely to help figure that out, together.
Confidential. No judgement. No obligation to continue.