What is disordered eating and how can people navigate the complexities of this issue

What’s included?

1. Introduction
2. What is Disordered Eating?
3. The link between Disordered Eating and addiction
4. How you can support someone struggling with Disordered Eating
5. How Delamere can help

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There has been a growing level of awareness and education about eating disorders in recent years. This is an issue that impacts tens of millions of people worldwide, and around 1.25 million people in the UK.

According to the National Alliance for Eating Disorders, roughly seven in ten people don’t find or access the treatment they need for their specific case, and it also means that eating disorders have one of the highest mortality rates of any mental illnesses.

While recent statistics show that eating disorders still disproportionately affects women and young people (under 30s), it can impact anyone, and this year’s National Eating Disorder Week campaign has targeted the groups of people who suffer, but are often forgotten when discussing this issue.

One group of people that suffer with a similar type of condition, but are less reported on, are people with Disordered Eating.

This particular condition likely impacts more people worldwide. According to a global study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, one in five children and adolescents showed signs of Disordered Eating.

A more recent study conducted by the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience at King’s College London found that more than half of 23-year-olds showed ‘unhealthy eating habits’, and linked this to differences in genetics and brain structures.

While there are many similarities between those with eating disorders and those with Disordered Eating, the latter do not necessarily meet the diagnostic criteria of the former. Disordered eating is still widely considered a taboo topic.

Providing more education and awareness about Disordered Eating will help break the stigma, and hopefully encourage more people to talk about their problems, reducing the chance for it to manifest itself into something more troubling.

At Delamere, we understand that Disordered Eating and addiction are often co-morbid, and we therefore see guests seeking help for this issue on a regular basis as a secondary reason for seeking treatment. 

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What is Disordered Eating?

Disordered Eating refers to a range of irregular eating behaviours that may or may not warrant a diagnosis of an eating disorder. These behaviours can include:

• Skipping meals or restricting food intake;
• Binge eating or eating in secret;
• Using diet pills or laxatives regularly; and
• Excessive focus on body weight and shape.

While it isn’t a recognised condition, these behaviours can result in negative impacts to both your mental health (shame and guilt) and physical health (self-induced compensatory behaviours, like vomiting or using laxatives).

Like an eating disorder, the negative eating patterns associated with Disordered Eating can start in childhood and it is often used as a harmful coping mechanism to deeper mental health issues.

In an increasingly digital world, the pressures of looking a certain way have never been more apparent. Our social media feeds are flooded with edited, ‘picture-perfect’ moments. 

This incessant exposure naturally contributes to harmful Disordered Eating behaviours as individuals strive to meet unrealistic beauty standards.

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The link between Disordered Eating and addiction

As aforementioned, Disordered Eating and addiction are interlinked and are often present together. Both are symptoms to wider, unresolved issues, they present a level of perceived control to those suffering, and provide an almost instantaneous way of altering the way someone feels.

At Delamere, in those who have a history of Disordered Eating, we often witness the cessation of the substance, only to see harmful food behaviours come to the fore.

Disordered Eating is sometimes described as emotional, uncontrolled eating, that is in response to compulsive urges. 

This is why there is a lot we can do to support our guests with this issue, and we have had great outcomes for those who have struggled with food and substance behaviours concurrently.

But, we are not a specialist eating disorder clinic, and there are limitations to what we can do when Disordered Eating becomes an eating disorder. Our approach lacks the level of restriction and monitoring required to ensure your safety if you are enacting dangerous behaviours around food. The responsibility is firmly on the individual to manage their own eating whilst here. In return we offer as much support as we can.

This would be a topic for discussion during the pre-admission process, and we would be happy to recommend a specialist clinic if required.

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How you can support someone struggling with Disordered Eating

Educate yourself

Understand that Disordered Eating is not just about food but often involves deep emotional struggles such as addiction, anxiety, trauma, or control issues. Share what you’ve learnt with others, and help break the stigma surrounding this issue.

Listen without judgment

Validate their struggles and show empathy. Use “I” statements rather than accusatory “you” statements (e.g., “I’ve noticed…” instead of “You never …”). Where appropriate, it may be good to suggest they seek professional help to help them in recovery.

Be patient and consistent

Recovery from Disordered Eating and addiction is not a linear journey and there may be setbacks. Showing consistent compassion to loved ones creates a safe environment where when ready, they will feel comfortable to talk.

Many people do not seek help or speak openly about their struggles due to the sensitive nature of the condition.

This week is National Eating Disorder Week, and it serves as a vital reminder that the challenges of Disordered Eating must be openly discussed and addressed, in parallel with eating disorders, to help encourage our society to foster more supportive conversations that tackle these intertwined challenges.

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How Delamere can help

The Delamere Treatment Model is person-centric, treating the whole person rather than just the symptoms they present with.

We aim to be clear and honest with guests who struggle with food-related behaviours about what we can do in terms of support from pre-admission through to discharge. 

The foundation of any care plan is that it is proportionate to the issue and is deliverable with the resource and expertise on hand at the place of care.

Here are some ways in which we can help prospective guests:

• Provide 1 to 1 counselling where you can discuss your issues with a professional;
• Provide psycho-education that targets the core issues that underpin the behaviour;
• Monitor your weight, BMI and potassium levels to ensure you are physically well;
• Keep you accountable to consistent mealtimes and attending the dining room;
• Assist you, on request, with portion control or provision of safe foods; and
• Make referrals to, or recommendations for in-patient and out-patient eating disorder specialist providers that we trust.

The team at Delamere provides a tailored approach to addiction recovery, understanding your specific needs before taking you through our Stop, Start, Grow, Bloom programme.

To learn more about our food addiction treatment programme.

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