Can you be thin and have a binge eating disorder?

Yes, you can be thin and have binge eating. Of course! Binge eating is when you eat excessively, but you can still be skinny depending on numerous factors such as your genetics or having a fast metabolism. Binge Eating Disorder is described as eating more in a given period of time to the point of feeling uncomfortable and even sick. Eating "more" can be compared to other individuals or the time/place in which the episode occurred. For example, eating a little more than usual at holidays (such as Christmas) would not be that out of the ordinary, since most people tend to eat more at some holidays. However, eating to the point of feeling ill and sick daily or even just a few times a week, could be indicative of a problem

Of course! Eating disorders are a group of mental health conditions, and although weight gain/loss are common symptoms - the actual illness is happening psychologically. Binge eating disorder is hard enough as it is, so I am sorry that there are lots of misconceptions about the illness. Unfortunately far too many people believe that they have not gained or lost enough noticeable weight to be worthy of receiving support... However, please do know that if you are struggling with your eating patterns or a potential eating disorder - you are more than within your rights to access the help that you need and deserve.

Yes, it is very possible. Some people have faster metabolism, so they are able to eat a lot and process it quicker; while others have slower metabolism rates and tend to process and digest food slower. Everyone’s body is different and deals with eating disorders differently. If you or a friend/loved one is struggling with an eating disorder or weight management, know you are not alone/let them know they are not alone. Many people, obese and skinny and anywhere in between, can have eating disorders. Society seems to make it appear that all and only overweight people struggle with eating disorders. But that is entirely not true! People who are overweight don’t always have body image issues or eating disorders, and thin people don’t always have an amazing body image, etc. The bottom line is, anyone, no matter their circumstances, can suffer from these kinds of disorders.

Eating disorders are very complex and usually one eating disorders leads to another one. Constant binge eating (excessive intake of food in a short period of time), would normally lead to gaining weight. But if a person suppers from another eating disorder too like anorexia (restricting the intake of food or even avoiding food completely for periods of time) or bulimia (throwing up after eating) it's possible that a person having binge eating disorder stays skinny or even looses weight since at the end he or she will be ingesting and keeping less calories than needed for her or his body height. I wouldn't say binge eating alone can cause someone to stay thin (unless you are eating only veggies ), but the sum of more than one eating disorder that includes binge eating. If you are suffering from this or know anyone who is please seek professional medical help! we are here for you to support you on your journey !

Absolutely. Eating disorders don't discriminate and they hurt people from the inside out. The whole "Oh, you don't look like you have an eating disorder." is complete bologna. Eating disorders are a psychological disorder where you struggle to find balance in your eating habits which harm your mental and physical health. I have anorexia and I don't look like the "typical" anorexic but my body really was hurting from my unhealthy eating habits just as a think person might not look "fat" or "unhealthy" their insides could be really damaged or the binge eating could be hurting them emotionally or psychologically. Eating disorders come in all shapes in sizes but the whole idea of them is that they hurt people with the imbalance or unhealthy concept of food. Excessively eating or starving are both unhealthy no matter what you look like.

Absolutely. Eating disorders are a very complex thing to understand and have the potential to change the way they 'look' from person to person. For example, one person might have a binge eating disorder but appear very healthy for a number of reasons. This doesn't make their disorder any less valid, but can be the cause of some self-doubt that they are struggling. Eating disorders have a lot of stereotypes surrounding what people think they look like, however, these stereotypes don't define the true reality of eating disorders and don't show the truth - everyone is valid in their struggles!

Yes, you can. It depends on your metabolism and how well you're eating in general. It could also depend on your lifestyle choices, including how much exercise you get on a daily basis, or how much time you're moving around, or how much stress you might have on your shoulders. It also depends on how often you're binge eating, or if the binge eating is replacing daily meals. I know a few people who are thin but binge eat a lot (not necessarily a disorder though), including myself. Generally, you can definitely be thin and also have a binge eating disorder.

Yes. Binge eating disorder is defined by behaviors and thought patterns rather than a person's body type or composition. A person can be thin, overweight, or athletic and still have a binge eating disorder. As long as the person engages in binge eating of some kind, in a way that disrupts their life, they may struggle with a potential disorder. Some simply binge eat, but others may pair this behavior with over-exercising or purging. The defining relationship with food usually involves using food to cope in some way that involves consciously eating past the point of being satiated with some amount of regularity.

Yes, you can be thin and have binge eating disorder. Having an eating disorder doesn't mean you look a certain way. You can be anorexic and not be thin. Eating disorders are very complicated and very complex. Eating disorders can also merge into another type of eating disorder, per say you have bulimia, it can merge into anorexia, and vise versa. Eating disorders can also be very life threatening. Purging and starving yourself can be very dangerous, to thee point where you end up in the ER and have to be on a feeding tube. So be very cautious if you have an eating disorder because they can be very dangerous!

Yes. Anyone can have (most, anorexia is weight based) eating disorders at any size. Plenty of people have a high metabolism. What makes it a disorder is the uncontrollable nature of the impulse. For most it comes as a coping mechanism, a way to comfort yourself. You may have trigger foods that make you want to binge without knowing it. You'll have to look into your life and see what you turn to and what you eat an excessive/feel awful after eating. Michelle Daniels has a good video on coping with a binge eating disorder on Youtube. But remember, this is just a site. Medical professionals are always recommended over us.

There is no way to answer that! Every person's body is different. We all have a different metabolism and how long or fast it takes for a persons metabolism to digest the food we intake! But having a binge eating disorder is always something to talk to your doctor about because it can lead to future health issues because of how much food you could possibly intake while binge eating! Just because you don't gain weight or you stay think it doesn't mean that you are invincible to getting health issues such as diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol, and etc.

Yes. Everyone has their own experiences, trauma, and mental health related things they are working through. Eating disorders are not solely classified with what weight you are currently at. Anyone, of any weight, can still have a eating disorder. This goes for binge eating disorder as well. People's bodies and minds all work differently, so it's truly by a case by case basis. I wanted to let you know that I care for you, although I may not know you personally, and want to make sure you are feeling alright. If you ever need someone to talk to about eating disorders, or would like some resources on the matter, please feel to reach out.

Yes, you definitely can. Many people have fast metabolisms that can keep them from gaining lots of weight drastically. You can also gain weight in certain areas that don't make you look bigger than usual. I am actually quite thin and I have struggled with this very sort of disordered eating. Remember, even though it might seem like an eating disorder, you must always study up on that from multiple authentic sources and make sure you don't just have disordered eating. You can get legally diagnosed by a doctor or pediatrician if you are feeling comfortable with that. It can be hard to go through, but we are here to listen , you are not alone .

It's absolutely possible! Binge Eating Disorder is characterized by behaviors, NOT weight or body size. Binge Eating Disorder is described as eating more in a given period of time to the point of feeling uncomfortable and even sick. Eating "more" can be compared to other individuals or the time/place in which the episode occurred. For example, eating a little more than usual at holidays (such as Christmas) would not be that out of the ordinary, since most people tend to eat more at some holidays. However, eating to the point of feeling ill and sick daily or even just a few times a week, could be indicative of a problem.

The short answer is yes. Yes you can. I would add that there is no body shape that matches any eating disorder. For example, you could be 'thin' and have a binge eating disorder, or you could be 'fat' and have bulimia. As a psychology undergraduate student who has studied eating disorder, I can tell you that a binge eating disorder should be taken seriously regardless of whether a person is 'thin'. Being 'thin' does not neccesarily mean that a person is healthy. It would be wise to seek professional help if you believe that yourself or someone close to you has an eating disorder.

Yes. You most definitely can be thin while also having a binge eating disorder. Binge eaters, otherwise known as those with bulimia nervosa, restrain themselves from eating anything at all during the day but then binge whatever is in ight at nightime or in hiding. This cycle can easily attribute to the case of someone being thing and also hhaving the disease at the same time. The reasonng behind this phenomenon is that maybe this person severely restricts their calories during the day and when they binge, they still are not binging the amount of calories the body needs to be fueled for the day.

You absolutely can. Unfortunately, we've gotten to a point where people are basing the validity of eating disorders on physical appearance, and sometimes prioritizing that over the behavioral patterns around eating that actually make up the disorder. Can physical appearance be an indication of disordered eating? Absolutely. Eating influences the way you look, but it doesn't effect everybody the same way and it shouldn't be the defining factor of making a definitive diagnosis. What matters is the patterns/habits one has around food and how they think about it, how it effects their life, etc. Hope this was helpful :)

Yes, One can be thin or underweight and have an eating disorder, but looking at someone is not a good way to determine if they have an eating disorder. And this disorder can interfere in other aspects of life like relationships, work etc. Regardless of weight, one can have this disorder. Because binge eating disorder can be characterized by behavior not weight. Binge Eating Disorder is explained as eating more in a given period of time to the point of feeling uncomfortable and even sick. For example, eating a little more than usual at holidays (such as Christmas) would not be that out of the ordinary, since most people tend to eat more at some holidays. However, eating to the point of feeling ill and sick daily or even just a few times a week, could be indicative of a problem.

Of course! Everyone has a metabolism, and most body types look as they do due to these metabolisms. You could eat constantly, but with a fast metabolism you could potentially still lose a pound a day. If you think you have a binge eating disorder please reach out for professional help, even if you are still thin, eating too much or too little could dangerous and harmful to a person. Your doctor would be happy to help, and if you live with a person who could get you this help, please reach out to them.

Binge eating disorder (BED) is a type of feeding and eating disorder that’s now recognized as an official diagnosis. It affects almost 2% of people worldwide and can cause additional health issues linked to diet, such as high cholesterol levels and diabetes. Feeding and eating disorders are not about food alone, which is why they’re recognized as psychiatric disorders. People typically develop them as a way of dealing with a deeper issue or another psychological condition, such as anxiety or depression. Therefore yes you can be extremely thin and still have an eating disorder. Take a good care of yourself. Thank you.

Yes absolutely. Everyone has a different body type and binging is the relationship that someone has with food. This relationship can look like not eating during the day and eventually reaching a breaking point and feeling the need to eat as much as possible to feel full. It could also mean eating when you are bored or having no control over how much you eat or for how long. Eating food for long periods of time or eating a lot of food does not always lead to weight gain or loss, it all has to do with your body type and shape in addition to your daily activities. If your body type is thin and you have an unhealthy relationship with food and how it makes you feel, you still qualify as having an eating disorder. There is no one way that eating disorders look and each person looks and feels different when they are going through the process of active disorder versus recovery.

It is possible to have a binge eating disorder and still be thin. Some people suffer from Bulimia nervosa. People with bulimia may secretly binge — eating large amounts of food with a loss of control over the eating — and then purge, trying to get rid of the extra calories in an unhealthy way. So they can binge eat but still look skinny because they purge out the food. Having an eating disorder is about eating patterns and behaviour and not about how a person looks or what their appearance is. Please consult a therapist if you think you might have an eating disorder.

Totally! I'm kinda thin and I eat all the time. It's this feeling of weakness I get being thin. My mindset was "I would rather be strong and fat than skinny and weak." It was really damaging, considering I played sports and wanted to be the best at everything. I kept eating, eating, eating, and it was only when my mother called me out on it did I feel bad. It made me feel like a failure, but the food is just so tasty sometimes. I felt ashamed of myself and what's worse is that I was still thin. I didn't feel like I compared at all to my fellow volleyball teammates, and I felt weak when I messed up. This is just my personal experience though.

Eating disorders can affect different bodies in so many different ways. One may suffer from binge eating disorder and be thin. Individuals have different metabolisms and other bodily factors. Just looking at someone physique or size does not allow assumption to determine what eating disorder they are suffering from. There are no size parameters given to certain disorders one may be experiencing. This further goes to show- always be kind because you never know what someone is dealing with in their life. No matter what someone's appearance is there are so many things one could be drastically struggling with.

yes you can. some younger people or anyone can have a high metabolism, which just means your food turns into energy faster than you can weight from it. The exact meaning or term for metabolism is - "is the chemical reactions in the body's cells that change food into energy. Our bodies need this energy to do everything from moving to thinking to growing". So, you can be thin or have a smaller body and have a binge eating disorder. It is possible to eat and ton and not gain weight especially for younger people. hope it helps. x

can you be thin and have an eating disorder? the answer is yes, you can have a binge eating disorder, even though you are physically thin or appear physically fit. binge eating is in no way healthy. every person should be watching their personal food and drink consumption on a daily basis. daily servings of fruits and vegetables, also other helpful eating habits like having enough grain, fiber and drinking eight or more glasses of water a day will help you to appear AND actually be physically fit. being thin to me might be a personal goal, but avoiding binge eating and eating, snacking and drinking healthy are personal must haves to maintain good health.

To state it simply, continually binging yet retaining a low weight would be defying the laws of thermodynamics - of course, one can be thin and binge, but binging is not inherently ‘binge eating disorder’. For one to binge yet not gain a substantial amount of weight (or gain and then lose it), a form of purging would be required - whether this be through excessive exercise, restricting food, self-induced vomiting, etc. But adding a constant form of purging to the binging would stray the disorder away from simply being ‘binge eating disorder’ - it may be bulimia, EDNOS, or otherwise. To put it simply, ‘binge eating disorder’ is not an umbrella term, and using it as such can be harmful to both those who suffer from it, and those who are misguided into thinking that is their disorder. All in all, a thin person who binges is likely to suffer from an eating disorder that combines aspects of restricting and binging.

Yes you can be thin and have this disorder. It can be very hard to deal with this and us at 7 cups are here to listen and support you. Not all people are the same when it comes to a certain eating disorder and it can be very difficult to diagnose what you might have because you don't fit into the "normal" for that disorder. You matter and you belong. Not everyone has to fit in a box and that's what makes all of us unique. The world would be really boring if there was just vanilla. Keep flying high