Can you be thin and have a binge eating disorder?

Yes. An eating disorder is described by behaviors and thoughts, not weight and outwards appearances. Weight and size are side affects that come with the mental illness, which some people may not experience. This applies to all eating disorders as they are not about size, but about the persons mentality. Any person, thin or not, can still have a BED; the same as any person can have anorexia. Some factors that may cause a difference between two people's experience with an eating disorder are genetics and metabolism. One's weight should never be used to decide whether or not someone has an eating disorder. Everyone calling for help should be believed, even if you can't see the direct effects.

Yes it is very common to be thin and have a binge eating disorder. No matter the body size, eating disorders are a mental illness and anyone could suffer from it. Your weight does not define your mental health. It's impossible to know if someone has an eating disorder by looking at their body size. BED can range from a few binges to many. Regardless it isn't healthy and if you believe you have it seek help from a doctor. It's okay to admit you have BED especially if you need help. Once again, it can affect anyone; thin or not.

Of course! Binge eating disorder involves so many factors, and cannot be linked to one gender or body type. In many ways, this makes it more difficult to identify in others. Those with binge eating disorder typically large amounts of food in one sitting, and then feel guilty afterwards. This guilt can involve actions like obsessively exercising the weight off, or purging. It is important that those with this disorder seek help. Seeking help allows one to admit their strengths and bravery, rather than admitting weakness. By being open and honest about the struggles we face, we can better shape our society and erase hurtful and untrue stigmas.

Absolutely. Binge-eating is an unhealthy disorder and can be life-threatening. Some people who suffer from that disorder are thin because they could end up purging the food that they just ate. It is a mental disorder that messes with your mind and your perception of yourself and food. Anyone suffering from a binge-eating disorder should seek medical and professional help. It is important to not judge people just by the way that they look. You can't tell anyone's story by their appearance, so anyone thin could also have a binge-eating disorder. You never know. Developing a healthy relationship with food is the most important .

Yes, a binge eating disorder does not always accompany being overweight. All body types handle and process food differently because we all have different metabolisms. It is important to know that any body size can struggle with binge eating. It is important to know what your body needs and does not need and seek help if you feel like you are struggling with food. Binge eating is characterized as consuming large amounts of food in one sitting and not being able to stop. Meeting with a specialist in this field can help you understand more about this diagnosis and self image.

Yes, some people have a high metabolism and can have binge eating disorder. Some people have this mental illness can look like it doesn't impact them because they still stay in a fit/slim state. This may be caused by a fast/high metabolism that means the food is processed quicker than others. Many people underestimate the impact that this causes on the individual and can seem like it doesn't affect them from a person viewing them from the outside unaware of the situation that they are in but the person isn't seeing their metal state and only seeing them in their physical form.

Yes, you can be any weight and still struggle with any eating disorder. There is no weight limit, or required appearance for an eating disorder, all of them come in all shapes and sizes, including binge eating disorder. Binge eating disorder, similarly to other eating disorders, leads to a strained relationship with food, and like other eating disorders, is often accompanied by different weight maintenance efforts, in some cases including purging. Also, we all react differently to food, and our bodies process it differently, so it is reasonable to be considered "thin" and to still binge and overeat. Although we don't commonly associate the two, that doesn't mean it is not valid! Eating disorders can be very scary, and difficult to deal with, but that doesn't mean that we have to limit ourselves to fit a specific definition of what we perceive a specific eating disorder to be!

Many people think that different types of eating disorders have to "look a certain way". However, even though certain stereotypes may exist, everybody (and every BODY) is different. This means that while you might expect that a person with a binge eating disorder would look a certain way or have a certain body type, that's just not always the case. Within the population of people with binge eating disorders, there is a lot of variability and variety. People have different types of foods they like to binge on and people also have different metabolisms. Therefore, it is possible that a person with a binge eating disorder could, in fact, be thin.

Yes, you can. I know someone who keeps eating and eating, but they are thin. I don't know if they sport a lot or just naturally don't gain a lot of weight. But to have an eating disorder you don't need to look a certain way. If you can't stop eating or if you skip meals, you, most of the time, have an eating disorder. For some people, an eating disorder is worse than for others, and how you look has nothing to do with that. So to come back to my friend who has a binge eating disorder, maybe they don't eat dinner or breakfast, maybe they exercise a lot, but they have an eating disorder.

There is no weight that you have to be to have any type of eating disorder. Although it's often not touched on, eating disorders can affect anyone, no matter your weight. I understand that binge eating disorders are not as often talked about, which is why it can be difficult to find information about them. You should always seek a professional diagnosis if you suspect that you may have a binge eating disorder, because, despite sometimes eating enough food to sustain you, it can have long term impacts on your mental and physical health. Thanks for reaching out, and I hope you seek more help.