What Are Anorexia, Bulimia, Binge Eating Disorder and OSFED
Eating disorders are mental-health conditions involving eating, thoughts and behaviours around food, weight or shape. They are not simply diets that have gone too far, and they cannot be identified reliably from somebody's appearance.
Eating disorders are mental-health conditions involving eating, thoughts and behaviours around food, weight or shape. They are not simply diets that have gone too far, and they cannot be identified reliably from somebody’s appearance.
Different eating disorders can involve different patterns. Understanding the names can help you recognise why professional assessment matters, but an online description cannot tell you which diagnosis, if any, applies to you.
Anorexia nervosa is more than eating less
Anorexia nervosa involves restriction of food and significant concerns connected with weight, shape and eating. A person may develop rigid rules, avoid situations involving food or become increasingly preoccupied with controlling eating.
It can have serious physical effects. Treatment therefore involves attention to both physical and psychological health and should be professionally coordinated.
Bulimia nervosa involves a cycle
Bulimia nervosa commonly involves recurrent binge eating together with behaviours intended to compensate afterwards.
The condition may be difficult for other people to notice because much of the cycle can happen privately. Body size alone does not reveal whether it is happening.
If you are binge eating and then trying to compensate, tell a GP or eating-disorder professional. Do not rely on appearance to decide whether medical assessment is necessary.
Binge eating disorder centres on repeated loss of control
Binge eating disorder involves repeated episodes in which eating feels out of control and causes significant distress.
It is not simply having a large meal or occasionally eating more than intended.
Treatment focuses on the eating disorder and the thoughts, emotions and behaviours around binge eating. NICE specifically says weight loss is not a therapy target in itself for binge eating disorder.
What does OSFED mean
OSFED means other specified feeding or eating disorder.
It is used where somebody has clinically significant eating-disorder symptoms that do not fit all the criteria for anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa or binge eating disorder.
The word “other” does not mean unimportant. NICE recommends treatment for OSFED using the approach for the eating disorder it most closely resembles.
There are other feeding and eating disorders too
Not every clinically significant problem fits these four labels. Feeding and eating disorders can include other conditions and presentations.
This is one reason self-diagnosis from a checklist can be misleading. A healthcare professional can consider your eating pattern, thoughts, physical health, mental health and circumstances together.
You do not need to choose the correct label before asking for help
NICE says people with eating disorders should be assessed and receive treatment at the earliest opportunity. It also says BMI or duration of illness should not be used alone to decide whether treatment should be offered.
If you are worried, tell your GP what is actually happening rather than trying to prove that you meet a particular diagnosis.
Last reviewed
6 September 2026
Important informationThis guide provides general information only and is not a diagnosis or a substitute for professional medical, eating-disorder or other healthcare advice. Eating disorders and significant body-image concerns can affect physical as well as mental health. If you are worried about eating, weight, body image, physical symptoms or an appearance-related treatment, speak to your GP or another appropriately qualified healthcare professional. If an eating disorder is suspected, specialist assessment should be arranged as early as possible.