What is disordered eating?

DE may range from what is commonly perceived as normal dieting to reflecting some of the same behaviour as those with eating disorders, but at a lesser frequency or lower level of severity.

DE in an athlete sits on a spectrum between optimised nutrition and an ED, and may include some of the criteria for diagnosis of an ED. Both DE and dieting behaviour are common indicators for developing an ED.

Spectrum of eating behaviour

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Optimised nutrition - Safe, supported, purposeful and individualised nutrition practices that best balance health and performance

Disordered eating - Problematic eating behaviour that fails to meet the clinical diagnosis for an eating disorder

Eating disorder - Behaviour that meets DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for a feeding and eating disorder