Eating Disorder Psychologist Melbourne

Eating Disorders

There are several different types of eating disorders including Anorexia Nervosa (AN), Binge Eating Disorder (BED), Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), Bulimia Nervosa (BN) and Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder (OSFED).

Anorexia Nervosa (AN) is characterised by severe and persistent food restriction, an intense fear of gaining weight and a distorted perception of body shape or size.  It can have serious medical consequences and requires co-ordinated multidisciplinary clinical care.  It is the least prevalent eating disorder in Australia, occurring in 3% of cases of people diagnosed with an eating disorder but has one of the highest risks of mortality amongst mental health conditions.  

Binge Eating Disorder (BED) is the most prevalent occurring eating disorder in Australia, affecting approximately 47% of people diagnosed with an eating disorder.  Unlike some other eating disorders it affects both women and men in approximately equal numbers.  The average age of onset is estimated to be about 25 years old.  Binge Eating Disorder is characterised by the consumption of an excessive amount of food which may occur either in a short period of time or over an extended period of grazing.  The eating episodes can feel chaotic, accompanied by a feeling of a total loss of control.  It can often lead to severe psychological distress and intense feelings of shame and guilt.  

Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) affects between 0.3% and 2% of the Australian population.  It is characterised by sensory sensitivities to certain foods which can be attributed to being “extremely picky eating”.  It can lead to deficits in nutrition, weight loss and energy reduction, causing significant disruption to the person’s social, family and work/study areas of life.

Bulimia Nervosa (BN) is a serious mental illness characterised by recurrent episodes of binge eating followed by self-induced vomiting, fasting, overexercising and/or the misuse of laxatives, enemas or diuretics.  Bulimia Nervosa is experienced by approximately 12% of diagnosed cases of eating disorders in Australia.  Approximately 70% of individuals with bulimia nervosa are female and the average age of onset is 18 years old.   

Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder (OSFED) occurs within people who experience eating patterns and symptoms similar to other eating disorders but don’t meet the full clinical criteria for an eating disorder.  

Each person’s lived experience of an eating disorder is unique and can involve any number of different symptoms which meet criteria across a number of the above eating disorders. 

Prevalence of Eating Disorders in Australia

The Butterfly Foundation reports that about 1.1 million Australians, or 4% of the population, at any one time are living with an eating disorder and over 25% of these cases impact individuals under the age of 19 years.  This number has almost doubled in the past decade.  An estimated 10.5% of the Australian population experience an eating disorder at some point in their lifetime.  Women are twice as likely as men to experience an eating disorder with 67% of people with eating disorders in Australia being female and 33% male.