What is disordered eating - and is it a problem?
By Cherry Dakin
Trigger warning: This blog discusses eating disorders
Disordered eating is something many people experience — yet few really understand. It often hides behind socially accepted behaviours, wellness trends, or ‘health kicks’, and can quietly cause significant harm to our physical and mental health. In our tastelife lunchtime webinar, we tackled this important topic head-on:
What is disordered eating, and is it something to be concerned about?
Joining me was Sian Jenkinson, a registered nutritionist, tastelife course leader, and someone with her own lived experience of disordered eating. Together, we unpacked what disordered eating looks like, how it differs from an eating disorder, and, importantly, how to spot the signs and take practical steps towards freedom. This blog is taken from that webinar.
So, what is disordered eating?
We tend to label things as either ‘normal eating’ or ‘eating disorders’, but there’s a large grey area in between. That’s where disordered eating lives.
The ultimate goal of balanced eating is ‘eating to appetite’, being able to notice when you’re hungry, eat without guilt or shame, and recognise when you’re full. Some days you’ll eat more, some less, and that’s completely normal. Balanced eating, at its heart, should be enjoyable.
Disordered eating, on the other hand, is when food-related behaviours become unbalanced, restrictive, or obsessive. It’s sometimes called ‘chaotic eating’, a pattern that might include:
Skipping meals regularly
Using vaping or appetite suppressants instead of food
Over-exercising or purging after eating
Constantly jumping from one diet to another
Cutting out whole food groups (not for medical or ethical reasons, but to lose weight or control body image).
It is not disordered eating if someone chooses to be vegan or vegetarian, or if someone has an allergy or an intolerance to a food. They are excluding certain foods for health or ethical reasons. However, if the choice to be vegan or vegetarian is driven by body image or weight-loss reasons, then that is possibly disordered eating e.g. excluding complete food groups rather than eating in a balanced way.
It’s not about a single behaviour—it’s about the pattern and the motivation behind it.
‘But I'm just fasting... right?’
Fasting has become a trendy topic, especially with claims about weight loss or increased mental clarity. So, is fasting a form of disordered eating?
To clarify the difference, fasting, especially for religious or supervised medical reasons, is typically for a defined and limited period. Disordered eating, however, is ongoing and unsupervised, and it disrupts your physical health and emotional wellbeing over time.
If your eating behaviours are driven by fear, shame, or the pursuit of control, it’s time to pause and reflect on what’s really going on.
What disordered eating looks like in real life
Disordered eating is rarely dramatic—it’s often subtle and easy to justify. Some common patterns include:
A teenager going to school on nothing but a can of Red Bull
An adult skipping meals all day at work, then bingeing at night
Constant food rules: ‘I shouldn’t eat carbs’, or ‘I have to earn dessert’
A typical school day for me was no breakfast, or just an apple. A marmite sandwich and another apple at lunch. Then I'd go home and overeat on biscuits or cake… Then the guilt would kick in. I’d go out running or make myself sick. I wasn’t in control: my eating behaviours were controlling me. I couldn’t stop and they became more and more embedded, extreme and actually addictive. My whole day was planned around what I would and would not eat. It was a miserable place to be. Also baffling!
When disordered eating deepens into an eating disorder, the line is crossed into obsession. The behaviours become compulsive, overwhelming, and fear-driven. Relationships, health, and mental wellbeing all start to suffer.
So… if it’s not an eating disorder, is it OK?
Not quite.
‘We’ve probably all gone through short phases of disordered eating,’ said Sian. ‘But that doesn’t make it okay.’
Disordered eating might seem less severe, but that doesn’t mean it’s harmless. Disordered eating impacts both body and brain. It disrupts your metabolism and your body’s balance of nutrients and hormones. It can lead to low mood, anxiety, fertility issues, and even changes to your neural pathways. That’s not to mention how it affects your daily energy, relationships, and self-worth.
What can you do if you’re concerned?
If you’re worried about your eating patterns, or someone else’s, the first step is to talk to someone you trust. There’s no shame in asking for help, it’s a brave thing to do, and tastelife is here to support you, without judgement.
Here are a few small but powerful steps you can take:
✔️ Start Small
Pick one thing you’d like to change. Don’t try to fix everything at once. Baby steps make a big difference.
✔️ Keep It Simple
Forget the pressure to always make ‘healthy’ food. Beans on toast, spag bol, baked potatoes, are all great.
✔️ Work towards a Regular Pattern of Eating
Three meals a day and 2–3 snacks (around every 4–6 hours) helps stabilise energy and mood.
✔️ Choose Variety Over Restriction
No food is inherently ‘bad’ (unless it has gone off). Enjoy a range of foods. Yes, including chocolate and cake, in balance.
✔️ Ask for Practical Help
Can you cook a basic meal? Do you know how to shop on a budget? Don’t be afraid to ask someone to show you. Frozen veg and cupboard staples can go a long way.
Final thoughts
Disordered eating might not always look like a crisis—but it can quietly steal joy, freedom, and energy from everyday life. The good news is: you don’t have to stay stuck. Small changes, made consistently and with support, can lead to real freedom.
‘Ultimately, breaking free from disordered eating is about being flexible and not rigid with our self-imposed rules.’ Cherry