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Can you be thin and have a binge eating disorder?

178 Answers
Last Updated: 06/15/2022 at 3:05am
Can you be thin and have a binge eating disorder?
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Top Rated Answers
hollykg
July 21st, 2018 2:30pm
I think it's possible. Typically, a binge eating episode is about once a week and the body can handle an excess in calories without contributing to (noticeable) weight gain. If a person has multiple episodes a week, then they are less likely to be thin because those with BED do not participate in compensatory behaviors.
GratefulYogi
August 3rd, 2018 2:29am
Absolutely! Contrary to what's widely believed, eating disorders don't look a certain way. They present themselves in different ways, and a person with a thin complexion can indeed have a binge eating disorder. just like someone with a more robust complexion can have anorexia. Eating disorders are a symptom of a mental health issue, after all!
musicalBubbles69
August 12th, 2018 6:07am
Yes, you can be thin and have a binge eating disorder. But, binge eating is unhealthy and can eventually add weight.
Anonymous
August 16th, 2018 7:18pm
No one has to be thin to have a binge eating disorder. Same goes for any eating disorder. People need to understand that thin people aren't the only people with eating disorders. There are many people out there who aren't "thin" who have eating disorders. Being thin is a stereotype for someone who has an eating disorder. When in fact, many people who are overweight can have an eating disorder too. They can't help how their body looks, and they either eat, or they try to not eat, or they binge and purge. The only thing people with eating disorders should be told is that they can be dangerous. Not that they have to be thin to have on, or have one to be thin.
Anonymous
August 17th, 2018 2:46pm
Binge eating disorder is a serious condition characterized by uncontrollable eating and resulting weight gain. However it does not depend upon being thin or fat.Metabolism is the controlling factor on your weight control.Binge disorder is a mental condition.If your metabolism is high it can process at a faster rate what you eat and you may not get fat.Weight cannot define any disorder you are having except obesity.Also binge order can be genetic in nature.They may be temporary or permanent in nature.It's better to consult a professional in this situation and not judge it based on appearances.Your size is not in relation to an eating disorder.
romanticthi3f
September 14th, 2018 12:40am
Yes! You can be. Binge eating disorder (or BED for short) is diagnosed based on someones behaviour, not on a persons weight. It's a really common myth that people have to be a certain weight when in reality you often cannot tell whether someone has binge eating disorder just by looking at them. If you or someone you know is struggling with this I advise you to reach out to someone you trust! Whether that's a friend, family member, therapist or a 7 Cups listener. Hope this is helpful!
Anonymous
November 11th, 2018 3:08am
Yes you can, being thin doesn't define your struggles. What you are going through is completely vaild regardless of weight
Anonymous
December 6th, 2018 3:17am
The most important thing everyone needs to know is that you don't have to look like you have an eating disorder to have one. Eating disorders do not pick their targets. For example, people who suffer from anorexia aren't always rich white girls who strive for perfection out of pure vanity. In the same way, not everyone that has binge eating disorder is fat. They could have a great superhuman metabolism, be a chronic exercise addict or have medical or hereditary factles that prevents them from gaining weight. One of my brothers would consume thousands of calories a day since he was very young and now even though he is 18 years old, he never weighed a pound above 120 lbs. The fridge would be full of food and snacks one day, and he would eat everything we had at night then go to sleep. Possibly it's the fact that he exercises a lot, but I'm aware that he binge eats but he is still very slim.
Tao33
December 13th, 2018 6:48am
Yes. Being thin means you either have a very fast metabolism and thus, you can afford to binge, or, it can mean you binge and purge, and/or have periods of anorexia. Eating disorders stem from a sense that we have little control in our lives. These issues are often rooted in childhood. No advice, but if you have a tendency to use food as a means to ‘calm down’, or feel a sense in control you don’t otherwise feel, you’re not alone. Food is everywhere and necessary to live. It can be difficult to navigate; when is enough enough? Stems back to the question that underlies almost every problem we have: Why do we feel we are not good enough? Why do we feel the need to have this, and be that, and earn this, and do that? Life is about enjoying, not having. Being, not wishing to be. Learning, not earning. Doing, not ‘supposed to be doing’. Hope that helps.
Anonymous
January 5th, 2019 7:43pm
Yes, you can. Eating disorders come in many forms and variants. It's not uncommon to see someone with the food restrictive tendency seen in anorexia who will also indulge in the binge and purge cycle seen in bulimia. With disordered eating, it's more a mindset than any one behavior exhibited. There is a large, undercurrent dissatisfaction with the way they look, that may be skewed by a distorted view of themselves physically. There is a fear of gaining weight and of being 'fat'. There is a desire to control what they consume, how they consume it, where, when and the list goes on and on.
maebxd
January 23rd, 2019 8:20pm
Yes, sure you can. Eating disorders are mental illnesses, meaning that only what happens in your head can show if you have these illnesses. As the therapists can't know what actually happen in your mind, they mostly rely on symptoms that show if you have this disorder or not. These symptoms are as binge eating, fasting, puke,.. Assuming if someone is mentally ill or not can't be done by looking at your body but your behavior. It is a mental illness and in contrary at many people's beliefs, you don't have to be thin to be anorexic, you don't have to be fat to be binge eating. You are the only one that can know what is happening in your head. So if you think that something isn't right, then please seek help!
evie2511
February 23rd, 2019 7:00pm
One can be thin and have the disorder as the metabolism of the person can be really fast or or they may exercise a lot. They are various scientific reasons for this. People not realizing and dismissing thin people causes a lot of tension for the ones going through these disordera. After all acknowledging is the first step to curing any disease. It may not seem like a problem at first because the person is healthy and thin. But it does affect the person in ways she/he may not realize. For starters they can be excercising a lot because they feel they are eating a lot which may result in excessive work out at times.
compassionateHeart82
March 23rd, 2019 5:23am
Definitely! There's this thing in society called stigma. Now stigma from society, social media, and education has been responsible for creating incorrect stereotypes of what characteristics of individuals with eating disorders typically hold, though we all know that these are so incorrect and definitely impact those who have eating disorders and/or body image concerns. People with Anorexia are 'supposed' to be thin, those with bulimia are 'supposed' to purge, and those with binge eating disorder are 'supposed' to be overweight. However, this is not true! Many individuals with anorexia are normal or overweight, individuals with bulimia are at a normal weight and do not purge, and those with binge eating disorders are all overweight. So please don't think that you can't receive help for a binge eating disorder because you don't meet the stereotypical characteristics as these stereotypes are not true!
wonderfulSunshine91
May 1st, 2019 3:28pm
Binge eating disorder is a common eating disorder where you frequently eat large amounts of food while feeling powerless to stop and extremely distressed during or after eating. Some people relate this with being fat due to the calories consumed during a binge however you can be thin and have binge eating disorder. While the symptoms of eating disorders revolve around eating, they are more about coping with feelings than they are about food. If you think you have binge eating disorder then it would be a good idea to ask for help from someone you know well and trust.
chillocolate
May 4th, 2019 2:08am
Yes, of course. It's like having anorexia while being obese or overweight -- it's more about the mindset than physical appearance. If you're thin but find yourself constantly obsessing about food, feeling bored when you don't have food, and overeating really often, you likely have BED. It's possible that you exercise a lot, have an unnaturally high metabolism, or that your binges are not as large as your brain may make you believe. However, continuing to binge daily may make you gain wait rapidly. Talk to a counselor or trusted adult if you feel like you need help with your BED.
rxgdxll
May 5th, 2019 6:33pm
This is very possible under one condition ( one that I know of ) if you have a fast working metabolism. When you have this, your body burns the food that you are eating at a quicker pace than others so it may look like you are still skinny while you’re binge eating. But one of the best things with this would be to go to a therapist ( or doctor ) and talk to them about it. Ask them if it is possible. They should, and probably do, know more about this and stuff with eating disorders. A doctor can tell you about the metabolism and should be able to help with both while a therapist may only be able to help with the binge eating
Anonymous
July 10th, 2019 7:10pm
Absolutely! Eating disorders do not discriminate based on weight or body type. Any kind of eating disorder can happen to anyone, regardless of how they look or what gender they are. Eating disorders can develop based on many different causes, such as how you feel and think about your body, or they can develop as a means to cope with other forms of stress. Just like with most other types of mental illness, an eating disorder is constructed based off of chemical differences in your brain or maladaptive patterns of thinking which are not related to your body type or weight.
Anonymous
November 7th, 2019 8:25am
Yup! According to the DSM-5 (the standard for psychiatric diagnosis), there are a few criteria for binge eating disorder and none of them mention weight at all. The criteria are: 1) Recurring episodes of binge eating that include eating more during that time than a typical person would and a sense of not having control over the behavior 2) At least 3 of the following 5 things are also true about binges: faster than normal, uncomfortably full, a lot of food when not physically hungry, alone due to embarrassment, and feeling disgusted, depressed, or guilty after. 3) Distress about binge eating 4) Binges have happened, on average, at least once a week for three months 5) Another eating disorder or "compensatory behavior" like purging or using laxatives or over exercising is not involved
Marlo3
December 8th, 2019 6:31am
Absolutely. Eating disorders arent defined by body type. Everyone has different metabolisms that make their weight go up down or stay steady no matter how their diet is at any given time. Binge eating disorders can affect a thin person because they might be early on in their disorder or they might just have an incredibly fast metabolism that doesnt allow them to gain weight. Binge eatin also might be hard to notice or if someone is thin then binge eating could be hard to define as not much food might have been eaten originally. Eating disorders dont discriminate against anyone
Anonymous
February 6th, 2020 2:28pm
Yes, this is one of the things that I currently have. I'm able to eat so much food in one sitting to the point where I can eat non-stop for 2 hours at an all you can eat place and not stop until I'm pretty much kicked out. Otherwise, I eat very little. I don't starve myself but the amount of food I eat if monitored by someone close to me would cause some minor to major concern if they were close to me. Meal balancing and planning and enforcing rules on yourself as to what you should and shouldn't eat could be something that can become extremely helpful to you in your process to not binge as much!
Anonymous
February 29th, 2020 3:38pm
Yes. According to the DSM-5, there is no weight criteria for BED. And pending on a number of factors (i.e. a genetically fast metabolism), an individual may be thin and still suffer from BED, if they meet the criteria listed in the DSM-5. It is important to note however, that to be diagnosed with BED, an individual must not engage in regularly compensatory behaviors such as purging. If this is the case, and the individual is engaging in such behaviors, they may be suffering another eating disorder such as Bulimia, Anorexia Binge Purge Sub type, or one that is not otherwise specified.
lifegivesulemons
April 17th, 2020 2:41am
The sad thing about eating disorders is that it is SO hard to see who has it because sometimes it might not come up in their physical side. So yes, answering your question, yes, you could be thin and have a binge eating disorder. This is why you can't assume if people do have an eating disorder or not, because it is so hard to tell! At this point, weight doesn't matter in an eating disorder. Maybe you binge eat but you have really high metabolism or you have certain genetics that wont make you gain weight. Either way, if you do have an eating disorder, get help immediately.
Blynng
- Expert in Eating Disorder
April 17th, 2020 1:57pm
Yes. Eating disorders do not have any required size. Even so, binge eating disorder can start with any person at any time, and that means that you may be thin when you first develop the condition. Just like how anorexia nervosa or bulimia can manifest in those who are overweight. It's a complete misconception that you can only be affected or diagnosed with these conditions if you have specific body types. If you suspect that you have developed this condition or something similar, it's important to seek professional support from a licensed clinical provider who specializes in eating disorders. Good luck!
HopefulBambi
May 14th, 2021 2:39pm
Yes. Everyone has their own experiences, trauma, and mental health related things they are working through. Eating disorders are not solely classified with what weight you are currently at. Anyone, of any weight, can still have a eating disorder. This goes for binge eating disorder as well. People's bodies and minds all work differently, so it's truly by a case by case basis. I wanted to let you know that I care for you, although I may not know you personally, and want to make sure you are feeling alright. If you ever need someone to talk to about eating disorders, or would like some resources on the matter, please feel to reach out.
mellowmushroom0413
July 1st, 2021 4:41pm
You absolutely can. Unfortunately, we've gotten to a point where people are basing the validity of eating disorders on physical appearance, and sometimes prioritizing that over the behavioral patterns around eating that actually make up the disorder. Can physical appearance be an indication of disordered eating? Absolutely. Eating influences the way you look, but it doesn't effect everybody the same way and it shouldn't be the defining factor of making a definitive diagnosis. What matters is the patterns/habits one has around food and how they think about it, how it effects their life, etc. Hope this was helpful :)
ahsoka16
June 26th, 2021 1:54am
Yes. You most definitely can be thin while also having a binge eating disorder. Binge eaters, otherwise known as those with bulimia nervosa, restrain themselves from eating anything at all during the day but then binge whatever is in ight at nightime or in hiding. This cycle can easily attribute to the case of someone being thing and also hhaving the disease at the same time. The reasonng behind this phenomenon is that maybe this person severely restricts their calories during the day and when they binge, they still are not binging the amount of calories the body needs to be fueled for the day.
exquisiteWriting3451
June 19th, 2021 5:06pm
The short answer is yes. Yes you can. I would add that there is no body shape that matches any eating disorder. For example, you could be 'thin' and have a binge eating disorder, or you could be 'fat' and have bulimia. As a psychology undergraduate student who has studied eating disorder, I can tell you that a binge eating disorder should be taken seriously regardless of whether a person is 'thin'. Being 'thin' does not neccesarily mean that a person is healthy. It would be wise to seek professional help if you believe that yourself or someone close to you has an eating disorder.
Anonymous
June 3rd, 2021 9:55am
It's absolutely possible! Binge Eating Disorder is characterized by behaviors, NOT weight or body size. Binge Eating Disorder is described as eating more in a given period of time to the point of feeling uncomfortable and even sick. Eating "more" can be compared to other individuals or the time/place in which the episode occurred. For example, eating a little more than usual at holidays (such as Christmas) would not be that out of the ordinary, since most people tend to eat more at some holidays. However, eating to the point of feeling ill and sick daily or even just a few times a week, could be indicative of a problem.
Anonymous
May 28th, 2021 6:11am
Yes, you definitely can. Many people have fast metabolisms that can keep them from gaining lots of weight drastically. You can also gain weight in certain areas that don't make you look bigger than usual. I am actually quite thin and I have struggled with this very sort of disordered eating. Remember, even though it might seem like an eating disorder, you must always study up on that from multiple authentic sources and make sure you don't just have disordered eating. You can get legally diagnosed by a doctor or pediatrician if you are feeling comfortable with that. It can be hard to go through, but we are here to listen , you are not alone .
Anonymous
May 1st, 2021 10:14am
Yes. Anyone can have (most, anorexia is weight based) eating disorders at any size. Plenty of people have a high metabolism. What makes it a disorder is the uncontrollable nature of the impulse. For most it comes as a coping mechanism, a way to comfort yourself. You may have trigger foods that make you want to binge without knowing it. You'll have to look into your life and see what you turn to and what you eat an excessive/feel awful after eating. Michelle Daniels has a good video on coping with a binge eating disorder on Youtube. But remember, this is just a site. Medical professionals are always recommended over us.