Can you be thin and have a binge eating disorder?
153 Answers
Last Updated: 12/18/2020 at 1:52pm



Moderated by
Melissa Strauss, LPC
Licensed Professional Counselor
I am client focused and believe everyone has a strength. I feel confident in seeing clients with generalized and social anxiety, depression and relational goals.
Top Rated Answers
Yes. Its very possible. Many of friends who eat an exceptionally large amount of food but still remain skinny. There beautiful and gifted metabolism. I wish I had that too. A beautiful metabolism.
Yes, binge eating disorder has nothing to do with you're physical appearance, its the behaviors that you're doing.
Anonymous
August 12th, 2016 2:48am
Yes you can still be thin and have a binge eating disorder. Alot of people are naturaly thind and dont gain weight even if they binge.
Yes yes yes! We so often think of eating disorders in black and white, with stereotypes about size. You can have binge eating disorder and still look small. It depends on your body, metabolism, diet, age, exercise level, and many many other factors. There is no one size that defines any of the various eating disorders.
Anonymous
August 19th, 2016 2:56pm
You can, and often, but not always, it's corelated to bulimia. So yea, even though you eat a lot, you can still be very thin.
Anonymous
August 21st, 2016 8:34pm
Yes you can! Weight does not matter when it comes to eating disorders. It's a mental state and is something that needs to be addressed regardless of what weight you are.
Yes. Maybe your body has a really fast metabolism that allows you to not gain weight. Just because you are skinny does not mean you don't eat.
Yes. Often people with binge eating disorder restrict after episodes of binging, because they feel so badly about the calories they've consumed. Eventually they get hungry, lose control, and binge again, and the whole cycle repeats itself. When people are involved in this cycle, it's possibly for their weight not to change much.
Unfortunately, Yes. Thin people may binge eat and overexercise or stop eating for some periods of time to remain thin. Urgent help is needed when this happens your body may look thin in the outside but can be unhealthy.
Of course!The key factor in Binge Eating Disorder is not how often you binge but the obsessive quality of the your thought processes. One does not have to binge many times a day - if you binge once a day after not eating all day then you still have BED but remain slim. In fact you can binge once a week but if thoughts about eating/not eating is compulsive and occupies a lot of your inner dialogue then you still suffer from BED
Yes, binge eating is not about being fat, it is the feelings that you have towards your body, and the fact that you binge eat and then purge. If you ever want to chat more in depth feel free to message me
Yes, absolutely. Eating disorders are present in all body types. Never think that you are to big or small to have one
Anonymous
October 20th, 2016 10:20pm
yes- some endocrine and GIT pathologies do that. you can be very skinny and have a binge eating disorder.
Anonymous
October 26th, 2016 7:21pm
Yes you can. This may occur in several ways either through binging and purging like with bulimia, or if one has a high metabolism and has a difficult time gaining weight. Either way an eating disorder can't be diagnosed by their size. Many overweight people have anorexia many thin people have binge eating disorders.
yes, its completely possible. it can become a real abd habbit though. the best way to go about it, is to talk to a professionial, and seek help!
Anonymous
October 28th, 2016 1:14am
Many binge eating disorders are characterized by vomiting after eating a lot of food, so yes it is very possible to be thin and have a binge eating disorder, you can be any size and have any kind of eating disorder, in fact.
Yes. You can be thin and have a binge eating disorder. Binge eating is when an individual eats a significant amount of food and then feels guilty about it. A common result of binge eating is purging due to that guilt.
Yes. Body types and eating disorders arent related, a naturally thin person can have a binge eating disorder and naturally large people can have anorexia. Please consult with a therapist or doctor if you suspect you are developing or have developed an eating disorder.
Of course. Eating disorders are a disorder of the mind. Not of the body. That's why people can often hide their problems, for better or for worse.
Anonymous
November 9th, 2016 1:32am
Yes!!! Everybody's self conscious, no matter what. You can be thin as a stick and still think you need to drop some pounds for many reasons.
Of course! We all have different body types and our metabolisms are never the same as someone else.
Yes. You can be thin and anorexic, you can be fat and anorexic. You can be thin and bulimic, you can be fat and bulimic. Your size does not make your struggles less-than the struggles of others.
Yes you can! No more words needed. Eating disorders doesn't have a weight on a scale. You can be either fat or skinny and still have a eating disorders. I often hear (mostly) girls telling me they are to fat to have an eating disorder - But I can't say it loud enough - Eating disorders doesn't have a maximum or minimum weight.
Anonymous
January 12th, 2017 8:40pm
You can totally be thin and have a binge eating disorder as well as you can be starving yourself when you're not thin. Weight doesn't mean anything, it's never okay to have an eating disorder, so if anyone you know is either binge eating or starving themselves, pay attention, try to help them but most important, be patient and be there for them, even if they don't match the stereotypes you may have on binge eating or starving.
Of course you can. That's like saying can an overweight person be anorexic, and that is yes. When some people starve themselves, they get their fat stored, thus becoming bigger and not smaller. So a thin person could very well have an eating disorder. Eating disorders aren't determined by what body type you have, any body could binge eat. It's just not something you SHOULD do.
Anonymous
February 14th, 2017 6:52pm
In theroy, yes. But it would most likely be considered EDNOS for time constraints. Binge eating is also extremely subjective, so it can be hard to tell.
Yes you can. That is quite often the case with having a binge eating disorder but people don't actually realise.
Without a doubt you can. Eating disorders hide themselves in all diffierent kinds of people. You don't have to look a certain way to have an eating disorder. You are still just as valid if you don't look like you're hurting.
Anonymous
March 2nd, 2017 2:24am
I believe so. Just like someone who is heavier can have a problem with undereating, someone who weighs less can have just as much of a problem with binge eating.
Yes you can. Eating disorders look different on different people. If you have concerns over your eating disorder, you should contact a local organization to assist you.
Related Questions: Can you be thin and have a binge eating disorder?
How can I control my eating when I have impulse control issues?How do I leave a toxic relationship?Is skinny always considered a compliment? Is it possible to have a binge eating disorder but still be skinny? What is body dysmorphia?Why can't I eat as much as I used to?Why can't I stop the wanting of throwing up my food? I've been eating more than I used to lately, and it's making me even more anxious about myself. How can I stop being so stressed about gaining weight?Why am I so Obsessed with my weight?Why does food feel like an enemy?