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I lost over 100lbs in just a few months, but no one, not even my doctor, questioned my eating habits because I still wasn't under weight. Does this mean I don't have an eating disorder because I'm not sick enough to be underweight?

22 Answers
Last Updated: 04/26/2021 at 3:37pm
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Top Rated Answers
NiaMostMysterious
August 10th, 2015 10:41pm
many people are under the false impression that someone has to be underweight in order to have an eating disorder. That is completely NOT TRUE. An eating disorder is not defined by the weight of the person suffering from it, but instead it is defined by the actual activity of disordered eating.
Miracle
March 9th, 2015 5:42pm
That depends how you lost the weight and whether various other symptoms are present. In short you don't need to be underweight to have certain types of eating disorder equally weight loss is a symptom but is not the sole indicator. If you are concerned about your eating habits and your doctor seems unsupportive it is worth getting a second opinion and pushing for the help you may need - sadly with eating disorders there never will be a 'sick enough'.
helpfuldot
May 29th, 2015 2:14pm
Eating disorders come in all shapes and sizes. Unfortunately some doctors don't take individuals seriously for various reasons, and can make any sort of recovery or aim to be healthy difficult. If you're using disordered habits or losing weight in an unhealthy manner I would find a new doctor who will take you seriously regardless of your current weight.
MrsBrownEyes
March 31st, 2015 5:52pm
An eating disorder isn't defined by your weight, dear! You should look for help, I don't want anything bad happen to you!
Anonymous
April 4th, 2015 3:52am
Being underweight is not necessarily a criteria for all eating disorders. For example, you can be diagnosed with Binge eating disorder or Bulimia if you're at normal weight or overweight. But back to you, if you're concerned that your change in diet and weight loss might be an eating disorder, then please talk to your doctor or a professional about it in order to get help.
Anonymous
April 26th, 2021 3:37pm
Having an eating disorder is not based on whether you feel sick or not. You know your own body best and you know that your eating habits are out of the norm and you might even need help. That's good! Recognizing you need help is one of the first steps on the path to recovery. Even if your doctor hasn't said anything, you need to bring it up with them. Voice your concerns about your body and eating habits and try to actively seek help changing them into healthier alternatives. You don't need to reach any qualifications to consider getting help, all you need is support and love to battle your demons.
Anonymous
April 19th, 2021 8:06pm
No, not at all. Weight can be an indicator of disordered eating but it is not the only one. Just because you are not underweight it does not mean that the disorder is not having a serious effect on your mental, physical and emotional well being. It is possible to look healthy but actually be quite sick. Loosing so much weight in such a short space of time is concerning. I had a similar experience where my concerns were overlooked because I didn't fit the profile and I had to keep pushing to get the help I needed, even though I felt unsure and uneasy about it all.
Beautifuldreamer98
May 29th, 2018 7:52am
Not really.. If you're eating to lose weight drastically, it means that it is unhealthy and that while you may not be underweight, you may be on your way to be and this is an early warning sign to an eating disorder if you do not already have one.
suspiciouslookingcactus
April 17th, 2017 11:15pm
No, if you're not eating, or using other methods to lose weight in an unhealthy manner, then you do have an eating disorder. Although it is important to be fit and healthy, you need to make sure you're doing it the right way. Please stay safe, and message me if you need to talk.
TrannyNamedLuke
February 20th, 2017 7:14am
Not necessarily. You can still have an eating disorder even if your not underweight. If it continues to get worse, you can become underweight. But you can still be overweight and have bad eating habits.
Anonymous
May 10th, 2016 7:36am
No that does not mean you don't have an eating disorder. I belive that you should talk to your docyor
leahlistens2
February 15th, 2016 10:51pm
An eating disorder is not defined by the number on the scale. An eating disorder is a mental issue and had you not used healthy outlets for the weight loss then this can constitute for a serious health issue. You should speak with your doctor about the methods you used to lose that weight. And see how he feels about it.
Anonymous
September 8th, 2015 6:27pm
Eating disorders are NEVER not serious whether you are overweight, a normal weight or underweight. You deserve to get help because it's a mental illness; 100lbs is a scary amount of weight to loose, especially if you are doing it in a unhealthy or disordered way. Don't be scared to ask for help lovely.
Anonymous
September 7th, 2015 8:53pm
Definitely not! if you lost the weight by starving yourself and having eating habbits that are not normal, then you may have an eating disorder. No matter if you're underweight or overweight an eating disorder is still an eating disorder. Most people think about Anorexia when the word 'eating disorder' is mentioned. But it can also be obese people that are over weight due to an eating disorder. Just because you are not underweight, that doesn't mean that you don't have an eating disorder.
KDillinea
August 24th, 2015 3:10am
Eating disorders are mental. Yes, they have to do with weight, but they have to do with how the mind works. There's no "I'm too fat to have an eating disorder" or anything like that. Restricting food and seeing yourself bigger than you are is a mental disorder, and you need to ask for help. If someone won't give it to you, they're not doing the right thing.
Anonymous
August 16th, 2015 12:25pm
Definitely not! Doctors will do that these days for who knows what reasons, but if you are engaging in disordered eating and it is controlling your life you could very well have an eating disorder. Anorexia and Bulimia are diagnosed under annoyingly strict guidelines that tend to unfortunately invalidate the suffering of other people with eating disorders. The most common eating disorder is EDNOS (not specified eating disorder). If you think you have one you should definitely talk to someone who specializes in that area and knows how dangerous eating disorders are no matter what weight you are at. People do die from them at "healthy" weights because of how much damage the behaviors and weight change can cause to the body.
paidir
August 15th, 2015 10:23pm
I would say it depends on whether or not the weight loss is intentional, how you feel about yourself, your body and food. I am literally in the same situation, having lost 60 lbs total now but docs are unconcerned bc I was too heavy at the start. Even now they are hesitant to do anything or even take it seriously, despite the fact that I often fast for several days at a time, to punish myself. I guess it isn't an eating disorder in the sense that I'm not doing it because of how I feel about my body, but obviously my relationship with myself ...and clearly I have a very unhealthy relationship with food now. Amazing that they just glance at your weight or BMI to decide if it's a problem.
goldenPumpkin55
June 23rd, 2015 12:21pm
Don't fill up your head with society-intoxicated ideas. I once lost 15 kg's in under a month out of sadness. You're not sick you're just uncomfortable. You should hang on to being healthy as much as you can and besides I bet you look even more beautiful now, your weight does'nt define you.
HappyPlaces
May 29th, 2015 6:05pm
No, you can still have an eating disorder even if you're not sick just yet. If you're not eating properly, and you loose a lot of weight you are technically showing signs of anorexia. You're doctor should be watching your weight and if you loose alot he should question your eating habits aswell
kindmusic
May 3rd, 2015 5:06pm
No. An eating disorder does not always and only present itself in people who are underweight. Generally, a healthy goal is to lose one pound per week. You will shed more than that to start, especially if you're overweight. You don't mention how you managed to lose so much in such a short period of time, but please take care of yourself. It's important to continue eating, even through your weight loss.
Anonymous
April 24th, 2015 9:23pm
Eating disorders aren't classified by being underweight. There's more than just anorexia and bulimia, like binge eating and certain eating disorders that are characterized by not being able to eat certain foods psychologically. Your weight doesn't determine having an eating disorder, it's your behaviors that fit the diagnosis. I'd talk to a mental health professional.
redwhispers
April 11th, 2015 9:52pm
I'm not exactly sure what this question is asking. But I will elaborate as best as I can. First off, ask yourself this: "Did I lose this weight healthily?" if it's a yes, then you should be fine diet-wise. (self-image can get to be another story) If the answer is no, you may be at risk for EDNOS, which stands for "Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified". This when you have the behaviorisms of of (insert eating disorder here) but are not in the qualifications of it because your BMI (which is quite irrelevant because everyone is built differently). Because I am a listener on here and do not have proper training to diagnose such things, maybe visiting a specialist would be a good idea. :)