What are eating disorders?

Eating disorders are when people have strong feelings about food and their bodies that can change how they eat.

Imagine your favorite snack is a bag of chips. Now imagine someone says you have to eat all the chips in one sitting, or you can't eat any at all. That’s kind of what happens with eating disorders, people might feel like they have to eat too much, or not enough, even if it doesn’t make sense.

Some people might eat a lot and then feel really guilty, almost like they’re punishing themselves for enjoying food. Other people might avoid food completely because they worry about how their body looks.

It’s like having a best friend who tells you what to do with your snacks, but the friend doesn’t always know what’s best, sometimes it makes things harder instead of easier.

Eating disorders can happen to anyone, no matter how old they are. They’re not just about being too thin or too heavy, they're about how food and body image feel inside.

Sometimes people don’t even realize they have an eating disorder until the feelings start affecting their daily life, like school or playing with friends.