When a person develops a need for control related to their body, what eating disorder might this contribute to?

The development of a need for control related to one’s body is often closely associated with eating disorders like anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Both of these disorders frequently manifest in individuals who may feel a lack of control in other areas of their lives and therefore seek to impose control over their eating habits and body image.

In anorexia nervosa, individuals restrict food intake and often engage in excessive exercise, which is a way of exerting control over their weight and appearance, driven by intense fear of gaining weight. Bulimia nervosa also involves a cycle of bingeing and purging, where individuals try to control their weight through extreme behaviors after eating large amounts of food. Both disorders have significant psychological components where control, perfectionism, and often anxiety play major roles.

Other eating disorders, like overeating and binge eating disorder, usually lack the same level of control-related behaviors centered around body image; instead, they often include a loss of control during eating episodes. Orthorexia revolves around an unhealthy focus on healthy eating, which may stem from a desire for control but does not typically manifest in the same harmful behaviors associated with anorexia or bulimia.

Thus, a need for control related to one’s body is most indicative of anorexia