You don't have to look a certain way, reach a particular weight or meet someone else's idea of what an eating disorder looks like to deserve support.
When most people picture someone with an eating disorder, they might imagine someone who is visibly underweight, physically frail or obviously struggling with food.
But eating disorders don't have a particular look.
You can experience an eating disorder at any body size, weight or shape. You can be eating regularly in front of other people while experiencing significant distress around food privately. You can appear healthy, successful and high-functioning while spending an enormous amount of time thinking about what you've eaten, how your body looks or what you need to do to compensate.
And you can be struggling significantly without anyone around you recognising it.
One of the biggest misconceptions about eating disorders is that you need to be underweight to have one. Unfortunately, this belief can prevent people from recognising their symptoms, accessing appropriate treatment or feeling that they're sick enough to ask for help.
At recoverED Clinic, we believe everyone deserves compassionate, evidence-based eating disorder treatment, regardless of their weight or appearance.
Let's explore why eating disorders don't have a particular look, what atypical anorexia is and when it might be helpful to seek support from an eating disorder psychologist.
Can you have an eating disorder if you're not underweight?
Absolutely.
Eating disorders are complex mental health conditions involving disturbances in eating behaviours, thoughts about food, body image and relationships with weight and shape.
Although some eating disorder diagnoses include weight-related criteria, many do not.
For example, people experiencing bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder (BED), avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) and other specified feeding or eating disorders (OSFED) can be at any body weight.
Even anorexia nervosa can occur in people who are not underweight.
The National Eating Disorders Collaboration (NEDC) highlights that eating disorders occur across the weight spectrum and are frequently missed in people living in larger bodies because they don't fit traditional stereotypes.
This means someone's physical appearance cannot tell you whether they are experiencing an eating disorder or how much distress they might be experiencing.
You don't need to lose weight, look visibly unwell or wait until things become worse before seeking support.
What is atypical anorexia nervosa?
Atypical anorexia nervosa is a presentation unedr Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder (OSFED).
Someone experiencing atypical anorexia may meet the psychological and behavioural criteria for anorexia nervosa, including:
Significant restriction of food intake.
Intense fear of gaining weight.
Persistent behaviours that interfere with weight gain.
Significant distress around eating, weight or body image.
An intense influence of weight and shape on self-worth.
The distinction is that, despite significant weight loss, the person's current weight remains within or above the expected range.
The word 'atypical' can unfortunately be misleading.
It does not mean the eating disorder is less serious, less distressing or less deserving of treatment.
People experiencing atypical anorexia can experience significant medical complications associated with malnutrition and restrictive eating, even when their weight is not considered low.
This is why appropriate assessment and medical monitoring are so important.
7 signs you might be struggling with an eating disorder, even if you're not underweight
Eating disorders can present differently from person to person. However, there are some patterns that may indicate your relationship with food, eating and body image is becoming problematic.
1. Food takes up an enormous amount of mental space
Do you find yourself thinking about food throughout the day?
Perhaps you're constantly planning what you're going to eat, calculating calories, thinking about what you have already eaten or worrying about what you will be allowed to eat later.
You might find it difficult to concentrate at work, enjoy social activities or be present with other people because your thoughts repeatedly return to food.
Even when you're not physically eating, food might occupy a significant amount of your mental energy.
2. You follow increasingly rigid food rules
You might have developed rules about:
Which foods are acceptable or unacceptable.
When you're allowed to eat.
How much you can eat.
Which food combinations are permitted.
What you need to do before or after eating certain foods.
Breaking these rules might trigger intense guilt, anxiety or a feeling that you've lost control.
Over time, these rules can become increasingly restrictive, making everyday eating feel exhausting.
3. You experience significant guilt or anxiety after eating
Perhaps you can enjoy food in the moment, but afterwards you're overwhelmed with guilt.
You might find yourself replaying what you've eaten, worrying about its impact on your body or feeling compelled to compensate.
This can create a cycle where eating becomes associated with anxiety, shame and self-criticism rather than nourishment, enjoyment and connection.
4. Your exercise routine feels compulsory
Exercise can be a positive part of wellbeing, but it can become problematic when it is driven by guilt, fear or a need to compensate for eating.
You might struggle to take rest days, feel anxious when you miss a workout or believe you need to earn the food you've eaten.
You may continue exercising despite injury, exhaustion or medical advice to rest.
The key distinction is whether movement feels flexible and enjoyable or compulsory and distress-driven.
5. You experience binge eating or compensatory behaviours
Eating disorders aren't always associated with restriction.
You might experience episodes of eating that feel out of control, followed by intense shame or attempts to compensate.
Compensatory behaviours can include self-induced vomiting, misuse of laxatives or diuretics, fasting or excessive exercise.
These behaviours can have serious physical and psychological consequences regardless of someone's body weight.
6. Your body image significantly affects your mood and self-worth
Perhaps how you feel about yourself changes dramatically depending on how you perceive your body.
You might avoid mirrors, repeatedly check your appearance, compare yourself to others or feel unable to wear certain clothes.
You may also avoid social events, photographs, swimming or intimacy because of concerns about how your body looks.
Your self-worth might feel closely tied to your weight, shape or appearance.
7. You're constantly trying to change your body, but never feel satisfied
You might have spent years dieting, tracking food, following exercise routines or trying different approaches to change your body.
Even when you reach a goal, the satisfaction doesn't last.
There is always another part of your body to change, another food rule to follow or another standard to meet.
This can create a cycle of restriction, dissatisfaction and renewed attempts to control your weight or appearance.
Importantly, experiencing one or more of these patterns doesn't automatically mean you have an eating disorder. However, if these behaviours are causing distress or interfering with your everyday life, they deserve attention.
Why eating disorders in larger bodies are often overlooked
One of the significant challenges for people experiencing eating disorders in larger bodies is weight stigma.
Weight stigma involves negative assumptions, stereotypes or discrimination directed towards someone because of their body weight or size.
Unfortunately, this can occur in healthcare settings as well as everyday life.
For example, someone experiencing significant food restriction and rapid weight loss might be praised for their weight loss rather than recognised as someone who may be developing an eating disorder.
Similarly, someone seeking help for binge eating or restrictive eating might receive weight-loss advice without their psychological distress or eating behaviours being adequately assessed.
This can reinforce the belief that their eating difficulties are not serious or that their weight is the only thing that matters.
It can also delay appropriate treatment.
The NEDC's clinical practice guideline for managing eating disorders in people with higher weight highlights the importance of equitable, evidence-based care and reducing weight stigma in treatment.
At recoverED Clinic, we take a weight-inclusive, Health at Every Size (HAES)-informed approach. This means we recognise that people deserve support without their worth, health or treatment being reduced to a number on the scales.
Why you don't need to wait until you're 'sick enough'
A common experience among people struggling with eating disorders is feeling that their difficulties aren't serious enough to warrant treatment.
You might find yourself thinking:
"I'm not underweight, so I can't have anorexia."
"Other people are much sicker than me."
"I can still function at work, so it can't be that bad."
"My GP hasn't expressed concern about my weight."
"I should be able to manage this myself."
"I'll get help if things get worse."
These thoughts can make it incredibly difficult to reach out.
But eating disorders are not determined by how much someone weighs or how visibly unwell they appear.
You don't need to wait until your physical health deteriorates, your relationships suffer or your everyday functioning becomes significantly impaired.
Early intervention can make an important difference.
If you're concerned about your relationship with food, eating behaviours or body image, seeking an assessment can help you better understand what's happening and what support might be appropriate.
How can an eating disorder psychologist help?
Working with a psychologist who has experience in eating disorders can help you understand the psychological, emotional and behavioural factors contributing to your difficulties.
Treatment is not simply about changing what you eat.
It involves understanding the broader patterns that maintain eating disorder symptoms and developing a healthier, more sustainable relationship with food, your body and yourself.
Depending on your individual needs, treatment may involve:
Enhanced Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT-E)
CBT-E is an evidence-based psychological treatment designed to address the thoughts and behaviours maintaining eating disorders.
It can help you identify patterns such as dietary restriction, rigid food rules, binge eating, compensatory behaviours, body image concerns and overvaluation of weight and shape.
Specialist Supportive Clinical Management (SSCM)
SSCM is a collaborative, supportive treatment that combines psychological support with practical work towards improving eating patterns and physical recovery.
It can be particularly useful for adults experiencing anorexia nervosa and related difficulties.
Schema Therapy
Schema Therapy can help explore deeper patterns that may contribute to eating disorder symptoms, including shame, perfectionism, low self-worth, emotional deprivation and difficulties with self-acceptance.
It can be particularly helpful when eating difficulties have been present for a long time or when previous treatment has not fully addressed underlying emotional patterns.
Developing a more compassionate relationship with your body
Therapy can also help you work towards reducing body checking, comparison, appearance-related anxiety and self-criticism.
The aim isn't necessarily to love your body every day.
Instead, it may involve developing greater body respect, reducing the amount of time and energy spent worrying about appearance and learning to participate in meaningful activities without waiting for your body to change.
Treatment should be individualised and may involve collaboration with your GP, an eating disorder dietitian and other health professionals to ensure appropriate medical and nutritional support.
Looking for an eating disorder psychologist in Melbourne?
If you've been struggling with food, body image or eating behaviours, you don't have to navigate things alone.
At recoverED Clinic, we provide specialised, compassionate and evidence-based psychological support for adults experiencing eating disorders and disordered eating.
We understand that eating disorders can look different for everyone. Our approach is neuroaffirming, trauma-informed and weight-inclusive, with treatment tailored to your individual experiences, needs and goals.
We offer psychological support for difficulties including:
Anorexia nervosa and atypical anorexia.
Bulimia nervosa.
Binge eating disorder.
Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorders (OSFED).
Restrictive eating and chronic dieting.
Body image difficulties.
Food-related anxiety and rigid eating patterns.
Eating difficulties associated with ADHD and autism.
Our clinic is based in Hawthorn, Melbourne, and we also offer telehealth appointments Australia-wide.
You don't need a formal eating disorder diagnosis to enquire about psychological support.
If you're looking for an eating disorder psychologist in Melbourne, we'd love to hear from you.
Contact recoverED Clinic to enquire about appointments.
You deserve support regardless of what your body looks like, what the scales say or how long you've been struggling.
Contact recoverED Clinic / Make an Enquiry
Disclaimer
This blog is for general educational purposes only and does not constitute medical, psychological, diagnostic, or therapeutic advice. It should not be relied upon as a substitute for personalised care from a qualified health professional.
Reading this blog does not create a psychologist–client relationship with recoverED Clinic or its clinicians. If you have concerns about your mental health, eating behaviours, physical health, or safety, please seek professional support. In an emergency, call 000 or attend your nearest emergency department. You can access a list of Australian crisis helplines here.
This blog was created with the support of AI tools for clarity and structure and has been reviewed and edited by our team.
