Eating Disorders Don't Discriminate: Why Weight Doesn't Define Your Experience

If you're reading this while wondering whether what you're struggling with "counts" as an eating disorder—especially if you live in a larger body—you're not alone. And more importantly, your experience matters.

What I've Learned From Ten Years of Work

Over the past decade working with adults who face challenges around eating, I've noticed something striking: many of the same beliefs show up again and again. One of the most pervasive is this assumption—if someone is in a larger body or isn't thin, they cannot have an eating disorder other than binge eating disorder.

This isn't accurate. Anyone can develop an eating disorder. It doesn't discriminate based on weight, gender, sex, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or race.

The Myth That Blocks People From Getting Help

Here's a pattern I see often: a person comes to therapy after being told they have binge eating disorder simply because they are in a higher-weight body. But as we begin talking together, a more complex picture emerges.

Many of these clients:

Go all day without eating, then binge at night
Have followed restrictive diets for weeks, months, or years
Feel obsessive thoughts about food
Experience a sense of losing control around eating
Deal with fatigue and difficulty concentrating
Have constant "food noise"—the mental chatter about what to eat, when, and how much

Because they live in a larger body, they assume binge eating disorder is their only option. But weight alone doesn't determine what's happening beneath the surface.

Understanding What Eating Disorders Actually Look Like

Regardless of body size, conditions like anorexia and bulimia are defined by behaviors and body perception, not by weight. Someone's weight can be lower, within a "normal" range, or higher—and they may still be experiencing these serious conditions.

There's also something called atypical anorexia, which is essentially anorexia minus the low-weight criterion. The health repercussions can be just as serious as anorexia with low weight. The distress is real. The impact on daily life is real. The need for support is real.

Questions to Ask Yourself

Before assuming your struggles fit neatly into one category, consider reflecting on these questions:

How frequently do I eat? Am I skipping meals regularly?
Do I count calories, carbs, or restrict entire food groups?
Do I feel guilt for eating even normal amounts of food?
Have I told myself I "should" eat less because my BMI suggests I weigh more than I "should"?
Does worry about my diet or weight prevent me from going out with friends?
Do I decline cake at birthday parties or scan menus anxiously before restaurants?

These behaviors can all be part of an eating disorder. Weight often has nothing to do with what the appropriate diagnosis is.

You Don't Have to Prove Your Pain

One of the most important things I want you to know: you don't need to prove your experience is serious enough. There is no weight requirement for healing. No body size that makes your struggle valid or invalid.

The best path forward is working with a trained professional who can help you understand what's really going on—not through the lens of your body size, but through the full picture of your relationship with food, your thoughts, your emotions, and your life.

If You're Reading This, You Deserve Support

Whether you're questioning whether this counts, feeling dismissed by previous providers, or simply ready to understand yourself better—I'm glad you're here. Your story matters. Your healing matters.