Introduction to Feeding and Eating Disorders

What you’ll learn to do: describe feeding and eating disorders

Apple in the mirror. The apple is whole but the reflection is eaten.

Eating is essential for survival, and it is no surprise that a drive like hunger exists to ensure that we seek out sustenance. In this section, we will review the fundamentals of hunger and eating as a primer to differentiate healthy and normal hunger and eating from disordered eating. You will learn about hunger, metabolism, body weight, and how disordered eating can have significant health consequences.

watch it

This Mental Health Minute video about eating disorders from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) gives a general summary of eating disorders, who it affects, and how treatment can be effective.

You can view the transcript for “Mental Health Minute: Eating Disorders” here (opens in new window).