Most people overeat once in a while, and many people diet.
People with eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia have disruptions in their normal eating patterns that go well beyond overeating or dieting. People with eating disorders may excessively restrict food intake, or may binge eat and then use laxatives or vomiting to purge as a way to achieve desired weight loss. Eating disorders may cause serious physical problems, some of them life-threatening. Restricting, bingeing, and purging become part of a vicious cycle, and people with eating disorders often come to feel trapped by obsessions about eating, weight, body image, and food. At the same time, they may feel quite self-conscious about their eating habits, and may attempt to hide this from others.