Eating Disorders
The American Counseling Association (ACA) and major psychological bodies typically defer to the DSM-5-TR for the formal clinical definition of eating disorders. They are defined as persistent disturbances of eating or eating-related behavior that result in the altered consumption or absorption of food and significantly impair physical health or psychosocial functioning. These disorders are understood not merely as "lifestyle choices" or issues of vanity, but as complex, treatable medical and mental illnesses driven by a combination of genetic, biological, behavioral, psychological, and social factors.
