Eating Disorders and Body Image Issues and
EATING DISORDER RELATED COMPLEX (EDRC)™

EATING DISORDER RELATED COMPLEX (EDRC)™ is a conception that Joseph Contorer LMFT developed to describe a more generalized composite of descriptions of scenarios, thoughts, actions and behaviors that are summarily related to eating disorders. While a mild presence of the various separate traits may be common and connected with many of those who are overweight or obese, the combination of the traits of EDRC are definitely not normal.

DO YOU HAVE EDRC™ ?

In many cases, EDRC can be considered like a more involved complicated case of compulsive overeating that will include compulsive overeating behaviors, along with several other factors, such as:

Excessive, abnormal levels of intention; feeling emotionally consumed, focused on and obsessed with:

• Body Image- poor self image/connected with eating and food. Some Body Dysmorphia symptoms but completely meeting the criteria of a that full blown disorder.
• Body size, image and measurements (Such as specific statistics, size, BMI, body weight amount.)
• Caloric intake/obsessive food combining and restriction.
• Compulsive overeating/ and or alternated with food restriction.
• Demonizing of certain "taboo" foods; defining self as good or bad depending on fluctuating eating habits, feeling full or hungry and power vs. powerlessness.
• Exercise/physical activity tracking and assigning generalized value if enough was accomplished or not.
• Weight loss or gain amount.
• Weight control/diets and dieting: crash diets, fad diets, gimmicks weird trendy diets.
• Weight fluctuation between gaining, losing and frequent changes in body weight up and down.

Presently, unfortunately, the average teen or adult person in The USA is likely somewhat overweight; millions of Americans are technically classified as obese and morbidly obese but this does not necessarily constitute an eating disorder or EDRC. However, being overly focused on weight and the related neuroses is also not what normal eating habits consist of. The DSM-5 has a diagnostic category titled “Other Specified Eating or Feeding Disorder." Perhaps that is a miscellaneous grouping  for remaining abnormal symptoms or criteria that still clearly does not constitute Anorexia or Bulimia or "Binge Disorder." The "Other" category of The DSM-5 really doesn’t pinpoint the extent of much of the generalized eating disorder-related behavior and pathology, even considering an absence of more severe Anorexia or Bulimia symptoms; hence the EDRC™ concept.

Abnormal intention, consumption and focus on, or obsession with:

• Weight control/diets and dieting: crash diets, fad diets, gimmicks weird trendy diets;
• Caloric intake/obsessive food combining and restriction
• Body size and measurements (I.e.: statistics, size, BMI, weight in pounds;)
• Exercise/physical activity;
• Weight loss amount/weight gain amounts;
• Compulsive overeating/ and or alternated with food restriction
• “Body image disorder” specifically related to weight/body fat and size more than a true bizarre distortion of physical abnormality that would be seen in a specific diagnosis of "Body Dysmorphic Disorder."

Here is more detail about the behaviors and traits that would equate a plausible “diagnosis” of EDRC:

-Abnormal/over-worrying or obsessing about a number of related matters such as:
Body weight, body mass index (BMI,) dieting, body fat percentage, calories consumed or burned, overkill on counting calories, always needing a diet or food plan, trying every stupid trendy gimmick in the book such as fat-free, sugar-free, low-carb, low-fat, high protein, high fiber, food combining, only fruit, only vegetable, gluten-free, dairy-free, raw foods, “Paleo,” organic, only this, only that, plastic surgery/over-vanity emphasis on looks/body image issues/hyper-concern (not to be confused with truly heavy-duty irrational delusions about one’s body, known as a separate non-eating disorder, basically personality disorder otherwise known as “Body Dysmorphia Disorder.”

In other words, even if you don’t have an extensive, more classic case of Anorexia: self-starvation/abnormal, chronic restriction of dietary/nutritional intake or Bulimia- Binging huge quantities of higher-calorie foods and then making yourself vomit (purging,) you can still have an eating disorder! Abnormal eating habits alone do not necessarily constitute EDRC; it is the full gamut of assessment to make about one’s thought processes and certain combinations or intensities of behaviors and actions. EDRC may include excessive amounts of time, energy, thought and focus that is devoted to the whole concept of weight management, how fat you are, how much you ate, what you ate, how many calories you ate, how many calories burned walking with the fit bit or working out or are you allowed to eat because you worked out or do you not eat at certain times or after certain times or do you skip meals or have “cheat days.” Were you “good” or “clean” today about your eating or were you naughty?

Experiencing each one of these individual items by themselves would not otherwise necessarily be considered an eating disorder since there are additional circumstances to take in to account. Sometimes there is enormous focus or presence of each characteristic listed below. Frequently there are more than just one relative trait out of the ten examples listed.

• Abnormal / pre-occupation with food/nutritional content, which may include such typical identified negative food ingredients that can become highly disparaged. Common examples of forbidden or demonized foods include: dietary fat, cholesterol, saturated fat, trans fat, sugar, corn syrup, white flour, wheat, non-organic vs. organic, gluten, how much protein, how many carbs, calories/calorie counting or similar/related.
• “Body Building” for competing as a physical body visual aesthetic which is achieved from meticulous food consumption and adherence to rigid exercise regiments and supplements, some illegal or risky, like steroids and stimulants. Higher risk associated if these conditions concurrently apply; (not every single body builder/professional competitor would have EDRC, but there is a higher risk.)
• Body Image issues- beyond a reasonable expectation, such as desperately seeking pre-approval and self-determination/hoping or wanting to be perceived as  presentable enough in public/work/school/social setting etc. Never feeling good enough.
• Compulsive overeating- Routine, habitual eating beyond physical satiety; eating when not hungry in response to other cues, such as emotional eating.)
• Obesity or morbid obesity is frequently associated and also present for most compulsive overeaters who are not in some kind of abstinence or state of healthy weight maintenance. There is a likelihood and propensity to overeat periodically outside of a normal/predictable fluctuation in food consumption or deliberate dieting/restriction.
• Consumed with the whole process: using food, weight, dieting and other related thoughts and behaviors as a substitute for other more constructive activities and actions ("Living to eat," instead of "Eating to Live.")
• Determining one's emotional state relative to food, eating habits/content, weight, self-driven compliance with goals; feeling safe, happy or “strong and determined,” based on whether adequate exercise has been completed or not or whether the eating has been positive or determined to be "clean." (vs. dirty?) Happiness is assessed relative to weight, body size, exercise compliance, self-driven food plan and nutritional intake compliance.
• Diet pills or other quackery and gimmick-concoctions semi-regularly, in an effort to drop weight or maintain weight.
• Model/fashion industry-Being a model or similar/working in the fashion industry, the fitness or health industry or mental health industry/intermittent or inconsistent or over-reliance or over-involvement in and on 12-Step Communities (leading to sometimes rigid adherence other times combative avoidance/hypocrisy this is the only way vs this doesn't work at all/diminishing personal responsibility.) Higher risk associated if these conditions concurrently apply.
• Semi-regular or regular deliberate attempts to lose weight. This cycle results in periodic weight fluctuations, often backfiring as weight-gain, as the efforts generally are not long-lasting. This becomes similar to a lower level binge-purge like cycle, (but not consistent with Bulimia that customarily involves ritualistic cyclical a more immense binge-purge/self-vomiting cycles.)
• Statistics-Abnormal, over-obsession with personal measurements and indicators relative to weight, body mass index, body fat percentage, how many calories consumed, how many calories burned. There is over-concern about being too heavy, being fat or maybe becoming fat or overeating. Preoccupation with what foods are eaten relative to weight and body image.

These various identified traits are what I refer to as Eating Disorder Behavior, which is similar to the connotation discussed on the Chemical Dependency Page that refers to “Alcoholic Behavior.” Eating Disorder Behavior describes the various behavior traits and thought processes that we see projected, displayed or "acted-out" with those suffering from eating disorders and EDRC.

For example, a compulsive over-eater could potentially also be diagnosed with Bulimia Nervosa if they are engaging in a prominent chronic binge-purge cycle. Anorexics and Bulimics are known to be obsessed with eating/nutrition, diets, scales, food plans, weight etc. However, a person who has not been officially diagnosed with either Bulimia or Anorexia but still engages in an over-focus of the eating disorder behaviors could very likely still be in a potentially serious situation of EDRC.

A fashion model that works in the fashion industry may feel forced to be meticulous about weight management and body image, given that selling their physicality is what they are doing for their career. Some models are plagued with Bulimia or Anorexia, others will be lucky to have a more healthy relationship with their body and their nutritional intake and overall self-care. But there will be still other models who will be more on the EDRC range of eating disorders because of the over-focus on aesthetics with or without also meeting the criteria for Anorexia or Bulimia.

Those suffering with Eating Disorder Related Complex may frequently find themselves “always on a diet” of some kind. They experience frequent somewhat deliberate fluctuations in their body weight. The erratic nature of weight maintenance is also associated with EDRC. Any person might have some tendency to overeat occasionally and may put on weight over the years; they may try to eat healthier or exercise sometimes more than others. But those who don’t have heavily disordered eating and or EDRC, actually lack the eating disorder thought processes and behaviors. They don’t think and act like a person with disordered eating. Some people who are overweight, over-fat, or considered "heavy," may just be your average unfit and or ignorant American, who doesn’t prioritize their healthy weight management, proper nutrition and maintaining adequate activity levels.

It is common that when the term “eating disorder” is mentioned, what may come to mind, if anything at all, is typically one of three terms or concepts. Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity/Compulsive Overeating. This may include images of an anorexic female or a very large/morbidly obese person. They may have heard about “eating disorders” in the media/TV/film etc or have some brief knowledge from some other educational source. Other cases may include personal or relatively personal experience.

Eating Disorders such as Anorexia Nervosa or Bulimia Nervosa are described in detail as per The American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic Statistical Manual’s Fifth Edition  (DSM-5 ) definitions grouped together under the heading of "Feeding and Eating Disorders."

There are several other diagnoses identified from a clinical standpoint titled: “Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder” and "Unspecified Feeding or Eating Disorder." There is also Binge Eating Disorder, which is similar to Bulimia, minus the purging episodes. There are other related diagnoses such as “Body Dysmorphic Disorder,” referred to by some as “Body Image Disorder,” (which is not technically what it is called and is not exactly the same thing.) Body Dysmorphia is grouped with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder; it is related but can also be quite different.

There are varying opinions in the professional literature by a small number of eating disorder specialists and self-proclaimed specialists. Some contend that eating disorders, especially compulsive overeating is a product of a core addiction to food and certain foods or chemical in foods like simple sugar or flour, for example. There are related personality traits, characteristics, behaviors and factors have been linked to eating disorders, such as perfectionism, inadequate self-esteem, abuse and trauma history and anxiety. Insecurity, social anxiety and depression are also commonly associated with the realm of eating disorders, as well as Obesity and other associated health or physical consequences of disordered eating.

The DSM-5 and much of the literature and general information and knowledge fails to completely address the phenomenon that the term “eating disorder" refers to. Eating Disorders and EDRC can be thought of in a similar fashion to that of other addictions like drug and alcohol addiction, however, it is actually quite a much more broad term of reference. Eating disorder originally referred to “disordered eating,” with the main associated severe variations to be that of Anorexia Nervosa, (self-starvation/restriction,) or Bulimia Nervosa (binging and purging, usually from self-induced vomiting or similar laxative abuse of over-exercising.)