Health and Wellbeing
Overview of Eating Disorders/Eating Difficulties
Anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, OSFED and ARFID each look different, and knowing how helps you notice a young person who needs help early.
- 30 minutes
- 1 module
- 0.5 CPD hours
- Certificate
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14 days free, then £70 a year or £7 a month.
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If you need help now
- If someone is in danger, call 999.
- For urgent mental health help, call NHS 111.
- Samaritans: call 116 123, any time.
- Shout: text SHOUT to 85258.
- Childline (for children and young people): 0800 1111.
- Papyrus HOPELINEUK (suicide, under 35s): 0800 068 4141.
What you'll learn
- Describe anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, OSFED and ARFID in plain terms
- Tell bulimia and binge eating disorder apart
- Recognise that someone with anorexia may not look underweight
- Understand which mental health conditions often come alongside an eating disorder
- Explain why early intervention gives the best chance of recovery
About this course
An eating disorder isn't always about weight or looks. A child who'll only eat a handful of 'safe' foods after a choking scare may have ARFID, and a young person with anorexia can be a perfectly ordinary weight. Boys are affected too. Anyone who doesn't match the usual picture can go unnoticed for far too long.
You'll get clear definitions of the five main eating disorders, including the difference between bulimia and binge eating disorder that trips so many people up. You'll also see how often eating disorders come alongside depression, anxiety, OCD and self-harm, so you know the wider picture you might be dealing with.
Timing makes a big difference. In one study, people with bulimia treated within five years of it starting had a recovery rate of 80%, against about 20% for those who waited 15 years.
- For early career teachers, middle leaders and 4 other roles. Secondary.
1 module
- 30 min
Overview of Eating Disorders/Eating Disorders

