For Your Ed-formation...

Here are some terms that are commonly used when talking about eating disorders:

Anorexia Nervosa- A life threatening disease that involves the act of self- starvation and rapid weight loss to the point of a BMI of 17 or below. Often is accompanied by other mental or emotional disturbances.

Ana- Common slang for Anorexia.

Amenorrhea- The absence of at least three consecutive menstrual cycles.

Anxiety- A persistant and uncontrolable feeling of dread, obsessive worrying and fear of an unoccured disaster. There are several types of anxiety disorders, including: panic disorder, agoraphobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, social anxiety.

B&P- Common slang for binging and purging. 

Bulimia Nervosa- A disorder defined in the DSM-IV-R in which a patient binges on food an average of twice weekly in a three-month time period. Followed by an obsessive action in order to prevent weight gain. This behavior may include excessive exercise, vomiting, or the misuse of laxatives or diuretics.

Bulimarexia- A term used to describe individuals who engage alternately in bulimic behavior and anorexic behavior.

Binging- Consuming a very large amount of food in a short period of time. This in it's self is an eating disorder.

BMI (Body Mass Index)- A formula used to calculate the ratio of a person’s weight to height.

Cure - When the diagnosed disease is permenatly gone. Not to be confused with remission.

DSM-IV Diagnostic Criteria- A list of symptoms in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders IV published by APA. The criteria listed describe the characteristics of  mental diseases and disorders listed in the manual. For a particular mental disorder to be diagnosed , the suspected individual must show the symptoms listed in the criteria for that disorder. This criteria being met is the difference between being clinicly diagnosed and un-officially diagnosed.

Ed-Nos (Eating Disorder Not otherwise Specified)- A type of dis-ordered eating that does not fall into the listed DSM-IV Diagnostic Criteria. This does not mean it is any less life threatning and still needs to be professionaly adressed.

ED- Slang for Eating Disorder

Electrolyte Imbalance-  This occurs when specific nutrients, most commonly potassium and/or sodium are at an abnomal level. 

Emetic- Drugs, often prescription, that induce the act of intentional vomiting.  A common example would be ipecac. These can be very dangerous and cause other serious physical conditions such as heart palpitations.

Hematemesis - The vomiting of blood. Occuring most commonly when there has been serious erosion of the esophagus due to excessive vomiting. 

Hypoglycemia-  An abnormally low level of glucose (sugar) in the blood. Common in Anorexics.

Mia- Common slang for Bulimia.

Purging- This refers to the act of removing food from the body in an unatural way. Vomiting, laxatives, diuretics or excessive exercise. This is something that Bulimics are dependant on.

Orthorexia Nervosa- An eating disorder in which a person obsesses about eating only "pure" and healthy food to such an extent that it interferes with the person’s life. This disorder is not a diagnosis listed in the DSM-IV.

Remission- The time period in which symptoms of the disease are absent.

Thinspiration- Poems, songs, pictures or other type of material that induces and encourages the act of losing weight- often specifically with the idea of Eating Disorders in mind.

Trigger- An event or an action that when occurs causes a patient in recovery to possibly relaps. (such as when a recovering Anorexic is surrounded by others who are consumed in their weight)

Credit for the above terms.

For a more comprehensive list of terms associated with eating disorders, visit this site.