Purging disorder (PD) is one of several “Other Specified Feeding and Eating Disorders” described in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5). PD is characterized by recurrent episodes of purging (self-induced vomiting, laxative or diuretic abuse) after consumption of normal or small amounts of food. Individuals with PD experience intense fear of gaining weight or base their self-worth primarily on weight or shape. Unlike individuals with anorexia nervosa, individuals with PD are not underweight. Although people with PD may experience a loss of control over their eating, they do not have binge episodes involving large amounts of food, which occur in bulimia nervosa and in binge eating disorder. This entry focuses on the prevalence and demographic features of ...