A 22-year-old student with a history of stress-related eating behaviors presents with amenorrhea. What eating disorder is she likely exhibiting?

The scenario describes a 22-year-old student with a history of stress-related eating behaviors who presents with amenorrhea, which is the absence of menstruation. This symptom is commonly associated with eating disorders, particularly those involving significant weight loss or malnutrition.

Bulimia nervosa is characterized by episodes of binge eating followed by compensatory behaviors such as purging (vomiting, excessive exercise, or misuse of laxatives) to prevent weight gain. The significant fluctuation in body weight and the stress-related nature of her eating behaviors indicate that she may be engaging in these binge-purge cycles, leading to amenorrhea as a consequence of her eating disorder.

In contrast, anorexia nervosa typically presents with a more sustained pattern of restrictive eating, leading to notable weight loss and amenorrhea as a consequence of a significantly low body mass index. While binge eating disorder is characterized by recurrent episodes of binge eating without compensatory behaviors, it usually does not lead to amenorrhea. Exercise bulimia revolves around excessive exercise as a means to compensate for binge eating and is less commonly associated with amenorrhea unless coupled with significant weight loss.

Therefore, given the information provided about her eating behaviors and the symptom of amenorrhea, it is most likely