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Recognising an eating disorder
If you're worried that you or a friend might have an eating disorder then look for some the following signs.
If someone you know has these symptoms then let them know you’re worried, be supportive, don’t judge them and contact BodyWhys for advice on how to help them.
- The signs are different for every individual person and for the different types of eating disorders.
- Someone with an eating disorder might show some of these signs or hide them from everyone.
- With anorexia there can be a lot of weight loss, maybe 15% or 20% below what’s normal. With bulimia and comfort eating you might notice that they suddenly lose or put on a lot of weight.
- Always claiming not to be hungry, even if you’ve noticed that they haven’t eaten all day.
- Exercising too much. Not having time for other pastimes because exercising takes up all their free time.
- Obsessing about food, about how many calories are in different things or about how much they eat.
- Cutting food into little pieces and playing with food instead of eating it.
- Wearing baggy or oversized clothes that hide their body.
- Worrying a lot about being fat or feeling fat. Constantly feeling the need to be thin and going on severe diets.
- Insomnia, headaches, depression or constipation.
- Making excuses to go to the bathroom just after eating. If someone admits that they make themselves vomit after eating, help them realise that they have an eating disorder.
- Eating large amounts of food without putting on weight.
- Hiding food or food disappearing with no explanation.
- Spending a lot of money on food or shoplifting food.
- Using laxatives or diuretics as a way to stay slim.
- They might faint sometimes, bruise easily, be very pale or often be cold (these could all mean they are undernourished or underweight).
- Losing interest or withdrawing from social life or friends.
If someone you know has these symptoms then let them know you’re worried, be supportive, don’t judge them and contact BodyWhys for advice on how to help them.
