With the help of the following eating disorder signs, you may be able to spot whether you or a loved one have a problem. Eating disorders are fairly manageable and treatable mental illnesses and the sooner you catch on to the signs and get help the more likely you are to make a full recovery!
Coming to terms with the fact that you or a loved one may be struggling with an eating disorder is a hard process. Understanding the struggle in today’s society with all the stigmas, misconceptions, and glamorization of eating disorders and diet culture can be confusing.
As an individual who has struggled with numerous eating disorders throughout my life, I will be sharing some of the most common and overlooked eating disorder signs I have come across with.
This post will cover a wide range of eating disorder signs associated with both restrictive and non-restrictive eating disorders. The eating disorder symptoms ahead may be associated with bulimia, anorexia, binge eating disorder, AFRID, orthorexia, EDNOS, and more.
After reading the following symptoms you will have a much better understanding of eating disorders in general. You probably will have an easier time identifying you or a loved one who is struggling with an eating disorder.
Please take note that eating disorders affect people differently and not all people struggling with eating disorders will portray the following signs. I am not a mental health professional and am writing solely from my personal experience and research.
This post is all about eating disorder signs that you should beware of.
Before getting into some different eating disorder signs make sure you have a decent understanding of what an eating disorder is.
Eating Disorder Signs
1. Weight fluctuations-
Although eating disorders are mental illnesses they often have physical consequences. A common example of this is a change in the person’s weight in a short period. This could be both weight gain or weight loss.
The reason for the change in one’s weight may vary. Often an eating disorder causes food restriction or binge eating which can lead to a significant shift in weight.
This qualifies nevertheless if the person is overweight, underweight, or somewhere in the middle.
There are cases in which eating disorders don’t cause a significant or any shift at all in one’s weight, which doesn’t make the disorder any less valid.
2. Avoiding Eating Around Other People-
A common eating disorder symptom among those who struggle with both restrictive and non-restrictive eating disorders is feeling uncomfortable eating around others.
Many times people with eating disorders also struggle with some form of anxiety disorder. Sometimes the combination can cause fear of being judged for how and what they eat.
Frequently people with eating disorders also crave a sense of “control” and “order” surrounding food. This can be in how much, what, and in what way they eat. Some fear having other people around may disturb their sequence.
On top of that many people with eating disorders commonly feel shame and guilt around eating. They feel undeserving of food and fear that others will view them in the same way. So they avoid eating in social situations or around people altogether.
3. Food Rules-
As mentioned above a major eating disorder sign is having certain ”rules” and “rituals” surrounding food.
This can come into play in many different ways. Such as having certain times in which the person is allowed or not allowed to consume food. Or banning and allowing only specific food groups while eating in a specific manner.
Having “food rules” may begin as something innocent. Often is a pre-eating disorder sign that only gets worse with time.
You may be thinking “many people who diet can fall into the ‘food rules’ category”. While this is true there is one major difference between a regular dieter and a person who is struggling with an ED in this context and that is-OBSESSION.
A person with an eating disorder will normally not be willing to take a step back from these rules. They will usually not adjust themselves in circumstances when needed.
4. Socializing LESS-
Eating Disorders can be very time-consuming. They can take over your life to the point where you stop doing and enjoying activities you once loved.
The obsession around your eating disorder doesn’t leave much time to think about or do anything else. Frequently your life begins to revolve around your disorder and everything else becomes insignificant.
An eating disorder can both mentally and physically exhaust you. This can bring you to the point where you don’t have the energy to socialize.
5. Guilt after eating-
This eating disorder sign is a major giveaway that someone might be struggling with. The symptom involves immense feelings of guilt and regret after consuming food.
These feelings of regret may also come with shame and disgust. Whether one struggles with binging behaviors or restrictive eating is irrelevant to these feelings.
After a binge one may feel regret or disgust while being reminded of the occurrence. But these feelings may also occur amongst those who struggle with restrictive eating disorders. Even after eating a “healthy” or “fitting” amount of food.
People with eating disorders may have a black and white way of thinking when it comes to food. They might view certain foods as “good” or “bad” foods and frequently feel guilty for eating specific foods.
Some also believe they are unworthy of food because of their weight/the way their body looks or the types and amounts of food they consumed prior.
6. Distorted body image-
Distorted body image is an unrealistic view of how an individual views their body. Amongst people who struggle with eating disorders distorted body image is common. Many people with eating disorders correlate the way their body looks to their self-worth.
Distorted body image can result in over-evaluation of body weight and shape. This is most common in those who struggle with anorexia or bulimia.
Distorted body image can come in a range of different severities. On the one hand, some who struggle truly believe that their body is extremely different than it truly is. On the other hand, some might just see themselves slightly incorrectly.
7. Compulsive OR OBSESSIVE exercising-
An eating disorder sign which some people with eating disorders struggle with is compulsive exercising. Although some people truly enjoy exercising the key to know when one is overdoing it or it may be becoming disordered is as mentioned before-OBSESSION.
When exercising from a disordered place one won’t modify their exercising schedule when the circumstances call for it.
Some examples of this are:
- exercising in extreme weather
- exercising while injured or sick
- extreme stress when exercising isn’t possible when planned
Another way in which people with eating disorders may use exercise is as a “purging” form after eating. Some eating disorder behaviors include using exercise as a way to burn off calories after binging or in general out of the belief that food is earned and not deserved.
8. Food controls you-
Many times eating disorders evolve out of a feeling of lack of control in one’s life so they turn to food as a coping mechanism and a way to “gain back” control.
This need for control often spirals out of place and gets to the point where the food controls you and not the other way around. You make decisions and base your worth off of food.
This may also come into play when a person begins deciding whether or not to go to a certain place because of the food that will be served. Or when you feel that you are worthy or unworthy of wearing certain clothes or going to places based on what or how much you eat.
Another disordered habit is not allowing yourself around certain foods because you fear that it will trigger a binge.
Food becomes the main factor in decision-making and day-to-day life in general.
9. Cooking meals for others without eating from them-
This eating disorder symptom is common especially amongst those with restrictive eating disorders. As mentioned before many people’s eating disorders stem from a need for control.
Some people gain a feeling of control and superiority when serving others predominantly high-calorie foods without giving in to the temptation.
Moreover, people that have eating disorders are likely obsessed with food. When it comes to restrictive eating disorders many times you spend hours watching, smelling, touching, and thinking about food but not eating it.
Baking or cooking can give space for this internal obsession externally. Being around food in some way gives a sense of comfort.
Some also do this to make it look like they have a healthy relationship with food. People will normally assume that a person that spends time cooking and baking must also be eating from the food.
We’ve noticed that a relative of ours has suddenly started being very dodgy around family dinners. They’ve also been losing weight at a dramatic rate recently, so this might be exactly what you meant about how food has been controlling their behavior. I’ll get all of us to talk to them about this so we can look for an eating disorder therapist they can talk to.