Eating Disorder Help

There is a long list of warning signs of eating disorders. This article looks at the individual warning signs for each type of eating disorder. If you are worried that a loved one may have an eating disorder, read more to learn what signs to look for.

Some signs of eating disorders are general, while some are specific to a particular eating disorder. The signs that you may be able to see will be greatly affected by your relationship with the person about whom you are concerned. If it is a roommate or a family member who lives in the same house with you, your glimpse of the person’s life will be fuller than if it is a neighbor, schoolmate, or colleague.

General

These are general signs that apply to many or most eating disorders:

• A marked change in the person’s ranking on the weight/height growth curve.
• Choosing to eat alone.
• Comments reflecting negative body image.
• Anxiety or depression.
• Any extremes with regard to food and exercise.

The following are signs of the disorder itself, not of the complications that may accompany the eating disorders:

Anorexia Nervosa

These symptoms can come about when the body has insufficient nourishment:

• Secrecy about eating or strange eating habits involving restrictions or amounts.
• Obsessive behavior related to weight and/or appearance. involving food, scales, or mirrors.
• A woman who has begun to menstruate missing her period.
• Large weight loss or appearance of being seriously underweight.
• Irritability, moodiness, and difficulty interacting.
• Decreased ability to attend and concentrate.
• Fatigue and lethargy.
• Noticeably low body temperature, to the point that hands and feet may turn blue.
• Dry skin.
• Easy bruising.
• Hair growth on body and limbs (lanugo), but hair loss on scalp.
• Hyperactivity.

Binge Eating Disorder (BED)

These symptoms can come about when the body is over-nourished:

• Secrecy about eating.
• Hiding food.
• Rapid eating.
• Weight gain.
• Eating shortly after finishing a complete meal.
• Very large portions.

Bulimia Nervosa

Bulimics present a combination of signs: those of the binger and those from the chosen method of offsetting the large amount of caloric intake:

• Eating uncontrollably.
• Frequent bathroom use immediately after meals.
• Vomiting and effects of vomiting such as swelling in the cheeks, jaw, or neck glands, and broken blood vessels in the eyes.
• Compulsive or excessive exercising.
• Obsessive behavior relating to food.
• Tooth decay and other dental issues including bad breath.
• Moody behavior.
• A woman who has begun to menstruate missing her period.
• Fatigue and weakness.
• Missed appointments, dates, etc.
• Headaches.
• Easy bruising.
• Heartburn.

Pica

The main warning sign of pica is finding someone ingesting something that is not food. Secondarily, one may find decreased appetite at meals as a result. Other symptoms, including very dangerous ones, may arise, depending on exactly what substance(s) are ingested.

Rumination Disorder

Regurgitation of food is responsible for the following symptoms:

• Regurgitation itself.
• Rechewing food.
• Dental hygiene issues, including tooth decay and bad breath.
• Stomach aches and/or indigestion.
• Rawness and chapping of the lips.

Sources

medicinenet.com

usc.edu

webmd.com