Eating Disorders Check List
If you have one or more of the following symptoms, you may be at risk of having an eating disorder. Please call 1-800-711-2062 for help.
Anorexia Nervosa
- Dramatic weight loss that takes place in a short period of time
- Has dry and thinning hair
- Has fine hairs, known as lanugo, growing from other parts of the body
- May wear loose, baggy, clothing to hide weight loss
- Frequently complains of being cold due to severe decrease of body fat; may have a lower body temperature (hypothermia) as a result
- An unhealthy obsession with calories and fat content of food
- May be unusually interested in recipes and/or cooking; may cook elaborate dinners for others but not eat it themselves
- May weigh and check calorie content of food frequently
- Phobic of gaining weight or becoming overweight
- Purges using laxatives, diet pills, ipecac syrup, or water pills; may engage in self-induced vomiting; may run to the bathroom after eating in order to vomit and quickly get rid of the food (a clogged toilet may be caused by frequent purging)
- Scarred knuckles from fingers scraping up against teeth when inducing vomiting (this is known as "Russell’s Sign")
- Dieting despite already being thin, or even dangerously underweight
- Engaging in frequent, strenuous exercise
- Perceiving self to be overweight despite being told repeatedly by others that they are thin
- Ritualistically cuts food into very small pieces, refuses to eat around others, or throws away or hides or food
- Becomes moody and depressed
- Becomes dizzy frequently due to lack of nutrients
Bulimia
- Chronic gastric reflux after eating
- Frequent vomiting
- Dehydration and low potassium
- Inflammation of the esophagus
- Lacerations to the lining of the throat and/or mouth caused by repetitive insertion of fingers or other objects
- Swollen cheeks caused by enlarged salivary glands
- Scarred knuckles from fingers scraping up against teeth (Russell’s Sign)
- Severe tooth decay
- Tooth enamel erosion, known as "perimolysis"
- Frequent bathroom visits after eating
- Electrolyte imbalance, which can lead to cardiac arrhythmia, cardiac arrest, and even death
- Food stored in the stomach for extended periods of time (known as "gastroparesis")
- Constipation
- Constant weight fluctuations
- Swollen fingers
