Eating Disorder Warning Signs

Eating Disorders are not always easy to spot. However, from our longtime work with eating disorder cases, we have collected a number of warning signs that indicate the presence of an eating disorder. Here are 7 indicators that may help determine if you or someone you love might have a problem that requires treatment:

1. Drastic Change in Eating Habits

When people develop an eating disorder, they cannot help the fact that their eating behaviors will be abnormal. If someone suddenly has aversions to food they once loved, it can be a red flag. This is especially true of foods high in fat, calories, oils, etc.

They will rarely or never eat with others, always finding some excuse for not eating - they aren’t really hungry, they feel sick, or maybe they just ate - the list goes on. Look for use or over-use of laxatives or other products that help with weight loss. For those seeking recovery for a loved one, eating disorder treatment is available.

2. Bad Body Image (the way they view themselves)

Body image is the way one perceives others to view them. Having bad body image brings on waves of self-doubt in a person’s appearance, and therefore can cause her to constantly try losing weight.

When somebody is developing an eating disorder, or already has one, she can become preoccupied with food and appearance. A common cover-up for extra weight, or an extreme loss of weight, is to wear baggy clothes. She will often spend a lot of time in front of a mirror or obsessing over everything that is wrong with her body. Key places she is likely to mention frequently are her stomach, thighs, and buttocks. Poor self-image is often a clue in those with eating disorders.

3. Excessive Exercise

Compulsive exercising is another clue to watch for, especially in somebody who does not have a history of having an exercise regimen. Often, this schedule will be overly harsh. Those with an eating disorder frequently cannot recover without the help of an eating disorder residential center. Because of an unhealthy diet, they tire easily. The exercise wears them down and it is only through will power that they can keep up. Over time, their performance in these routines usually worsens, but they refuse to change their excessive exercise habits.

4. Irrational Thoughts and Beliefs

Eating disorders are psychological as well as physical. Even people with above-average intelligence are affected by it in their rationale and logic. Overly simple thinking and reasoning may generate comments like "being skinny will make me feel better about myself."

Obsessing over thinness and thin people is a huge sign. They will often point out the thin people around them and express their envy.

Another belief often held by people with an eating disorder is that they do not deserve to enjoy their food. They eat foods they don’t like and either do not eat enough or eat too much. This behavior may be brought on by an extreme self-hatred that should be dealt with in therapy. Such therapies are offered here at Sovereign Health of California.

5. Emotional and Psychological Changes

Denying their own feelings is another common trait in people suffering from an eating disorder. They have trouble discussing the way they feel about something. Dismissing emotions such as anger with excuses like being tired or stressed conveniently avoids dealing with the issue at hand.

Mood swings are also not uncommon. Even low-key interactions can trigger strong emotions and possibly tantrums or withdrawal. This may be because they feel inadequate, depressed, anxious, and/or lonely. Overwhelming emptiness, hopelessness and despair make it difficult to function at a normal level of interaction.

6. Self-injury and/or Self-harm

Eating disorders are often influenced by indirectly related traumatic past experiences such as sexual abuse. Trauma therapy and eating disorder treatment is often helpful for those experiencing the painful side-effects of abuse. The feelings induced by the eating disorder in combination with other life trauma often pushes people to injure themselves as a way to distract themselves from their emotional pain.

Self injury includes cutting or burning flesh, banging or slapping against other objects and swallowing foreign objects. These activities bring a sense of escape while they last, but soon after, the tension mounts again.

Self injury does not mean that a person is suicidal or just seeking attention. Self injury should be addressed professionally and early, especially because self injury can quickly and inadvertently lead to a medical crisis. Trauma treatment is often a necessary step toward recovery in those who self-injure.

7. Change in Social Behavior

People with eating disorders often have a people-pleasing type personality. When making everyone else happy is not an option, they tend to withdraw in whatever way they can at the time. Conversely, they will also become controlling in the area of food and dining choices when it comes to close friends and family. These behaviors can turn into unhealthy obsessions.

They tend to present an extreme of either being needy and dependent or very independent and rejecting of help. Their relationships tend to be one-sided or superficial. Because of the imbalanced rationality in their thinking, they are more likely to make regrettable choices about their sex lives, cash flow, stealing and lying, making commitments, career paths and practically everything that will have a major impact on their future.

Eating Disorder Symptoms

The following are behaviors that are characteristic of the major eating disorders along with information about the medical complications that often result. Keep in mind that not all patterns have to be present, and that the individual may shift from one set of patterns to another over time, (e.g. develop bulimia after a period of anorexia) or demonstrate a combination.

Anorexia (Anorexia Nervosa)

• Obvious loss in body weight (15% or more below average weight for height/age).
• A preoccupation with being thin, while at the same time insisting that he/she is "fat."
• Denial of hunger, and avoiding eating meals in the presence of others.
• Obsession with nutritional values so that fats and carbohydrates can be avoided.
• Unusual food rituals—e.g. cutting tiny bites, eating foods in particular order, etc.

Anorexia can result in: Osteoporosis, infertility, organ failure (especially of the heart, kidneys). At its extreme it can be fatal.

Bulimia

No weight qualifications—may be average or overweight.