Signs and Symptoms

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How can you recognize the onset of an eating disorder in someone you care about:

You may notice:

- Changes in your son or daughter’s eating habits.

- Avoidance of meals or overeating at meals.

- Withdrawal from friends or families.

- Agitation regarding questions about dysfunctional eating habits or weight gain/loss.

- Increased preoccupation with appearance.

Signs and Symptoms (behavioral, emotional, psychological)

Anorexia Signs & Symptoms:

- Self-starvation with weight loss

- Intense fear of gaining weight

- Refusal to eat or eating only specific foods

- Distortion of Body Image / preoccupation with body

- Continuous dieting / denial of hunger

- Frequently weighs themselves

- Compulsive exercise

- Absence of menstruation

- Sensitivity to cold

- Excessive facial/body hair and/or hair loss

- Food rituals

- Wearing baggy clothes to hide body shape

Some possible psychological signs

- Over-Achiever

- Perfectionism

- Low Self-Esteem

- Mood Swings

- Sleeping problems

- Self worth based on body

Bulimia Signs & Symptoms

- Preoccupation with Food

- Distortion of Body Image

- Food binges

- Eating in secret / hoarding food

- Being in the bathroom immediately after eating

- Running Water in the bathroom to hide sounds of vomiting

- Yo-yo dieting

- Self-induced vomiting

- Abuse of laxatives, diuretics, diet pills

- Compulsive exercise

- Weight fluctuations

- Damaged teeth and gums

- Abnormal bowel functions / flatulence/ constipation / bloating

- Scarring or calluses on the back of the hand or fingers

- Swollen salivary glands

- Broken blood vessels in the eyes

Some possible psychological signs

- Reacts to emotional stress by overeating

- Feelings of guilt and shame about eating

- Depressive moods or other negative emotions (shame/guilt/self-loathing)

- Self-worth based on body

- Over achiever / perfectionism