An eating disorder is a condition where someone experiences anxiety or stress about their body shape or hunger. This can be due to media influence, genetics, or personal issues like body image that contribute to it.
People with eating disorders often feel very pressured about food. They may spend lots of time thinking about what they should eat and not eat, and then later try to go back into a healthy diet position.
Some symptoms include:
Drinking too much sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption – water is also included in this category
Thin clothing shopping and buying new clothes that are size smaller than normal for them
Going without food or going hungry frequently
Truancy or missing classes because of lack of appetite or nausea from eating too much
Inability to sleep due to worries about whether or not you ate enough
Making efforts to avoid foods that are part of the regular diet
These behaviors typically occur over a period of months, if not years. It is important to note that there is no clear definition for what constitutes as an eating disorder. Some people describe themselves as having an eating problem or suffering from disordered eating.
There is some disagreement among professionals on how to classify someone who has limiting dietary habits but does not meet diagnostic criteria for another mental health issue.
Obsessive eating
Another indicator is when someone becomes obsessed with food. This can be through frequent meal-eating, excessive calorie intake or craving specific foods.
Many people enjoy food, but some develop an obsession to eat more than others. Having an appetite is healthy, so it’s not necessarily a sign of a problem unless you are constantly hungry or taking longer than usual to feel full.
If this applies to you, see if you can identify what may be causing your anxiety and get help for that.
It could be stressors at work or in your personal life, relationship issues or health problems such as depression or diabetes.
By being aware of these signs, you will be able to take steps to prevent an illness from developing into something much worse.
Binge eating
Many people enjoy food, but not everyone likes to eat very much of it. For some individuals, though, this changes when they feel stressed or uncomfortable.
When you experience stress, your body starts to release hormones such as cortisol that help make you feel relaxed.
However, if you have an eating disorder, these hormones can influence how you perceive and interact with food.
They may also affect how quickly you lose weight because your body doesn’t want to waste calories by digestion and metabolism.
Instead, it is saving those resources for later so it can use them to cope with the stress.
Some examples of symptoms include:
Having more than normal appetite – even after eating enough to satisfy your hunger
Thinking about food constantly, including wishing you could get through more of it or wanting to be hungry
Keeping track of what you ate in detail (for example, using calorie counting apps) and maybe even writing down what you ate
Bingeing or over-eating sometimes without feeling full first
Withdrawal behaviors, where eating is avoided due to thoughts of getting sick from not feeding yourself
Using laxatives or vomiting to remove excess food from your system
If you are concerned that someone you know might have an eating disorder, here are three things to watch out for.
It is never too late to do something about it, and most cases are treatable.
Avoiding exercise
Another way to identify if someone has an eating disorder is by looking for them to avoid or be reluctant to do exercises. This could include doing yoga, taking a more leisurely stroll outside, swimming, using the treadmill at the gym, or even just going to bed without first exercising.
If you notice people showing these signs of having an eating disorder, it is important to speak with them about their habits to see if they are ever symptomatic or in remission. It may also help to watch for changes in how they dress for self-confidence, whether or not they overcompensate with diet and exercise.
People with eating disorders will often try to conceal their symptoms by acting healthy.
Concerns about weight and shape
People with eating disorders often feel uncomfortable in their own skin due to concerns about their body size. This is sometimes accompanied by feelings of self-loathing and fear of looking in the mirror or talking to yourself beli…
Everyone has different shapes they like, and people who love you should never make comments about your appearance. But when it comes to potential signs that someone may have an eating disorder, things can get a little more complicated.
Thin idealization is when someone appreciates your thin frame but at the same time feels insecure about their own bodies. Thin idealists might complain about how “too skinny” you are, and maybe even suggest that you need to eat more to feel better.
Obesity idealism is when people admire overweight individuals and develop internalized negative attitudes towards leaners. They may compare themselves unfavorably to others whose features seem perfect.
Compensatory dieting is when individuals engage in excessive exercise or calorie limiting practices as a way to counteract their eating habits.
Not eating enough
A person with an eating disorder may not eat as much as usual, or they may even refuse to eat.
This could be because they are worried about what they will put in the food or whether it is good for them, or because of time constraints – they do not have enough time to prepare food so they skip meals, or they choose quick-meals over home-cooked foods.
Alternatively, some people with an eating disorder don’t feel hungry, which can sometimes be a symptom of their condition.
Whatever the reason, when someone who should normally eat doesn’t consume enough food, this can cause health problems.
They might get very ill and end up being hospitalized if they do not find out why and where they are getting insufficient nutrition.
Furthermore, there may be weight loss without any obvious reason. This can make people think that you have lost interest in food, or that you like something else more than food. It can also mean that you fear you will gain weight so you avoid eating.
Not sleeping enough
Many people who have an eating disorder also suffer from poor sleep. They may spend hours trying to eat before going to bed, or they may wake up hungry every night.
There can be several reasons for this, including symptoms of the eating disorder like stress about food, body image issues and depression.
People with eating disorders often try to control their weight by engaging in very calorie-restricted diets, so they don’t feel comfortable eating unless they’ve spent the day thinking about food.
In addition, someone with anorexia nervosa will usually exercise for at least two hours each day, which uses lots of calories. So, they won’t feel sleepy until after that workout is done.
Drinking too much caffeine can also prevent you from getting good quality sleep, so make sure your coffee and tea habits are balanced.
Repetition of eating or exercise patterns
Another indicator is if someone consistently comments on their shape or how much they eat. If you are around them constantly, you may notice that they talk about food or weight frequently.
People with disordered eating develop special phrases and jargon to describe what they should be doing to take care of themselves and avoid diets.
They may use the word diet in place of ‘lifestyle change’ or use the term healthy instead of ‘diet’. They may refer to themselves as too busy to make changes to nutrition so they stop caring about healthful foods.
If you are concerned about someone you know might have an eating disorder, look for these signs.
Take action by asking whether anyone has been diagnosed with an eating disorder and whether there are warning signs.
Taking pills to lose weight
A much more serious warning sign is when someone becomes very concerned about their body shape or size. This person may start taking extra measures to try and influence how they look, such as starving themselves or using diet pills and supplements to aid this process.
There are many different types of pill you can find that claim to help with weight loss, but only few have been proven to work. Unfortunately, these diets often do not work for people with eating disorders, so it is important to be aware of this before trying one.
It is also important to remember that most drugs directly affect our hormones, which play a major role in shaping our bodies and how we feel. Therefore, if a person is suffering from emotional issues, then their hormones could be affected too. It is good to be aware of this so if something seems off-track, you can usually tell within minutes.
