Most people feel uncomfortable when they eat more than they should, but this feeling is not limited to those with eating disorders. Some individuals seem to enjoy taking their food too seriously, setting high standards for themselves that are impossible to meet.
People with pre-existing eating disorders will often complain about how much they want to lose weight or how hungry they get, even though they have just eaten. They may also become obsessed with food and exercise, spending large amounts of time thinking about it and preparing for it.
When you add the pressure to look like everyone else, worry about whether you’re meeting your diet goals and fear what others might think if they noticed you were less conscious of food, then having an eating disorder can easily spiral out of control.
There is no single cause for developing an eating disorder, so while genetics play a role, environment makes a big difference too.
This includes things such as parental upbringing, experiences in childhood and adolescence, life events (such as moving house) and social pressures. All these factors work together to contribute to someone developing an eating disorder.
Compulsive eating
Another way to know you have an eating disorder is if you feel that you need to eat constantly or you feel hungry all the time, even when there’s no food in the house.
This could be due to your diet being poor or yourself going through nutritional withdrawal. If you notice you are starving yourself more than usual, it may be because you’re trying to make up for missing nutrients by overfeeding.
You can also become very thirsty after eating little – this is usually due to your body wanting water.
If you noticed that your weight has fluctuated a lot over the past week then this may indicate that you’re experiencing nutritional deprivation. You’ll probably find it hard to sleep at night as your mind keeps thinking about how much food you’ve got left to eat!
If you ever think that you don’t have enough money to feed yourself, remember that you can go out and buy some foods or ask family or friends to help you out.
Feelings of deprivation
Another way to identify if you have an eating disorder is by looking for feelings of hunger or appetite loss. It’s important to remember that most people feel hungry sometimes, even when they are not eating.
This is because our bodies regulate food intake depending on several factors: how much we eat, whether we exercise, and what we consume.
With an eating disorder, however, these habits are out of control. You may go days without eating anything at all, but when you do, it can be nothing but junk food that you don’t really like.
You may also find yourself eating very little, but being extremely conscious about what you put in your mouth – something which isn’t usually the case. Or maybe you just avoid eating altogether.
These behaviors typically occur with no external stressors- there is no job interview that makes you nervous, nor does someone invite you to lunch that you don’t want to attend.
Binge eating
A lot of people feel uncomfortable when they eat more than usual or even to enjoy food, but this behavior is not normal for the average person.
For someone with binge eating disorder (BED), it’s much easier to reach their limit because they don’t want to stop yet. They may also try to make themselves like how many times people talk about how healthy they are so they keep eating longer.
Some people call this kind of eating beyond your goal “binge” eating.
Both men and women can develop binge eating at any age, but it most often starts in adolescence.
There are several symptoms of binge eating. Some include:
Tearing through lots of food that you have prepared
Throwing away leftover food because you didn’t finish it
Drinking extra-large amounts of water to wash down the food
Becoming very thirsty or hungry later
Having trouble sleeping due to hunger
Feelings of guilt or remorse after binging
If you notice these symptoms in yourself, please see doctor immediately. Don’t worry, most doctors treat binge eating as a mental health condition and help patients get better.
Concerns of weight gain
Another indicator is if you are concerned about how much you eat or feel hungry frequently. This could be due to your body’s natural need for energy or because you’re trying to lose weight.
It’s important to note that most people worry from time to time, especially when they’re dieting. Dieters often feel hunger sometimes, but it’s very common to feel tired after eating as well.
Dieting can also make you feel stressed and anxious since you’re thinking about food all the time. These feelings may actually contribute to more appetite.
Some people develop eating disorders like binge-eating disorder in response to stress. In this case, you might consume too many calories too quickly with no regard for whether you’re full.
Concerns of weight loss
Another indicator is when you start to worry about how much you eat. This could be due to external factors like media messages telling you that you should consume less food, or internal reasons such as worries about being overweight.
You may also feel hungry even if you have enough food, which can make it hard to concentrate at school or work.
If you notice any of these symptoms, talk to your doctor, family member, or friend who can help you identify what is causing this.
It is important to remember that not every person with eating disorders are trying to lose weight. Only people with binge-eating disorder actually suffer from obesity.
Taking your health into account
Another way to know if you have an eating disorder is by looking at how you are taking care of yourself. If you notice that you are not exercising, limiting what foods you like, or spending more time in front of the television or computer screen than normal, it may be because you feel hungry and need something to eat.
You could also spend most of the day searching for food and/or snacks, which may make you feel tired and uncomfortable. It’s important to remember that we all need to eat, so this can sometimes seem unnatural.
If you think you might have an eating disorder, talk to your doctor about it. He or she can help you figure out what symptoms apply to you and get appropriate treatment.
Checking your body shape
A frequent way to check if you have an eating disorder is looking in the mirror and checking yourself out. But, how do you know if this is abnormal behavior for you?
It’s important to recognize that not every person who values their look looks constantly at themselves. In fact, most people don’t! Only about one in three women and one in five men spend more than ten minutes per day looking into a mirror.
If you find that things seem slightly off when it comes to your perception of your own beauty, then maybe you should think twice before indulging in such self-scrutiny.
However, there are some indications that show that something may be wrong with how you perceive your appearance. If you feel that your image does not agree with what you want it to say about you then chances are you might need help.
There are many ways to address eating disorders so no matter what kind you experience, go to the right source for help. Here are some signs that could indicate if you have an eating disorder.
Concerns of eating too much
A lot of people worry about how they look due to their shape or weight. It is normal to feel self-conscious about your body, but if these worries seem more serious than before, it may be concerning.
Concerns about how you look can be totally appropriate and natural. For example, as we get older, things like hunger, appetite, and food intake change for most people.
This is also true in situations where life changes occur such as having a baby or recovering from surgery.
However, when these changes are accompanied by comments about your size or shape, this can be concerning.
It’s important to remember that your looks will probably not matter much to anyone except yourself. And even then, only slightly – maybe enough to make you feel good about yourself, perhaps, but definitely not enough to make other people go out of their way to talk to you about it.
