Signs of Eating Disorders
Signs of eating disorders are many, but here are some of the signs and symptoms to look out for that may suggest someone has, or is on the verge of developing, an eating disorder:
- Obsession with body weight / being overweight
- Only eating certain types of food
- Picking at food
- Use of the bathroom immediately after eating
- Making excuses not to eat at meal times
- Rapid fluctuations in weight (weight loss or weight gain)
- Mood swings
- Excessive use of exercise
If eating disorder symptoms are recognised in the early stages of the disease, help can be sought more quickly making a successful recovery more likely.
Signs of Anorexia Nervosa - There are many symptoms of anorexia nervosa, the most obvious of which is a very low body weight resulting from an intense desire to be thin.
Crash Diets - Crash dieting, fasting, or living on tiny amounts of food in order to lose weight, is not a practice recommended by medical doctors.
Signs of Bulimia Nervosa - Bulimia nervosa is characterised by frequent binge eating and purging along with other physical, psychological and behavioural symptoms.
Signs of Binge Eating Disorder - Binge eating disorder is characterised by frequent episodes of binge eating in which unusually large amounts of food are eaten.
Body Mass Index - Body mass index (BMI) is a statistical measure to determine the amount of body fat, involving a calculation based on weight and height.
Body Mass Index Calculator - Calculate your body mass index with our body mass index calculator.
Body Mass Index Limitations - While body mass index may be a useful tool in monitoring someone's health status, it has its limitations.
Binge Eating - Binge eating is not the same thing as eating too much every once in a while (as most people with normal eating patterns do). It is distressing for those who do it, regardless of how often they find themselves in the grip of a binge eating episode.
Purging - Purging is when an individual tries to rid him or herself of food they have eaten by using inappropriate methods such as self-induced vomiting, abusing laxatives, diuretics, or enemas. Purging is not an effective way to lose weight, and the health effects can be very serious.
Chewing and Spitting - Chewing and Spitting literally involves chewing food, enjoying the taste of it, and spitting it out instead of swallowing it.
Compulsive Exercise - Compulsive exercise is also known as obligatory exercise, excessive exercise, exercise addiction and anorexia athletica, and it describes a compulsion to exercise for longer and more vigorously than what is considered ‘normal’.