Eating Disorders

Signs of an Eating Disorder

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 The following may be indicators of an eating disorder:

• Excessive weight loss or concern about weight
• Preoccupation with weight, food, calories, and dieting
• Dissatisfaction with body
• Ritualistic or obsessive eating behavior, food rituals
  (i.e. cutting food into extremely small bites, excessive chewing)
• Frequent comments about feeling “fat” despite weight loss
• Anxiety about gaining weight or being “fat”
• Consistent excuses to avoid mealtimes or situations involving food
• Disappearance of large quantities of food in short periods of time
• Evidence of purging behaviors, including frequent trips to the bathroom immediately after eating, use of diuretics or laxatives
• Refusing to eat in public
• Excessive exercising, the need to burn off calories taken in
• Fainting
• Irregular or cessation in menstrual periods
• Low heart rate or blood pressure
• Low body temperature
• Withdrawal from usual friends and activities