Signs and Symptoms of Eating Disorder
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Common Symptoms
Each eating disorder has its own specific set of effects and symptoms that doctors and mental health professionals take into account when making a diagnosis and deciding on treatment for eating disorders. However, some general symptoms can indicate that a person may be struggling with an eating disorder of some kind. Here are six symptoms of eating disorders that you can be on the lookout for in yourself, friends, and family.
Unusual Behavior Around Food
Skipping Meals And Making Excuses
Most of us skip meals occasionally for various reasons. Breakfast and lunch can sometimes get crowded out by our schedule, and dinnertime can fly by as we work late or meet up with friends. Some people feel better when they don't eat at particular times of the day. When people make a habit of skipping meals, however, it can be a red flag for an eating disorder.
Skipping meals can be a particularly troublesome signal if it is part of an effort to diet and does not include making up for it by increasing our intake of food later. If you or your friends are skipping meals and then making excuses not to eat later, you might want to consider the presence of an eating disorder.
Adopting A Very Strict Vegetarian Diet
As with skipping meals occasionally, adopting a vegetarian diet is not by itself a cause for concern. However, any version of a diet that is overly restrictive can be a symptom of an eating disorder. Vegetarian or vegan diets should include a wide variety of foods for proper nutrition and sufficient calories. If this is not the case, these diets can be part of an eating disorder.
Eating Very Little Food
Eating disorders like anorexia nervosa and avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder can cause people not to get enough calories (energy) through their food. In addition, they might not be getting enough nutrients to support various body systems. In anorexia nervosa, calorie restriction is often due to fear of gaining weight. People with the avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder, on the other hand, can find it difficult to eat certain foods because of taste, texture, smell, or sight of the food.
Eating Too Much Food
Becauseanorexia nervosa is one of the most well-known eating disorders, people might not realize that eating too much food can also be a sign of an eating disorder. Bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder can both include eating abnormally large amounts of food. Eating very large amounts of food in a short time frame or eating very large amounts of very sweet, fatty food are particularly worrisome signs.