Signs & symptoms of an eating disorder

Signs of Anorexia or Bulimia

Physical signs and symptoms
Dramatic weight loss in a relatively short period of time
Hair loss
Pale or "grey" appearance to the skin
Dizziness and headaches
Frequent sore throats and/or swollen glands
Complaints of often feeling cold
Low blood pressure
Loss of menstrual cycle
Constipation or incontinence
Bruised or calluses on knuckles
bloodshot or bleeding in the eyes
ight bruising under the eyes and on the cheeks
Mood swings or depression
Fatigue and possible insomnia or poor sleeping habits

Behavioural signs
Wearing baggy clothes or dressing in layers to hide body shape and/or weight loss
Obsession with continuous exercise
Frequent trips to the bathroom immediately following meals (sometimes with water running in the bathroom for a long period of time to hide the sound of vomiting)
Visible food restriction and self-starvation
Visible binging and/or purging
Use or hiding use of diet pills, laxatives, ipecac syrup (can cause immediate death)
Isolation
Fear of eating around and with others
Unusual food rituals such as shifting food around on the plate to look eaten, cutting food into tiny pieces, making sure the fork avoids contact with the lips, chewing food and spitting it out, not swallowing, dropping food on lap to later throw away
Hiding food in strange places (closets, cabinets, suitcases, under the bed) to avoid eating (anorexia) or to eat at a later time (bulimia)
Flushing uneaten food down the toilet (can cause sewage problems
Vague or secretive eating patterns
Visiting websites that promote unhealthy ways to loose weight or reading books about weight loss and eating disorders
Loss of sexual desire or promiscuous relations

Psychological & emotional signs
Obsession with weight and weight problems, even if "average" weight or thin
Obsession with calories and fat content of foods, Keeping a "food diary" or lists that consist of food and/or behaviours,purging, restricting, calories consumed, exercise etc
Pre-occupied with thought of food, weight and cooking
Self-defeating statements after food consumption
Low self-esteem
Feeling worthless, putting themselves down as being "too stupid" or "too fat" and saying they don't matter
Need for acceptance and approval of others
Perfectionist personality

Physical signs and symptoms
Frequently out of breath after relatively light activities.
Excessive sweating and shortness of breath
High blood pressure and/or cholesterol
Leg and joint pain
Weight gain and eventually decreased mobility due to weight gain
Loss of sexual desire or promiscuous relations
Poor sleeping habits and possibly insomnia

Behavioural signs
Chronic dieting on a variety of popular diet plans
Hiding food in strange places (suitcases, under the bed) to eat at a later time
Vague or secretive eating patterns

Psychological & emotional signs
Fear of not being able to control or stop eating once started
Isolation
Fear of eating around and with others
Holding the belief that life will be better if they can lose weight
Self-defeating statements after food consumption
Blames failure in social and professional community on weight
Holding the belief that food is their only friend
Mood swings or depression
Fatigue and changes in sleeping patterns