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
• Changes in body hair
• Dry, rough or discoloured skin
• Dizziness and headaches
• Dehydration
• Complaints of often feeling cold
• Low blood pressure
• Loss of menstrual cycle
• Constipation or incontinence
• Bruised or calluses on knuckles
• 'Bloodshot' eyes
• Light bruising under the eyes and on the cheeks

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
• Visible food restriction and self-starvation
• Visible binging and/or vomiting
• Use or hiding use of diet pills, laxatives, or chemicals to induce vomiting
• Isolation
• Fear of eating around and with others
• Unusual food rituals such as shifting food around on the plate so that it appears that food has been 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
• Vague or secretive eating patterns
• Visiting websites that promote unhealthy ways to loose weight or reading books about weight loss and eating disorders

Psychological & emotional signs

• Mood swings or depression
• Fatigue and possible insomnia or poor sleeping habits
• 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
• Pre-occupation with thought of food, weight and cooking
• Putting themselves down 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
• Putting themselves down 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