20 Warning Signs Your Loved One May Secretly Struggle With An Eating Disorder
Signs that a loved one may struggle with an eating disorder:
1. Skips meals or under-portions in comparison to others.
2. Boasts about eating healthy foods.
3. Holds rigid rituals and rules about eating (i.e. eats certain food groups in order or by color, won’t eat past a certain time, cuts foods into small pieces, counts bites, etc).
4. Verbalization of dissatisfaction with body image.
5. Calorie counts.
Did you know…?
- 1% of teenage girls and 5% of college-age women become anorexic or bulimic.
- Anorexia nervosa has the highest premature fatality rate of any mental illness (Sullivan, 1995).
6. Volunteers to cook for the family in order to have more control over the condiments that go into the food.
7. Cooks for others but does not eat what is prepared.
8. Chews food and spits before swallowing.
9. Exercises rigorously and consistently, often compensating the amount of time working out based on the type of foods or amount of foods consumed. The exercise is excessive (typically more than one hour daily) and the commitment to exercise is honored even when ill, injured or in the presence of bad weather.
10. Avoids eating in front of other people and often gives excuses such as not feeling well, not being hungry or eating earlier in the day.
Did you know…?
- 50% of 9-year-old girls and 80% of 10-year-old-girls have dieted.
- 90% of high school junior and senior girls diet regularly, even though only 10% to 15% are over the weight recommended by standard height weight charts.
11. Wears baggy clothing to hide disliked body parts or hide body shape.
12. Meals seem repetitive and hold very little variation.
13. Categorizes food as safe, good or healthy versus unsafe, bad and unhealthy.
14. Secretly hoards food.
15. Reads labels and sticks primarily to low-calorie and low-fat food items.
Because of the secretiveness and shame associated with eating disorders, many cases are probably not reported. In addition, many individuals struggle with body dissatisfaction and sub-clinical disordered eating attitudes and behaviors. For example, it has been shown that 80% of American women are dissatisfied with their appearance (Smolak, 1996).
16. Uses credit cards to buy large amounts of food items he/she considers to be forbidden or “bad” (i.e. fast food, starches, desserts and other sweets).
17. Binges (eating large amounts of food at one time).
18. Uses the bathroom immediately after meals and you notice signs of vomiting (i.e. runs the shower or hair dryer to cover vomiting sounds, excessive use of mouthwash, clogged toilets, foul smell, vomit stains, etc).
19. Consistent use of laxatives, diuretics, diet pills or weight loss products.
20. Obsesses over the media’s standards of thinness and beauty – often competing and comparing self to others.
In March 2005, NEDA contracted with Global Market Insite, Inc. (GMI), a leader in global market research, to conduct a 1,500 nationwide sample of adults in the U.S. Their findings concluded from those surveyed that four out of ten Americans either suffered or have known someone who has suffered from an eating disorder.
42% of 1st-3rd grade girls want to be thinner (Collins, 1991).
If you or someone you know struggles with an eating disorder or shows some of these signs, it is advisable that you seek help by a licensed mental health professional as soon as possible.
Copyright © 2009 Cesar G. Gamez, MA., All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
References
Collins, M.E. (1991). Body figure perceptions and preferences among pre-adolescent children. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 199-208.
Smolak, L. (1996). National Eating Disorders Association/Next Door Neighbors Puppet Guide Book.
Sullivan, P. (1995). American Journal of Psychiatry, 152 (7), 1073-1074.
Credits
Thumbnail image: Untitled (4036269240) by shannooners / © All rights reserved
http://www.flickr.com/photos/shannooners
http://shannonjeanphoto.blogspot.com
Facts and Figures provided by NEDA. For more information, please contact the National Eating Disorders Association’s Information and Referral Helpline at 1-800-931-2237 or visit the website.
Professional Resource
Remuda Ranch provides inpatient and residential programs for women, girls and boys suffering from Anorexia, Bulimia, other Eating Disorders, and related issues. For additional information on Remuda programs, please contact them at 1-800-445-1900 or on the web at http://www.remudaranch.com
Related posts:
The sooner eating disorders are picked up, the easier they are to treat – but, food is only a symptom. After suffering from anorexia bulimia between the ages of 11 and 28, I have been exploring the emotional context that eating disorders thrive in – it may help to look at findingmelissa.co.uk to get a feel for what’s going on emotionally: all too frequently, it is easier to get caught up in symptom – rather than cause.