Eating Disorders: Something Worth Talking About

Too many people suffering with Eating Disorders slip under the radar. They hide the eating disorder’s behaviour from their friends and family meaning that they can slip further into their illness and often feel like no one cares enough to take any notice. It’s been said numerous times that one of the worst things about having an Eating Disorder is the feeling of isolation.

If you are worried about someone - talk about it! 

Signs and symptoms

The best thing to do if you think someone might be struggling with an eating disorder is to simply start a conversation with them about it and we have included lots of help on taking that first step on our Do's and Don'ts page. 

But before you have that first conversation, here are 10 signs and symptoms of eating disorders that you should be looking out for...
  • Talking about or becoming obsessed with calorie or fat content
  • Avoiding social situations that involve food/taking to eating alone or in secret/disruptions to ‘normal’ eating times
  • Self depricative talk (after eating)/poor body image/low self esteem, need for acceptance from others
  • Compulsive exercise
  • Measuring self worth on weight – ‘good’ for not eating ‘bad’ for giving in to eating
  • Pre-occupied thoughts of food, weight and cooking
  • Mood swings, depression, fatigue, irritability, insomnia
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Very aware of other peoples’ eating habits/weight/diets
  • Nervous or indecisive around meal times, especially if the eating place is particularly obvious, such as a canteen/halls meal
  • Becoming quieter and more withdrawn in general conversation
  • Seeming to read a lot into comments made about their appearance
  • Engaging more in ‘fat talk’. Fat talk is a term used to describe statements made in everyday conversation that reinforce the thin ideal and contribute to women’s dissatisfaction with their bodies, for example ‘I’m so fat’, ‘do I look fat in this?’ ‘you look great! Have you lost weight?’ (type ‘fat talk free week’ into google for more information on fat talk) 

What is an Eating Disorder? 

Anorexia Nervosa

  • Anorexia affects 0.3% of the population and is most common in females aged 15-19. 
  • The most significant symptom of anorexia is deliberately loosing a lot of weight, for example by: eating as little as possible, making oneself vomit,  over-exercising - burning more calories than is consumed in a day
  • A person with anorexia will want their weight as low as possible – much less than average for their age and height. They are so afraid of gaining weight they cannot eat normally.
  • People with anorexia experience a disturbance in their perception of body weight or shape.
  • After eating they may try to get rid of food from their body by making themselves sick. 
  • For more information on what to look for in someone who you think may have anorexia, see ’13 warning signs’ above.

(sources: NHS Choices, DSM-IV, The Essential Handbook of Eating Disorders)

Bulimia Nervosa

  • Bulimia affects 1% of the population, and is most prevalent in women in their early twenties. 
  • The main symptoms of bulimia are binge eating and purging (ridding your body of food by making yourself sick or taking laxatives).
  • Other signs of bulimia can include regular changes in weight, large amounts of money being spent on food, scarred knuckles (from forcing fingers down the throat to bring on vomiting) and disappearing soon after eating. 
  • For more information on what to look for in someone who you think may have bulimia, see ’13 warning signs’ above. 

(sources: NHS Choices, DSM-IV, The Essential Handbook of Eating Disorders)

Binge Eating Disorder 

  • Binge eating is an eating disorder where a person feels compelled to over eat on a regular basis.
  • It is not yet completely certain how many people are affected by binge eating disorder, but it is thought to affect around 1% of the population, and to be particularly prevalent in those in their mid-thirties. 
  • Binge eating usually takes place in private with the person feeling that they have no control over their eating. 
  • Weight gain is the main symptom of binge eating. Many people with the disorder are already overweight.