How Can You Tell It’s An Eating Disorder?

Nearly 10 million American women (teens and adults) suffer from an eating disorder. Nearly one million American men (teens and adults) suffer from an eating disorder. Most of those who have behaviors that are consistent with an eating disorder report it can last from one to 15 years. Nearly 6% of those with an eating disorder will die from the disease.

1 in 200 American women suffers from anorexia, 2 – 3 in 100 American women suffers from bulimia. Up to as many as 4.2% of females suffer from bulimia in their lifetime.  Nearly 10% of college women have a clinical or nearly clinical eating disorder, including 5.1% with bulimia. 4.5 to 18% of women and 0.4% of men will have a history of bulimia by their first year of college.

Of all mental illnesses eating disorders have the highest rate of mortality.

Those are some sobering statistics so what are the signs of an eating disorder and how can you tell if someone you love has an eating disorder?

Poor Body Image – The person with an eating disorder, or someone who is likely to develop an eating disorder usually has very poor body image. They will say things such as “I’m too fat”, “I look horrible”, “I hate _____”. The person with poor body image is also likely to misinterpret things that are said about them. “My how you’ve grown!” uttered by a relative you haven’t seen in years can be misunderstood to mean “My you’ve put on a lot of weight”. Poor body images can develop for many reasons including society’s views of what is normal. Barbies, Disney Princesses and most magazines provide an unattainable model for young impressionable girls. Parents who criticize a child’s weight can also contribute to poor body image. If you’re a parent of a child it is important you refrain from making comments about their size.

Diet – Those with an eating disorder will have wild diets. Those with anorexia will usually focus on calorie count while those who suffer from bulimia will eat foods that are easy to purge. Both will often eat the same foods over and over again and rarely alter their diet much.

Eating Rituals – From cutting food into tiny bites to always eating at the same time of day or even eating with the exact same utensil those with eating disorder will some times have obsessive rituals that have become associated with eating. This is often a measure to control the disease even if not understood by the person who is suffering.

Eating in Private – This usually applies to those with bulimia or binge eating disorder. They often eat alone because they are ashamed to eat in public.

Loss of Weight – This may seem obvious but it isn’t always a sign of an eating disorder. Those who lose a lot of weight could be anorexic but they could also be suffering from an overactive thyroid so it is important to consult a doctor. Those with bulimia or binge eating disorder may not lose weight and in fact might be on the heavier side.

Tooth Decay – Bulimics tend to have problems with their teeth due to all the stomach acids that repeatedly get on their teeth. Another sign that someone you know may have an eating disorder is if they brush their teeth too frequently.

Bruising – Those with an eating disorder tend to bruise more because they have less fat to lesson the blow, especially those with anorexia. Bulimics tend to have bruises on their fingers and knuckles from purging by sticking their fingers down their throats.

Being Cold – People with eating disorders can have a difficult time regulating their body temperature and can often be cold when the rest of us are sweltering in the heat. Being cold all the time can also be a sign of an under active thyroid so don’t rely on this symptom only.

These are just some of the signs someone you know may have an eating disorder. If you would like more information about eating disorders please contact Locus Therapy at (312) 218-7380 or email us at info@locustherapy.com.