Symptoms of eating disorders

If you have an eating disorder, you may:

• Restrict the amount of food you eat
• Eat more than you need
• Strictly control what types of food you eat
• feel out of control when you eat
• Feel anxious about eating and situations which involve eating around other people
• Eat in secret
• Respond to difficult emotions by eating, even when you’re not hungry
• Think about food a lot of the time
• Compare your body to other people’s
• Weigh yourself a lot

Other effects of eating disorders include:

• Experiencing depression or anxiety
• Feeling increasingly tired or fatigued
• Difficulty concentrating
• Feeling distant from friends or family trying to help you
• Avoiding social situations involving spontaneity (e.g. eating in new places, trying new foods, or travelling somewhere new)
• Noticeable change in your appearance
• Develop other long-term or short-term physical health problems or complications

Your attitudes towards foods and eating patterns may feel typical, but if you find that they’re impacting on your quality of life, it’s important to find advice from friends, family or a medical professional.