Signs of an Eating Disorder

If someone you care about has several of the following signs, he or she may have an eating disorder.

• Rapid weight loss
• Preoccupation with weight, dieting, and exercise
• Dizziness, weakness, and moodiness
• Loss of sense of humor
• Delayed puberty
• Loss of hair and breaking of nails
• Distorted body image. Sees fat where there is none.
• Isolates, avoids eating with family or friends
• Involved in strange food rituals and habits
• Wears baggy clothes to hide body
• No interest in dating
• Growth of lanugo hair, a fuzz on face and extremities
• Often develops carotemia, a yellowing of the skin
• Constipation and/or diarrhea
• Frequently enjoys cooking fattening foods for family
• Bulimia/compulsive eating
• Obsessed with weight, calories, and dieting
• Is not necessarily underweight and may be overweight
• Eats huge amounts of food at one time, but usually when alone
• Increased isolation from family and friends
• Grades usually reflect difficulty concentrating
• Seems sad, depressed, and self-critical
• Driven by the need to be perfect
• Competitive and "not much fun to be with"
• Often has other addictive and/or compulsive behaviors (drugs, alcohol, shoplifting, diet pills, tobacco, shopping, lying)
• Family history of depression, alcoholism, and/or eating disorders
• Angry, defensive, and combative
• Always goes to bathroom after eating
• Frequent trips to the bathroom
• Compulsive running and/or working out
• Replaces relationships with time spent in exercise