Do I have eating disorder symptoms?
‘Isn’t normal to be dieting?’
‘I would say I eat pretty healthy. I eat like everyone else around me.’
‘Being overweight or obese is bad for health. So, isn’t good to diet and lose weight?’
Signs and symptoms that may indicate disordered eating
As a society, our perspectives on body image and healthy eating has been distorted by a culture that places an unhealthy emphasis on being thin. So unfortunately, what is considered normal is not always good. What is thought to be ‘healthy eating’ might be harmful, leading to unwanted and potentially irreversible health consequences.
Note that eating disorders do not develop overnight. For some people, it may take up to six or seven years for them to be diagnosed, i.e. seek help and treatment to overcome eating disorders. If you recognise some level of disordered eating, body dissatisfaction and obsessive/compulsive exercise, seek help early. Having disordered eating or an eating disorder can be lonely, do not let it separate you from life.
The following are some changes that may indicate disordered eating:
Diet and food behaviours
Denial of hunger
Counting calories or kilojoules obsessively
Skipping meals, fasting
Eating large amounts of food secretly and/or when upset
Increasingly eliminating food groups and/or eating diet or low-fat foods
Have large amounts of diet drinks and/or coffee.
Becoming vegetarian or vegan to avoid certain foods or as an explanation for food restrictions
Have strict food rules or rituals
Eating very slowly
Vomits food out after meals or snacks (leaving social group or disappearing to the bathroom to do so)
Exercise and other behaviours
Exercising to earn food
Exercising to punish overeating
Exercising despite being injured or exhausted
Taking diet pills, laxatives, enemas, diuretics and so forth to purge.
Repetitive or obsessive body checking (fit of a belt, bracelet, ‘thin’ clothes and thighs; mirror-checking)
Avoiding seeing your body
Thoughts and perceptions
Preoccupied with food
Preoccupied with body appearance and weighing yourself; panics when weight shifts
Intense fear of gaining weight
Extreme dissatisfaction with your body or negative body image
Distorted body image
Low self-esteem or self-worth
Feelings
Feelings of unable to control behaviours around food
Negative emotions such as anxiety, depression and feeling that life is ‘out of control’
Irritability and changes in mood
Distressed or anxious around food and meal times
Words you may hear yourself saying
I need to, I must
I can’t, I will never
I failed, I might as well
I will not allow myself to, no pain no gain
It doesn’t matter, what is the point
You may also notice
You are socially isolating yourself, preferring to be alone or avoiding social events or situations that involve eating.
You have physical changes in your weight, disrupted menstrual cycle or loss of periods (amenorrhea), fatigue (constantly tired or low energy), unable to concentrate, sensitivity to cold weather, sleeping problems, poor immunity or dental issues.
SCOFF screening tool
Thee above were examples to help you self-identify the potential of an eating disorder but more importantly, it may warrant the need to do something about it. Below is a helpful screening tool (SCOFF), which you could go through. A score of 2 or more highlights the need for a more detailed assessment by a doctor or psychiatrist.
Do you ever make yourself sick (vomit) because you feel uncomfortably full?
Do you worry you have lose control over how much you eat?
Have you recently lost more than one stone (about 6 kg) in a three-month period?
Do you believe yourself to be fat when others say you are too thin?
Would you say food dominates your life?
What to do next
Speak to someone you can trust and let them support you.
Consult your local GP. Explain what you have identified and request for an thorough assessment.
Contact the Butterfly Foundation Support Line on 1800 ED HOPE or 1800 33 4673.
If you are now in crisis or require counselling, do call:
Lifeline on 13 11 14
Suicide call back service on 1300 659 457
1800 Respect on 1800 737 732 (in relation to family violence or sexual assault)