Some of the warning signs of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder.
Are there signs/symptoms I would notice if my teenager or someone else I know is struggling with an eating disorder?
Parents, you may be wondering how you can notice if your child or teen is struggling with an eating disorder. If this is the case, here are some potential ways to tell whether your child is battling with this mental health struggle.
Early detection of an eating disorder may prevent a teenager from years of significant misery and disruption in his or her life. Take a moment and think about your teenager’s behavior and the following signs of a possible eating disorder:
- Preoccupation with weight, food, calories and dieting
- Discussing perfection or need for perfection consistently
- Exercise is an excessive, rigid activity despite fatigue, illness, injury or weather
- Constant complaints about being fat in spite of normal or thin appearance
- Frequent comparison of body image/diet with others
- Unnatural facial hair growth in girls due to malnutrition
- Withdrawal from activities because of weight and shape concerns
- Anxiety about being fat which does not diminish with weight loss
- Evidence of self-induced vomiting
- Messes and smells in the bathroom
- Disappearing to the bathroom after meals
- Swelling of the glands near the ear which creates a “chipmunk” appearance (caused by inflammation of the saliva glands)