Warning Signs of an Eating Disorders
Many people think they know the many different signs of an eating disorder. Some of them may be true, but others may be myths.
There are so many different types of eating disorders a person can have. For example they may have anorexia or bulimia. They list goes on and on. These are the main signs that occur when a person may be suffering from an eating disorder. Dieting When Thin Description: When a person is already thin and they begin to diet that puts up a big red flag. Dieting can cause serious health problems if they are already thin.
These people will follow a very strict diet despite them already being thin. They will ban “bad” foods from their diet, such as fats and carbohydrates. Pretending to Eat Description: People that may have an eating disorder pretend to eat or play with their food. They move around food on their lunch tray at school or move food around on their plate at home. They make it seem like they did eat. Other people may try to get out of eating by saying something such as “I have had a big breakfast I am not hungry” or “My stomach hurts already, food will make it worse.
” Someone with anorexia may do whatever it takes to get out of a meal, while someone with bulimia may eat way too much and then go to the bathroom right after eating. Drastic Attention on Food Description: A person who pays a drastic amount of time researching food, collecting recipes, and making others food may not seem like such a big deal. What you should look out for is for someone that does these things, but then they rarely eat themselves. This type of behavior is expected from a person that has anorexia. They may make extremely detailed meal plans but they won’t eat they meal that they are planning out.
Dramatic Weight Loss Description: Weight loss in a healthy person can be very dangerous. This does not include dieting. Dramatic weight loss means that the person suffering is doing all they can to lose as much weight as they can. They have no medical reason to do so. At first it may not be noticeable, but at a certain point it becomes obvious that the person is suffering. Dramatic weight loss is extremely unhealthy.
Bad Body Image Description: A person with a bad body image sees themselves as fat or ugly. Many teenagers view themselves of one of the two. A person with an eating disorder will do whatever it takes to make themselves beautiful in their own eyes. They will start to lose weight and begin to wear baggy clothes. They wear baggy clothes to hide themselves until they believe they are beautiful.
Emotional Issues Description: Not eating can cause many severe emotional issues such as mood swings. Anyone that missed a meal knows that when you get hungry you get cranky. Same goes for a person with an eating disorder. People with eating disorders have a hard time describing what they feel which may cause them to become angry. Not eating can lead to other emotional issues such as depression, anxiety, and the intense feeling of loneliness.
Social Behavior Description: A person with an eating disorder most likely has a people pleasing personality. They never want to disappoint. If pleasing someone is not an option they tend to take themselves out of the situation. They want to be in control of something and in a lot of cases, that something is food. They control what they eat and when they eat as a coping method. People with this type of personality also have a tendency to be very independent or very need and not independent.
Because of this their relationships with other people may become one sided. Other Physical Signs Description: Besides all of the previous signs you can look for there are many other physical signs. The signs include looking sickly thin, dry skin, dehydration, extreme fatigue, damaged teeth or gums, lack of energy, brittle nails, growth of fine hair, dizziness, fainting, and headaches. If you know anyone that shows any of these signs you should confront them about it. They may be receiving help and if they are not you should make sure they do.
A person with an eating disorder needs help so they can become healthy again. Having an eating disorder can make you extremely sick and in worst cases even cause death. Knowing warning signs can help a person in need. ?