When someone in your life seems to be suffering from an eating disorder, you probably want to do your best to help. This can be difficult when you’re unsure of what’s wrong.
You don’t want to be impolite by asking about a sensitive topic, but how else can you get to the bottom of the situation? If you don’t know the signs of eating disorders, you might be off-base.
Do you know how to tell if someone has an eating disorder?
We’re here to help. While there’s no way to tell for sure without being invasive, there are a few signs that you can look out for so that you can help your friend.
A Sudden Interest In Exercise
Exercise is healthy! We should all strive to be as active as possible.
That said, excessive fixation on exercise can be a sign that someone is suffering from a condition referred to as “anorexia athletica” or “hypergymnasia”. This condition is common amongst athletes but also amongst average people who become fixated on the gym.
These people may realize that cutting calories alone isn’t sustainable, but cutting calories in excess while exercising in excess will do the trick. It becomes an unhealthy fixation that can slowly wear the body down.
Strange Public Meal Behavior
While you don’t know how this person eats in private, you can identify some things by the way they eat in public.
An experienced eating-disordered person is going to know that they have to be subtle. They’ll probably still eat at restaurants, but they may look at the menu beforehand and get upset if the option they chose is unavailable to them.
They may have trouble eating while people are watching, scarfing food down in the moments that people are busy talking, or when their companions leave to smoke or go to the restroom.
These show that your friend has food anxiety.
If your friend leaves to go to the restroom right after every meal, it could be a sign of bulimia nervosa. Every so often is normal, but when it becomes commonplace you may have a problem.
With all of these eating disorder signs combined, you may want to look into eating disorder treatments to gently suggest to your friend.
Excessive Meal Planning
Meal planning is a great way to set yourself up for success in the week ahead! Unfortunately, when a friend is doing it obsessively, it may be a sign of something else.
Some people with eating disorders track their calories to the point of obsession. They may not be undereating per se, but they may be hitting the exact “perfect” amount without any wiggle room.
While this is healthy in theory, in practice it shows an obsession with food and weight. An unhealthy relationship with food, even if the friend currently appears healthy, is a clear sign that an eating disorder is either present or on the horizon.
Do You Know How to Tell If Someone Has an Eating Disorder?
If you’re looking up how to tell if someone has an eating disorder, it’s likely that you’re worried about either a loved one or yourself.
If this is the case, there is help available for you. No one has to suffer from an eating disorder alone, and seeking psychiatric treatment is the best step forward.
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