From ice to soil
To begin with, you should be aware that eating disorders are a lot more common than most people think. But they are treatable.
Similar to many psychological disorders, eating disorders will range in their symptoms. No two patients will behave identically.
Some symptoms of eating disorders will be rather obvious: rapid and extreme weight loss in most circumstances should ring alarm bells.
Lady Gaga, Zayn Malik, and Demi Lovato are just some well-known figures who have suffered from eating disorders.
People may show a combination of symptoms or just one. In some cases, they may show no symptoms at all. Often the patient won’t know that something is wrong.
Negative or obsessive thoughts about body size or shape play a key factor in many eating disorders, and will appear early on.
Negative self-talk, a very poor body image, and misinterpreting comments to mean something negative regarding one's body are all common signs of a budding eating disorder.
Do the person in question try to work out even when they’re very ill? Bulik says that someone shouldn’t panic if they miss a day or two of exercise because of illness or injury, so if they are, that's a warning sign.
Eating is an anxiety-provoking activity for people with an eating disorder. Eating in public only amplifies this anxiety.
It’s not a healthy relationship with food if you feel self-conscious or embarrassed about eating in public. Someone shouldn’t feel like they are being watched or judged eating in public. This is an indication that eating has become nerve-racking.
Exercise anorexia is tricky. Who’s to say that somebody isn’t just extremely driven in terms of fitness, instead of suffering from an eating disorder? But a 2013 study of high school students found a higher rate of eating disorders among female athletes than non-athletes (14% versus 3%).
Not only is shyness in eating in public a common hallmark of anorexia, but "even people with binge eating disorder will eat very small amounts when in public, then binge when alone," Bulik says.
Sunken eyes, sunken cheeks, dry skin and mouth, and severe electrolyte imbalances also can occur as symptoms of dehydration for people with eating disorders.
People who have been depriving themselves of nutrition for a long period sometimes develop soft, downy body hair. It almost looks like a thin layer of fur. The hair is known as lanugo.
When purging is present, a common symptom will be the swelling of the jawline, according to Bulik. Unlike people with anorexia, people with bulimia are often normal weight or above normal weight.
People who are suffering from anorexia will often prepare extremely elaborate food for friends or family despite refusing to eat much themselves. It may be a form of vicarious pleasure or may serve as a distraction.
In the famous Minnesota Starvation Experiment conducted in the 1940s during World War II, volunteers who were semi-starved lost more than 25% of their body weight and became obsessed with food and eating. Several became obsessed with cookbooks and recipes, a behavior that is common amongst people with eating disorders, too.
People who are suffering from anorexia or other disorders may feel the compulsion to organize their food into tiny pieces or arrange their food in very specific fashions.
Rituals are "both a tactic not to eat and also a piece of the obsessionality associated with anorexia nervosa," Bulik explains. "When eating disorders are starting, people will try to make it look like they are eating by cutting things up and shifting food around on the plate so as not to draw attention to how little they are eating."
Becoming obsessed with only eating foods that are safe or healthy is one sign of “orthorexia,” a condition that is an unhealthy focus on eating healthily.
Dry and blotchy skin is a common symptom of anorexia and bulimia. It stems from dehydration and malnutrition.
Retreating to the bathroom for long periods after eating is a common sign that someone is suffering from bulimia.
A person who is anorexic will be starved of nutrients, and the body will have very little mass to stay warm. This lanugo hair is essentially a symptom of starvation. The body grows this hair to keep itself warm.
Binge eaters are known to prepare dishes using an odd mixture of ingredients, such as mashed potatoes and Oreo cookies, or potato chips with lemon, pork rinds, Italian dressing, and salt. A recent study found that people who create their food concoctions are more likely to binge than people who simply overeat.
Cynthia Bulik, an eating disorders specialist at the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill, refers to a phenomenon called “exercise anorexia.”
In conclusion, eating disorders can become very serious conditions (life threatening, even) that don't have uniform symptoms. Even two people with anorexia are likely to have slightly different sets of symptoms. However, this gallery intends to be a rough guide on the kind of behavior and symptoms that someone with an eating disorder may display. If you are concerned about someone or yourself, it is advised to seek information from professionals.
Sources: (Health.com)
See also: The healing power of superfoods
Calluses on the knuckles, known as Russell's sign, are another common sign of bulimia caused by someone scraping the back of their hand against their teeth while making themselves sick.
The warning signs of an eating disorder
They're not all obvious
HEALTH Illness
Eating disorders can be very serious illnesses and often people will need professional help to recover. Indeed, eating disorders will have both psychological and physical symptoms. But when does something go from being a dietary habit (like fasting) to becoming a condition that should concern us? What are the signs of an eating disorder? To inform yourself, click through this gallery.