Signs and Symptoms of Anorexia

It is very common for people to hide having an eating disorder. Reasons for this might include feeling ashamed of the eating disorder, fearing stigma, or fearing being pushed to recover. People with anorexia can go to great lengths to hide their behaviour from family and friends by lying about what they have eaten, or by pretending to have eaten earlier.

Signs that you or someone you know may have anorexia or another eating disorder include:

• You often miss meals, eating very little or avoid eating certain foods

• You obsessively count calories in food

• You leaving the table immediately after eating to get rid of food

• You take appetite suppressants, laxatives or diuretics (medication that helps remove fluid from the body)

• You exercise excessively and compulsively in an attempt to control weight (feeling guilty if you miss an exercise session)

• You repeatedly weigh yourself or check your body in the mirror

• You experience physical problems, such as feeling lightheaded or dizzy, hair loss or dry skin, feeling cold a lot of the time

• You notice your mood having changed in line with your changing eating habits - you may be more irritable, more depressed or experience more erratic mood swings than you used to.

• You have an overwhelming fear of any weight gain (a phobic fear of fatness)

• You see losing weight as a positive thing, and feel better about yourself as a person with increasing weight loss

• You believe that you are fat (or see yourself as fat) despite your weight registering as underweight or healthy weight

• You deny the seriousness of your weight loss and do not think you have a problem despite other expressing concerns

• You become angry or defensive when others express concerns about your eating or weight

• You find it very difficult to socialise with others if it involves eating and try to avoid social meals

Remember that you do not need to do all of these things to be experiencing anorexia nervosa; meeting only some of these criteria could suggest the presence of an eating disorder.

If you are struggling with these sorts of issues, it’s important to talk to someone about what is happening, so that they can support you in accessing the best help.