Signs and Symptoms of Bulimia
People with bulimia often go to great lengths to hide their behaviour from family and friends for a number of reasons, including feelings of shame or embarrassment, or putting others’ needs before their own. Because bulimia is not associated with low weight, it can often remain a secret for many years before people decide to seek help.
Signs that someone may have bulimia or another eating disorder include:
Restricting the amount of food that is eaten or strictly controlling what types of food are eaten
Eating more than is needed in one go/ feeling out of control when eating/ eating in secret
Using behaviours including vomiting, laxative use, exercise or fasting in order to reduce the impact of eating or bingeing on your weight
Extreme or constant body dissatisfaction and a desire to lose weight/ frequently weigh ins/ making comparisons with others
Eating when not hungry in response to difficult emotions
Feeling anxious about eating and situations which involve eating around other people
Feeling very tired or finding it hard to concentrate
Feeling depressed or anxious
Feeling distant from friends or family who are trying to help you
Often, people don’t recognise that their eating habits are a problem - they just feel like a part of everyday life. But if eating habits are affecting your life, it’s a problem, regardless of how much you weigh.