Signs and Symptoms
Behavioral
- Refusal to eat food
- Avoidance of activities involving food
- Noticeable binging and/or purging
- Frequently going to the bathroom after eating (to throw up)
- Disappearance of large amounts of food
- Isolating oneself from others, withdrawal from friends and family
- Obsessive preoccupation with food and weight
- Attempts to hide body by wearing baggy or many layers of clothes
- Chewing and spitting food without swallowing
- Negative talk about his or her own weight and size
- Lies about how much or what types of foods eaten
- Cooking food for other people but not eating any themselves
- Talking about food all the time
- Unusual eating rituals (e.g., a preference for foods of a specific texture or color, compulsively arranging food on plate, obsessive choice of unusual mixtures of food)
- Over-exercising
- Denial of hunger & need for food
- Always makes excuses for not eating, like "I just ate," "I feel sick" or "I'll get something later"
- Throws away food but claims to have eaten it
- Drinks a lot of water, diet soda, coffee and other non-calorie beverages
- Trouble focusing
Physical
- Dramatic weight loss or fluctuation in a short period of time
- Calluses on hands from self-induced vomiting
- Thinning or loss of hair
- Dry grayish skin and purple fingernails
- Growth of soft fuzzy hair all over the body called lanugo
- Dizziness and fainting
- Amenorrhea or irregular menstruation
- Sore throat
- Swollen cheeks (due to enlarged salivary glands caused by self-induced vomiting)
- Feeling cold all the time, even in hot temperatures
- Low blood pressure and heart rate
- Insomnia, irregular sleep patterns
- Fatigue, weakness
- Bloating & constipation
Emotional Symptoms & Personality Characteristics
- Depression
- Feelings of shame, embarrassment & guilt
- Self-critical
- People pleasing personality
- Perfectionistic & high-achieving, especially in school
- Easily frustrated/irritated, frequent mood swings
- Black & white thinking
- Unrealistic self-expectations
- Low self-esteem and self-worth
- Lack of trust in self and others
- Lack of coping skills
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