Know the symptoms
Some eating disorder signs are obvious: dramatic weight loss, a refusal to eat, retreating to the bathroom for long periods after meals. But anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder also reveal themselves in more subtle ways.
Poor body image
Negative or obsessive thoughts about body size, a key factor in all eating disorders, can occur very early on in the disease, says Cynthia Bulik, PhD, an eating disorders specialist at the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill.
Excessive exercise
Over-the-top workout habits—sometimes referred to as "exercise anorexia"—can go hand in hand with disordered eating and appear to be on the rise, Bulik says.
Fear of eating in public
Feeling shy or self-conscious about eating in public can be related to body image issues—a person may feel that others are watching and judging, for instance. But it can also be an indication that eating, period, has become nerve-wracking. "Eating can be enormously anxiety-provoking for someone with an eating disorder," Bulik says. "Doing it in public just compounds the enormity of the task."
Fine body hair
People who have been depriving their bodies of nutrition for extended periods of time often develop soft, downy body hair—almost a thin film of fur—on their arms and other parts of the body. This hair, known as lanugo, is a physical adaptation to the perilously low weight and loss of body fat seen in some people with anorexia.
Cooking elaborate meals for others
Although people with anorexia may refuse food themselves, they are often eager to see others eat, sometimes going so far as to prepare elaborate meals for friends and family. This may be a form of vicarious pleasure, or eating "through" others.
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