The Center for Eating Disorders at Reno Behavioral Healthcare Hospital is committed to serving adults who are struggling to control themselves when it comes to food. Eating disorders can have numerous negative impacts on mental and physical health and can be caused by a wide array of factors.
The first step to helping someone with an eating disorder is learning how to identify when they may have one. The earlier you identify when someone may have an eating disorder, the sooner that person can receive the help that they need.
Here are some early signs of an eating disorder.
Preoccupation with Body Image
One of the earliest signs that someone has an eating disorder is an unhealthy preoccupation with their body image. This particular warning sign is common among most kinds of eating disorders.
Someone with a preoccupation with their own body image may:
- Spend inordinate amounts of time looking at themselves in a mirror
- Become preoccupied with particular celebrities and models in media and constantly compare themselves unfavorably to them
- Make frequent negative comments about their physical appearance and insist that they are overweight
- Wear baggy clothing in order to hide their body shape
- Consistently use laxatives, diuretics, or diet pills
Preoccupation with Exercise
Another early warning sign of an eating disorder is an unhealthy preoccupation with exercise. Those with eating disorders will tend to over-exercise, sometimes to dangerous levels.
Someone with a preoccupation with exercise may:
- Spend many hours exercising in an almost ritualistic manner
- Constantly refer to the number of calories they’ve burned and the time they have spent exercising
- Become irritated if their routine is disturbed, eating even less to compensate
Alterations in Weight
One of the more clear signs of an eating disorder is a sharp decrease in weight over a short amount of time. This sign tends to be more common with those who are suffering from anorexia nervosa.
If a person weighs less than 85 percent of their ideal body weight and also exhibits other signs of an eating disorder, this person could be suffering from anorexia nervosa.
It should be noted that a person can stay around the same weight and still have an eating disorder. This is not uncommon with those who suffer from bulimia nervosa.
Physical Signs
In addition to behavioral signs, there are a fair amount of physical signs that you can look out for, such as:
- Fainting spells from dehydration or malnutrition
- Chapped lips
- Gray skin
- Hair loss
- Irregular or absent menstrual cycles
- Dental erosion from induced vomiting
Contact Us
We are committed to producing the highest level of clinical outcomes for patients and their families. If you or someone you love is struggling with an eating disorder, contact us today.
We also welcome patient referrals.