How do I recognise the signs?
You can’t tell just by looking at someone whether they have an eating disorder or not. The signs can be subtle and often difficult to identify. A person with an eating disorder may also go to great lengths to mask or hide their symptoms from others.
Eating disorders aren’t just about dramatic weight loss or frequent trips to the bathroom after meals. They are very often associated with feelings of low self-worth, deep emotional distress and an inability to cope with this distress. You may have noticed a change in the way someone close to you behaves and relates to other people, such as withdrawing from friends, relationships or avoiding social contact all together. Or you may have noticed a change in the person’s mood, for example, being more tearful, hopeless, angry or defensive than usual. Physical changes to their body might also be visible, but not always.
For some people, the warning signs of an eating disorder can include anxiety or irritability around meal times, avoidance of eating with others or avoidance of food in general, preoccupation with topics around food, calories or weight, or frequent self-criticism in relation to body image. For others, none of these warning signs might be present.
Each individual’s experience of an eating disorder will be different and the various types of eating disorders are associated with different symptoms. The main types of eating disorders are described below:
Medical Risks of Eating Disorders
Eating disorders can be life threatening. Medical complications can arise due to low weight, starvation, or frequent vomiting or laxative abuse which can cause a fatal imbalance of ‘electrolytes’ in the body (essential for our cells and organs and therefore preserving life). Eating disorders also carry high risks of permanent damage to the vital organs of the body, such as the heart, kidney, and digestive system. If you recognise any of these symptoms in yourself or another person, make sure you seek medical advice as soon as you can.
BMI Explained
BMI stands for ‘body mass index’ and this is a number which is calculated using a person’s height and weight. A healthy BMI is considered to be between 20 and 25 and you should aim to keep your BMI between these figures for good health. A BMI below 20 indicates that a person may be underweight, and above 25 indicates a person may be overweight.
BMI is only a guideline, and generally applies to adults between the ages of 18 – 60. It also does not take into account your body frame or build so also is not accurate, for instance, for athletes, weight trainers or women who are pregnant or breast-feeding.
You can check your BMI using the BMI calculator on the NHS website at: http://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-weight/bmi-calculator/
