
Anorexia
- Refusal to maintain recommended minimum weight.
- Distorted body image.
- Finding excuses to skip meals.
- Generally denies an existence of a food problem.
- Unusual eating behaviors or ritualistic eating patterns.
- Unusual concern about school or work performance; earned grades and praise are
never "good enough." - Oversensitivity to criticism.
- Unusual concern over change in routine; not flexible or adaptable.
- Closed communication; usually very proper, polite and may appear tense.
- Withdrawal from friends and activities; unusual commitment or immersion in activity,
(i.e. dance, working-out). - Absence of menstrual cycle (called: Amenorrhea).
- Intolerance of others.
- Dieting when not overweight.
- Denial of hunger.
- Frequent weighing.
Bulimia
- Excessive concern about weight.
- Strict dieting followed by loss of control with food.
- Eating binges followed by self-induced vomiting.
- Frequent overeating, especially when distressed.
- Bingeing on high caloric, sweet foods.
- Expressing guilt or shame about eating.
- Being secretive about binges and vomiting.
- Planning binges or opportunities to binge.
- Feeling out of control.
- Disappearing after a meal.
- Depressive moods.
- Alcohol and drug abuse common.
- Irregularities in menstrual cycle.
- Other forms of purging may include: laxatives, diuretics, excessive exercising and fasting.
Compulsive Eating
(Binge Eating Disorder)
- Unable to control food intake.
- Repeated, unsuccessful attempts to lose weight by dieting.
- Feeling loss of control when eating.
- Eating when not physically hungry.
- Eating or picking at food without awareness.
- Feeling embarrassed or self-conscious about eating.
- Denial that weight gain is the result of overeating.
- Looking forward with pleasure and anticipation to eating alone.
- Eating sensibly in front of others and then "making up" for it when alone.
Bulimarexia
- A combination of symptoms of Bulimia and Anorexia
Eating Disorders Questionnaire
yes no | Do you eat when you are not physically hungry? |
yes no | Do you often start and break diets? |
yes no | Do you sneak eat or feel ashamed of what or how much you eat in front of others? |
yes no | Do you feel in control of your eating at times and completely out of control at other times? |
yes no | Do you binge, fast, induce vomiting, use laxatives or excessive exercise to try to control your weight? |
yes no | Do you often feel fat or ashamed of your body? |
yes no | Do you often compare your body to others and end up feeling inadequate? |
yes no | Does your happiness revolve around how much or how little you eat and weigh? |
yes no | Do you think that life would be perfect if you were only a certain weight? |
yes no | Are your feelings about food and your body preventing you from living the life you want to live? |
Symptoms of food, weight and body image issues
(as opposed to full blown eating disorders)
- Unable to control food intake at times.
- Feeling embarrassed or self-conscious about eating.
- Eating or picking at food without awareness.
- Sneaking food.
- Frequent thoughts about calories and fat grams.
- Overeating when distressed.
- Not eating when physically hungry and eating when not physically hungry.
- Eating more or less than your body wants.
- Dieting and/or rigid eating patterns. ("good" and "bad" foods)
- Preoccupation with food and weight.
- Frequent weighing.
- Dissatisfied with weight, no matter what the number is.
- Feeling "fat."
- Skipping meals in an attempt to control weight.
- Sensitive about comments regarding food and body.
- Comparing your body to other peoples' bodies.
- Having your weight determine self-esteem.
- May use diet pills, diuretics or laxatives for weight control.
- May use alcohol or drugs.
- May smoke cigarettes as a method of weight control.