Symptoms That May Help to Determine an Eating Disorder

An eating disorder can and will escalate to the point of taking over a person's life
if no one is paying attention. He or she will not necessarily look sickly or ill
until serious mental and physical consequences set in.

A person will deny, beyond the shadow of doubt, that they have a problem at all.  They will say that they are just trying to be healthy by eliminating certain foods from their diet or by exercising excessively.

At first you may become aware that they are deliberately missing meals and saying that they ate somewhere else. Or you may begin to find hidden food or food wrappers in their bedroom. I'm not talking about the occasional gum or candy wrapper. I am talking about larger amounts of  hidden food or wrappers. Then, you may notice that immediately after meals your child disappears to the bathroom for a shower or bath to possibly induce vomiting. This is common because the sound of running water will cover the sounds of regurgitating. Again, I am talking about when you begin noticing that these things are becoming a pattern and not an every so often occurrence.

Over the years many people have "accused" me of thinking "EVERYONE" has an eating disorder! Well, to that I say... They probably do!  There are approximately 90
million people in America suffering at this moment! It is a disease that will rob a person of their very being, their ability to thrive in life and possibly cause death. We must know the symptoms and nip-it-in-the-bud while it is still in the early stages before serious health issues arise. My program works well in these early stages to build self-esteem to prevent a full blown eating disorder or as a support system along with medical treatment in later stages. Once a person begins fainting from low blood pressure or develops an electrolyte imbalance or worse they need to be under the care of a medical doctor or possibly eventually in a residential treament center for up to 4 weeks at a time.  

An eating  disorder is one of the most difficult addictions to beat because food is  necessary for survival. We can survive without drugs or alcohol but not without food. Please be vigilant about finding help if any of the following situations occur. If you come across laxatives, diuretics or diet pills you can be fairly certain that there is a problem.

Only allow your daughter ibuprofen for pain associated with her period. Many of the drugs on the market for "period relief" also contain ingredients that are used for weight loss, such as caffeine, a diuretic and an appetite suppressant. None of these is necessary for the occasional pain from her period. If you begin to notice that she is not needing for you to purchase pads or tampons as often then possibly her menstrual cycle has been interupted because of erratic binge and purge cycles.  

If your child begins obsessively checking calories or counting calories there is likely a problem. 

Always stepping on the scale or suddenly the scale is in his/her room. If there seems to be a loss of interest or inability to find pleasure in activities they previously enjoyed. Vigilence is also necessary around internet usage.

There are literally thousands of easily accessible websites that are called "Pro-Ana" sites that PROMOTE eating disorders! These websites are dangerous beyond belief to those who are trying desperatly to recover. They also can be considered a trigger for an eating disorder. 

There are many other symptoms but these are the basics. As parents we are usually the first to notice small changes in our child's  routine but remember to listen to your gut as well.  If you suspect there is a problem there
probably is.