How to Know If Your Dieting Friend Has an Eating Disorder

Eating disorders are health disorders where a person has irregular eating habits; who is also concerned or worried about his or her body weight or shape. Eating disorders can happen to anyone, especially those who are fixated on a certain weight.

Common signs of an eating disorder include (but aren’t limited to):

• Always on new or extreme diets
• Losing a lot of weight suddenly
• Refusing to eat certain foods
• Complaining about abdominal pain and constipation.
• Binge eating
• Purging behaviors
• Engaging in food rituals
• Skipping meals purposefully
• Disappearing after eating and going to the bathroom
• Drinking too much water

Relationships with Food, Diet & Exercise

There are clear differences between an eating disorder and dieting; one example is the relationship with food. A healthy person on a diet might say, “I shouldn’t eat this food. I will feel guilty if I do.” A person with a food disorder might say, “I can’t put that into my mouth. I am so nervous about eating food.”

In many cases, dieting often becomes a form of self-punishment for having excess weight—an unfortunate and extreme symptom of body shame. Another difference between the two is the relationship with weight. A person on a diet might say, “I want a trimmer figure.” A person with an eating disorder might want a more extreme and specific goal, i.e. “I want to see my ribs.”

Then, there is the relationship with exercise. One who is on a diet may say, “This exercise makes me feel good and is helping me to achieve my goals.” The person with a disorder might say, “I will use this exercise to help me purge; this exercise will punish me for wanting to eat.”

The sad truth is that many healthy people start dieting with good intentions…but the constant cycle of binging, “cleansing,” deprivation, and self-denial sometimes creates eating disorders. At Wall Street Cosmetic Surgery, we use healthy and immediate means to create the results our patients want—without risking their mental health in the process.

If you’re exhausted by the yo-yo of the constant dieting cycle, if you’re done with trying to force your habits into an unnatural shape, book a consultation with our team today. We can help you get where you want to go without the endless cycle of self-denial and deprivation.