Signs of Eating Disorders

According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, as many as 24 million Americans struggle with an eating disorder.  Eating disorders have a high correlation with depression with nearly 50% of individuals who have been diagnosed with one of these disorders also meeting the medical criteria for depression.  Eating disorders affect both men and women though women develop eating disorders with greater frequency. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) reports that 2.7% of adolescents (age 13 to 18) have had a “severe” eating disorder during their lifetimes.  Although they are the most common among young people (95% of patients are between 12 and 25), anyone of any age can develop an eating disorder.  As few as 10% receive treatment, and men are less likely to seek treatment because of the social perception that eating disorders are a distinctly female problem. 

A sign that is common to all eating disorders is poor, often inaccurate body image. Eating behaviors can fall on a spectrum of normalcy; although there are clear diagnostic criteria for the three eating disorders that are described in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-IV (i.e., anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder), other negative behaviors that do not meet criteria could result in a diagnosis of “eating disorder not otherwise specified.”  For example, chewing food to enjoy the taste but then spitting it out to not consume the calories is considered a dysfunctional eating behavior.  Please follow the links below to learn more about specific signs and symptoms of each of the eating disorders.