Symptom Checklist
There are a number of recognisable symptoms…
Physical signs
- Loss or disturbance of menstruation in girls and women and decreased libido in men Fainting or dizziness
- Rapid weight loss or frequent weight changes
- Loss or disturbance of menstruation in girls and women and decreased libido in men Fainting or dizziness
- Feeling tired and not sleeping well
- Lethargy and low energy
- Signs of damage due to vomiting including swelling around the cheeks or jaw, calluses on knuckles, damage to teeth and bad breath
- Feeling cold most of the time, even in warm weather
Psychological signs
- Preoccupation with eating, food, body shape and weight
- Feeling anxious and or irritable around meal times
- Feeling ‘out of control’ around food
- 'Black and white’ thinking e.g. rigid thoughts about food being ‘good’ or ‘bad’
- A distorted body image
- Using food as a source of comfort e.g. eating as a way to deal with boredom, stress or depression
- Using food as self-punishment e.g. refusing to eat due to depression, stress or other emotional reasons
Behavioural signs
- Dieting behaviour e.g. fasting, counting calories/kilojoules, avoiding food groups such as fats and carbohydrates)
- Eating in private and avoiding meals with other people
- Evidence of binge eating e.g. disappearance and/or hoarding of food
- Frequent trips to the bathroom during or shortly after meals
- Vomiting or using laxatives, enemas, appetite suppressants or diuretics
- Changes in clothing style e.g. wearing baggy clothes
- Compulsive or excessive exercising e.g. exercising in bad weather, continuing to exercise when sick or injured, and experience distress if exercise is not possible
- Changes in food preferences e.g. claiming to dislike foods previously enjoyed, sudden preoccupation with healthy eating or replacing means with fluids
- Obsessive rituals around food preparation and eating e.g. eating very slowly, cutting food into very small pieces, insisting that meals are served at exactly the same time every day.
- Extreme sensitivity to comments about your body shape, weight, eating and exercise habits
- Secretive behaviour around food e.g. saying they have eaten when they haven't, hiding uneaten food
If you or someone you know are experiencing these symptoms, please Contact us in confidence today to learn more about we can help.