Recognising the signs
When obsessive and controlling behaviours are applied to food it may be a sign that the person is suffering from an eating disorder. For instance, Anorexics often use meticulous methods to eat a meal, from cutting food into tiny chunks to eating with a tea spoon.
Is someone you know displaying any of these signs? Do you recognise these patterns in your own behaviour?
Rituals
Do you eat the same foods on certain days of the week?
Do you find yourself cutting food an exact number of times?
Do you have a specific order for eating the contents on your plate?
Excessive Self Scrutiny
When you look in the mirror what do you see? Is it the real you or do you look and feel big? Another symptom of this eating disorder is body dysmorphia - a distorted idea of how you look which means that when you look in the mirror you see a body considerably larger than it is in reality.
This constant awareness of body size can be identified through behaviour that spans excessive self scrutiny in the mirror to avoiding mirrors entirely. In addition to this, hiding body parts or feeling overly aware of areas your body that you’re dissatisfied with is also reflected through constant touching of the 'affected' areas.
Extreme Exercise
Approximately 80% of anorexia sufferers engage in compulsive exercise. Eating very little and exercising too much is a dangerous combination that can result in stress fractures, osteoporosis and degenerative arthritis.
Visible Signs
Other indicators that an individual might be suffering from anorexia include:
Hiding their body under baggy clothes
Avoiding physical contact
Downy hair – this grows to insulate the malnourished body
Flaky skin caused by dehydration
