Eating Disorders

• Preoccupation with food, weight, and body shape/size

• Restricting food intake

• Intense fear of gaining weight or of being fat

• Persistent behaviors to manipulate weight

• Heavy influence of weight and perceived body image on self-esteem

• Being considerably underweight for age and height

• Distorted body image

• Low self-esteem

• Eating habits interfering with normal social functions

• Rapid weight change

• Cutting out food groups

• Significant weight loss/low body weight

• Failure to gain weight in children

• Denial of severity of low weight, fixation on "healthy eating"

• Excuses for not eating/denial of hunger

• Food rituals, eating large amounts of food rapidly

• Eating until uncomfortably/painfully full

• Lack of control over eating

• Feelings of distress, shame, embarrassment, disgust, or guilt related to food and size

• Secretive eating and/or missing food

• Visits to the bathroom after meals, weight fluctuations

• Excessive and compulsive exercise regime

• Hiding food

• Use of purging behaviors, such as vomiting, excessive exercise, laxative or diuretic use

• Eating items that are not considered food

• Perfectionism

• Anxiety

• Depression

• Self-injury

• Social isolation

• Intense

• Dramatic mood swings

• Control issues

• Sleep difficulties

• Memory loss

• Self-medicating with food

• Self-criticism

• Extreme pickiness in choosing food

• Difficulty chewing food

• Lack of appetite

• Anxiety presented with "fear" foods

• Vomiting or gagging after exposure to certain foods

• Dependence on nutritional supplements

• Avoidance of specific food items as related to sensory features

• Pale appearance/yellowish skin-tone

• Thin, dull, and dry hair, skin, and nails

• Cold intolerance/hypothermia

• Fatigue/dizziness/fainting

• Low blood pressure

• High cholesterol

• Anemia (iron deficiency)

• Poor circulation in extremities

• Gastrointestinal problems

• Muscle loss and weakness

• Abnormally slow and/or irregular heartbeat

• Irregular or loss of menstruation

• Weak or brittle bones/osteoporosis/osteoarthritis

• Swelling

• Growth of fine, downy hair (lanugo)

• Decreased growth hormone which may lead to delayed physical maturation

• Decreased estrogen/testosterone/thyroid hormone

• Infertility

• Electrolyte imbalance

• Swollen parotid glands in cheeks and neck

• Discoloration and/or staining of the teeth

• Broken blood vesels in eyes and/or face

• Calluses on the back of the hands/knuckles

• Sore throat

• Heartburn/acid reflux

• Dehydration

• Gastric rupture

• Inflammation and possible rupture of the esophagus

• Development of peptic ulcers

• Pancreratitis (inflammation of the pancreas)

• Stomach pain and bloating

• Constipation and diarrhea

• Cathartic colon

• Hemorrhoids

• Tooth decay/gum disease

• Kidney and liver damage

• Cardiac arrest

• Lipid abnormalities

• Heart disease

• Gallbladder disease

• Joint and muscle pain

• Sleep apnea

• Low blood sugar

* It is important to note that there are several severe physical implications of disordered eating.  It is crucial to discuss any physical symptoms with a medical professional.