You may be wondering, “How do I know if I have an eating disorder?” Many people notice thoughts, feelings, or behaviors related to food, body, or exercise that concern them but are unsure whether it is significant enough to seek support. Eating disorders and disordered eating can look different from person to person, so it can be difficult to know when one’s relationship with food or their body is becoming unhealthy.
This blog will help you better understand eating disorders, ways disordered eating is reinforced and normalized, common signs and symptoms, and how therapy can help.
Food is an essential and often enjoyable part of daily life for many, but for some, eating can become a source of stress and anxiety. Eating disorders are commonly misunderstood as being strictly about food or weight. However, they are complex mental health conditions that can affect a person’s thoughts, emotions, behaviors, relationships, and overall well-being. It can affect people of all ages, genders, body sizes, and backgrounds. Understanding what eating disorders are and the signs that someone may be struggling is an important step toward reducing stigma and increasing access to support.
What is an Eating Disorder?
Before we can address the question “How do I know if I have an eating disorder?” let’s first take a closer look at what eating disorders are and why they are often misunderstood.
Eating disorders are serious mental health conditions that involve a disrupted relationship with food, eating, body image, and/or weight. While eating disorders often affect eating behaviors, they are not simply only about food. They can impact various aspects of a person’s life from physical health to their emotional well-being and relationships. Many people experience persistent thoughts about food, body size, or exercise alongside compulsive behaviors that can feel difficult to control.
There is no single cause for an eating disorder. Eating disorders can develop through a combination of biological, psychological, and social factors. Some individuals may have a family history of eating disorders or other mental health conditions that increase vulnerability. Other risk factors include trauma, underlying mental health concerns such as anxiety or depression, and major life changes.
Common types of eating disorders include:
- Anorexia nervosa: Significantly restricting food and/or drink intake with an intense fear of weight gain.
- Binge eating disorder: Episodes of eating large amounts of food in a relatively short period of time often accompanied by feelings of loss of control, distress, or shame.
- Bulimia nervosa: A cycle of binge eating followed by attempts to compensate for food consumption such as self-induced vomiting, excessive exercise, laxatives, and more.
- Avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID): Avoiding certain foods or restricting intake that is often related to sensory sensitivities, fear of negative consequences from eating, or a lack of interest in food.
- Other specified feeding or eating disorder (OSFED): Refers to eating disorder symptoms that may not fit into one specific diagnosis.
One reason many people struggle to answer the question, “How do I know if I have an eating disorder?” is because eating disorders are often surrounded by myths and misconceptions. Eating disorders do not always involve obvious food restriction or significant weight loss. Someone can be experiencing the physical and emotional consequences of an eating disorder regardless of their body size. Eating disorders can impact anyone and can present differently from person to person.
How Disordered Eating is Reinforced and Normalized
Eating disorders and disordered eating can often be difficult to recognize. Unhealthy thoughts and behaviors around food are frequently enabled by our social circles and society as a whole. When messages from diet culture are prevalent, it can easily fuel distress and damage a person’s relationship with food.
You have probably heard the comment, “Wow, you look so great! Have you lost weight?” directed at you or someone else. Although there are no bad intentions behind these types of comments, it reinforces the idea that being thinner means someone is healthier, happier, or more successful. People are oftentimes praised for weight loss with disregard for the reason or how it is impacting the individual’s well-being. Therefore, unhealthy behaviors can be unintentionally validated and overlooked.
Diet culture often promotes the idea that certain foods are “good” while others are “bad.” Messages such as “eat this, not that” or suggestions for food swaps to reduce calories can reinforce the belief that food choices reflect a person’s discipline and worth. It can lead to feelings of guilt and shame around eating certain foods rather than having a healthy view of food as nourishment.
The normalization of dieting is also reinforced by the advertisement of different diets and tracking apps. While these may not be harmful to everyone, they can contribute to restrictive eating patterns, obsessive tracking habits, and preoccupation with food.
The line between dieting and disordered eating can sometimes be blurred. For a closer look at signs that dieting may be becoming harmful, read our blog: When Dieting Turns Into Disordered Eating: Red Flags to Watch For.
How Do I Know If I Have an Eating Disorder? Signs and Symptoms
If you are wondering, “How do I know if I have an eating disorder?” understanding some of the common signs and symptoms can be a helpful place to start. Eating disorders can affect a person’s thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. While experiences can vary from person to person, there are some common signs that may indicate that someone is struggling with their relationship with food, exercise, body image, and/or weight.
Thoughts and Preoccupation
One of the most common experiences associated with eating disorders is becoming more preoccupied with food and your body. This includes spending a significant amount of time thinking about what to eat, what was consumed, how much exercise is needed, and how your body looks.
Some people find themselves constantly evaluating their food choices or questioning whether their eating and exercise habits are “good enough”.
Eating disorders can also contribute to rigid all-or-nothing thinking patterns. Foods may be viewed as “good” or “bad” and self-worth can become tied to following strict rules around eating or exercise. Some individuals experience a strong drive for thinness or may find themselves feeling confused about what balanced eating and movement should look like.
Emotional Signs
Eating disorders frequently involve significant emotional distress. There can be feelings of deep shame or anxiety around food, eating, or body image. An individual may feel guilty after eating certain foods, anxious before meals, or ashamed of their eating habits. Others may feel a loss of control around food or experience frustration when they are unable to follow the food and exercise rules they set for themselves.
Many people also begin to tie their sense of worth to their body size or physical appearance. Food choices may become moralized, where a person judges themselves as good or bad based on what they did or did not eat. Some individuals may also feel anxious eating in front of others or worry about how others perceive their body and eating habits.
Behavioral Signs
Behavioral signs can vary but often involve changes in eating, exercise, or body checking behaviors. This includes:
- Consuming large amounts quickly or feeling unable to stop
- Eating in secret
- Skipping meals to compensate for eating earlier in the day
- Avoiding social situations involving food or drinks
- Frequently checking mirrors or reflective surfaces or avoiding them altogether
- Constantly criticizing or fixating on certain body parts
- Weighing oneself often
- Obsessive/compulsive exercise patterns
- Restricting/eliminating types of foods
Many people struggling with eating disorders also experience patterns of perfectionism, people pleasing, or heightened sensitivity to the needs and emotions of others. They may place pressure on themselves to meet expectations, avoid disappointing others, or maintain a sense of control.
This increased awareness of other people’s feelings can make it difficult for individuals to recognize and respond to their own emotions and needs. Food, exercise, or body focused behaviors can be ways of coping with difficult emotions or creating a sense of control when emotional needs are not being addressed.
How Do I Know If I Have an Eating Disorder? When to Seek Support
For many people, one of the biggest barriers to seeking help is the belief that their struggles are not serious enough for support or therapy. There can also be worries around losing control, gaining weight, or how it may affect their daily routine. Many individuals feel that they should be able to figure things out on their own, or may experience shame around not fitting the stereotypical image of someone with an eating disorder. This can make it easy for individuals to dismiss their struggles or have worries that others will not take their concerns seriously. It is important to recognize that eating disorders affect people of all body sizes.
Therapy provides a safe and supportive space for you to better understand your relationship with food, body image, and yourself as an individual. You and your therapist can work together to explore what may be driving these thoughts and behaviors from underlying emotions to life experiences. Many people find that eating disorder behaviors serve a purpose, such as helping them cope with difficult emotions or creating a sense of control. In therapy, you can begin to identify these underlying triggers and develop alternative coping strategies that support your well-being
Therapy can also help you:
- Break the secrecy and shame that often perpetuate eating disorders
- Challenge all-or-nothing thinking and rigid rules around food and exercise
- Better understand the impact of diet culture and misinformation about food, health, and body size that is often promoted through social media, wellness culture, and sometimes even healthcare settings
- Develop a more balanced and flexible relationship with eating and movement
- Find forms of movement that feel enjoyable and sustainable
- Explore and challenge negative beliefs about your body and self-worth
- Develop greater self-compassion and find ways to be less critical of your body
- Reduce self-criticism, guilt, and shame
- Reconnect with your emotions, needs, and values
- Rebuild trust in yourself and your body’s signals
You do not need to wait until things feel “bad enough” to reach out for help. If food, eating, exercise, and/or body image concerns are interfering with your daily life, your experiences are valid and deserving of support. Sometimes the first step is becoming aware of your relationship with food and your body.
If you have found yourself asking, “How do I know if I have an eating disorder?” therapy can provide a safe, nonjudgmental space for you to explore your experiences and better understand what may be contributing to your concerns. If you would like additional support, you can schedule a complimentary consultation to discuss your concerns and explore whether therapy is a good fit for you.
Thank you to Best Within You Therapy & Wellness licensed psychologist Dr. Laura Riss and intern Kelsey Tran for writing this blog. We are here if you would like to schedule a complimentary consultation or therapy appointment.
