Adolescent Eating Disorders Program

Warning Signs: How do I know if my teenager has an eating disorder?

Eating disorders are serious psychiatric illnesses that are found most often in young women. Some studies estimate that as many as 1 or 2 of every 100 teenagers will struggle with anorexia, bulimia or binge-eating disorder. Many more will struggle with compulsive exercise, body dysmorphia, food phobias and related obsessive behaviors. Girls are nine to ten times more likely than boys to develop an eating disorder. Eating disorders often develop during adolescence when teens experience increased stress as they transition from child to adult.

It can be difficult to determine whether your teenager has an eating disorder. Many teens who struggle feel shame about their behaviors and go to great lengths to keep them secret. Teens with eating disorders often appear to be in perfect health. It is common for those with bulimia to maintain a normal weight. Teens with anorexia often hide weight loss behind baggy clothes. Teens with eating disorders often hold perfectionist ideals that allow them to excel in school and extracurricular activities. The illness can be masked by accomplishments, excellence and compliance with authority figures. Because appearances can be deceiving, it is important to watch your teenager closely for warning signs. If you notice any of the following symptoms, it is important to arrange for an assessment with a professional as soon as possible. The sooner eating disorders are diagnosed and treated, the better the outcome is likely to be.

Warning Signs

Anorexia Nervosa

• Significant weight loss
• Continual dieting
• Intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat, even though underweight
• Undue influence of body weight or shape on self-evaluation
• Preoccupation with food, calories or nutrition
• Preference to eat alone
• Excessive exercise
• Weighs herself or himself repeatedly
• Bingeing and purging
• Brittle hair or nails
• Depression
• Infrequent or absent menstrual periods (in females who have reached puberty)
• Only eats certain foods, avoiding foods like dairy, meat, wheat, etc.
• Feels fat
• Withdraws from social activities, especially meals and celebrations involving food
• May be depressed, lethargic (lacking in energy), and feel cold a lot

Bulimia Nervosa

• Fears weight gain
• Intensely unhappy with body size, shape, and weight
• Makes excuses to go to the bathroom immediately after meals
• May only eat diet or low-fat foods (except during binges)
• Regularly buys laxatives, diuretics, or enemas
• Spends most of his or her time working out or trying to work off calories
• Withdraws from social activities, especially meals and celebrations involving food
• Recurrent episodes of binge eating
• Purging by strict dieting, fasting, vigorous exercise or vomiting
• Abuse of laxatives or diuretics to lose weight
• Frequent use of bathroom after meals
• Reddened fingers
• Swollen cheeks
• Self-evaluation is unduly influenced by body shape and weight
• Depression or mood swings
• Irregular menstrual periods
• Dental problems, like tooth decay
• Heartburn or bloating

Binge-Eating Disorder

• Eating much more rapidly than normal
• Eating until feeling uncomfortably full
• Eating large amounts of food when not hungry
• Eating alone because of embarrassment cause by how much one is eating
• Marked distress about the binge-eating behavior
• Binge eating occurs, on average, at least 2 days a week for 6 months
• Binge eating not associated with regular use of compensatory behaviors (purging, fasting, excessive exercise)