In this diet culture world in which we live, it probably seems like everyone around you is trying out the latest fad – from keto to paleo, to WW. Whether they call it “wellness” or they call it a “lifestyle,” if someone is are telling you how much or what to eat, it’s probably a diet. But what are the signs of an eating disorder?

It might even seem like the norm to be obsessed with “working off” your “cheat meals” or eating things that feel forbidden. The thing is – even though these eating and exercise mentalities seem so commonplace that they must be totally harmless, they really aren’t. Left unchecked, they can compromise your relationship with food.

The stats are serious. One study even found that more than a third of those who occasionally of diet eventually progress into disordered eating. Moreover, as many as a quarter of those in the same study advanced to full-blown eating disorders*.

It’s pretty clear that obsessive focus on your body and food can be a detriment to your functioning and way of life. And as I mentioned, diet culture is like the water we are all swimming around in daily. It’s pretty difficult not to identify with some of these thoughts or behaviors that are cause for greater concern and signs of a possible eating disorder.

However, if you find that most of the things I’ve listed do apply to you, you should consider reaching out for some support from someone you trust. Here are some things to consider when questioning if you might need some professional help with your relationship with food and your body.

7 Signs of an Eating Disorder

#1 You spend a lot of time thinking about food and your body

To some extent, thinking about your next meal or what you look like is totally normal. However, if it seems like all of your time is spent thinking about food or your body, to the extent that it interferes with your ability to really function, this can definitely be a problem.

A lot of times clients report to me that it seems like they are always planning what they are going to eat next, obsessing about the calories or nutritional content of their choices, feeling guilty for “indulging,” or fixating on their next workout.

When life is filled with these thoughts instead of concentrating on work or school, or the ability to be present for a loved one, it can quickly get in the way of living life. Working with a therapist can help you to gain a better understanding of your relationship with food, how and why these thoughts arise, and how you can reframe them.

#2 You eat very little, feel out of control around food, or alternate between these two

For many people, they know they are regularly ignoring signs they are hungry and only allow themselves to eat a specific amount of calories throughout the day. It’s important to note that this doesn’t always mean that you meet criteria for true anorexia nervosa, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a problem.

Another sign of an eating disorder involves bingeing, or eating a large amount of food within a short period of time and feeling out of control while doing so. These episodes are typically connected to feelings of intense guilt and shame about what you’ve eaten. 

Many people report that they struggle with a combination – usually a cycle – of these behaviors. However, these habits have one thing in common and that involves not being able to tune into and meet what your body truly needs in order to feel nourished. Therapy to work on your relationship with food can help you to become more aware of and responsive to what your body is telling you.

#3 You won’t eat around others

There are a few reasons that you might feel uncomfortable eating in front of other people and they are all pretty clear signs that you’re struggling. Most of the time people avoid eating in front of others because they are somehow embarrassed about the content or quantity of what they are eating, or they are seeking to avoid the feedback or concerned comments of others.

Eating is meant to be a communal and social activity. If your eating habits are keeping you from eating with others, attending parties, or causing you to avoid colleagues, family, or friends: this can’t be a habit worth sustaining. Therapy can help you look at why you’ve adopted this habit and hopefully take steps to feel safe eating with others.

#4 You only feel comfortable eating certain foods

Part of a healthy relationship with food involves having the ability to tune into how certain foods make you feel and make choices that are in your best interest. However, some people have taken their food choices to such an extreme in the name of health, that their behavior is actually quite the opposite of healthy.

Many of my clients have reported these extreme habits, which are actually signs of an eating disorder termed orthorexia. While not an official eating disorder, this describes the need to eat only foods that meet very strict criteria for nutritional content, resulting in eating a very limited range of foods or food groups.

Not only is this way of eating typically accompanied by a lot of anxiety and obsessive thoughts and behaviors, but it can also actually result in pretty severe health problems stemming from nutritional deficiency. Orthorexia can really slip by undetected and, without the help of a trained eating disorder therapist, it can be difficult to even really identify how these habits are truly affecting your life and take steps to change.

#5 Your behavior with food is obsessive or ritualistic

Yes, it’s totally normal to want to eat your food in a certain way or prefer to eat things in a particular order. Maybe you really prefer that your vegetables have not come into contact with the sauce on your chicken, or you want to always eat your protein first. Maybe you really like to cut up your potatoes into small pieces or eat very slowly.

So how can you tell if certain food rituals are actually signs of an eating disorder? Sure you’d prefer things to be in a certain way on your plate, but I usually ask people to consider: what would happen if that just couldn’t be the case? Would you be able to eat your meal? Would you feel too anxious or upset to do so?

I also ask people to consider the possible function of a certain ritual. For example, are you cutting up your food or eating slowly with the goal of eating less or distracting from the task of actually eating? If so, this could very well be a symptom of an eating disorder and you would benefit from speaking to a professional.

#6 You’re terrified of gaining weight

Sure, it’s normal to worry about weight gain. Even though we are in no way meant to stay at the same weight our entire lives, diet culture teaches us that weight gain signals a great failure or even a character defect.

If you’ve become so fearful of putting on weight that you weigh yourself pretty often – daily or even multiple times a day – you’ve become a slave to the scale. Many of my clients have even told me how the number they see when they step on the scale each morning can dictate their mood for the rest of the day. In reality, you are worth so much more than your weight and you deserve to be free of such obsession. Therapy can help you to cultivate your self-worth outside of this arbitrary measure.

#7 You do things to compensate for what you eat

Like we talked about earlier, diet culture teaches us crazy things such as “calories in, calories out” or that you need to “make up for” what you’ve eaten. In reality, the way our bodies work is not so simple.

Sure, some of these disordered behaviors seem obvious, such as purging or using laxatives. However, many people use compulsive exercise for the same purpose. Moreover, if you find yourself avoiding social plans for a workout, or feeling compulsively tied to the treadmill so you can eat dessert, you might benefit from some help in shifting these habits and your relationship with food.

Accepting that you are struggling and might benefit from the professional help of a therapist for your disordered eating can be tough. It can seem scary to think about giving up these habits that might have been in your life for a long time. However, through therapy you can learn to shift your thoughts around food and your body so that they no longer take center stage in your life. Think about all of the time, energy, and space you would have to dedicate to your true values if they weren’t wrapped up in disordered thoughts and behaviors.

Recovery is possible.  As an eating disorder and body image therapist for nearly a decade, I work with clients at my office in Agoura Hills, CA and provide online therapy in Calfornia and New York.  To learn how I can help you, give me a call now or click on the button below to get in touch to schedule your free 15-minute phone consultation.

*Source: Pathological dieting, precursor to eating disorder, Philadelphia Eating Disorder Examiner, retrieved from (www.examiner.com/eating-disorder-in-philadelphia/pathological-dieting-precursor-to-eating-disorders)