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Warning Signs:

Recognizing the Patterns that Can Lead to Eating Disorders

 

There are many warning signs that can help indicate when someone might be struggling with distorted views about eating and weight. Here are just a few to look out for:

 

Weight Issues

• Fear of "getting fat"
• Constantly worrying about your weight
• Weighing yourself every day or more than once a day
• Frequently saying "I feel fat"

 

Body Issues

• Reading lots of magazines that feature thin models and a narrow, skin-deep view of beauty
• Watching a lot of TV shows and advertisements that promote thinness and "Barbie bodies"
• Viewing other people's bodies with a critical eye
• Constantly comparing your body to others
• Focusing on so-called "body flaws" when you look in the mirror
• Not liking the body you have; wishing you had a different one

 

Food Issues

• Obsessing about food
• Counting calories and fat grams every time you eat
• Skipping meals on a regular basis
• Dieting and/or taking weight loss supplements
• Consistently using food to meet emotional needs (eating because you are stressed, lonely, sad, frustrated or angry)
• Often eating to relieve boredom, even though you aren't hungry
• Totally depriving yourself of a favorite food because you label it as "bad"
• Frequent feelings of guilt after you eat certain foods

 

Exercise Issues

• Exercising excessively because you are worried about your weight or figure
• Overdoing exercise because you feel guilty about something you ate
• Doing exercise you hate, only because you want to change your body

 

Sound Familiar?

If you or someone you care about are struggling in some of these areas, we'd like to encourage you that there is hope for living free from the constant worrying and obsession that accompanies disordered eating.

 

Help is out There

Books like Life Inside the Thin Cage and others referenced in the "Helpful Books" section of the site can help you learn more about how to break free. Our online panel is ready and available to answer your questions. And we highly recommend you find someone to talk to in your area who can help provide an objective opinion about eating and weight issues.

 

Don't assume that there's no way out - millions of people have learned to break free from the hold of disordered eating and chronic dieting. You can too!

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