Eating Disorder Symptoms

Symptoms and complications related to the various eating disorders vary according to the severity of the eating disorders.

Specific symptoms of bulimia without anorexia

This is a more secretive disorder. These patients may be underweight but they are not always anorexic. Symptoms may be very subtle and often go unnoticed.

Behavioral symptoms

• Sudden episodes of eating large amounts of food or buying large quantities that seem to disappear
• Evidence of use of laxatives, diet pills, emetics (drugs that induce vomiting), or diuretics (medications that reduce fluids)
• Using the bathroom right after meals on a regular basis. Long periods of time in the bathroom
• Eats in private
• Eats a restrictive diet
• Binge episodes are usually on high-fat, high-carbohydrate and high-sugar “junk” foods
• Behavioral problems like shoplifting, binge spending, alcohol or drug use and/or sexual promiscuity
• Decline in work and school attendance
• Short lasting relationships
• Perfectionist behaviors
• Excessive exercising

Cognitive and mental symptoms

• Preoccupation with food
• Difficulty in concentrating, decision making, rigid thinking
• Fear about intimacy in personal relationships
• Anxiety, depression, anger, irritable, defiant or stubborn with or without mood swings
• Feelings of worthlessness, inadequacy, loneliness and low self esteem
• Fear of weight gain

Physical symptoms

• Broad fluctuations of weight
• Evidence of red eyes due to broken eye blood vessels during the strain of vomiting
• Erosion of the tooth enamel, cavities in the teeth and gum diseases from excessive acid due to forced vomiting
• Cuts and calluses across the tops of fingers due to self-induced vomiting. This is known as the Russel’s sign.
• Dehydration, fainting spells, dizziness, hand tremors or blurred vision
• Dry mouth
• Pouch-like appearance to the corners of the mouth due to swollen salivary glands
• Rashes and pimples
• Loss of, or irregular, menstrual periods

Symptoms specific of anorexia

The major symptom of anorexia is severe weight loss.

Behavioral symptoms

• Severe dieting by restrictive dieting or binge-eating and purging
• Usually maintain calorie diaries and records of all that they eat. Weigh and measures food
• Excessive exercising along with severely restrictive dieting
• Refusal to eat in front of others
• Ritualistic eating, including cutting food into small pieces or avoiding certain foods
• Reactivity and hypersensitivity to cold
• Excessive heavy clothing to prevent from being cold and from the thinness being apparent
• Shop for groceries and prepare food for others, but avoids eating
• There may be hoarding of food
• Social withdrawal
• Unrealistic perfectionist behaviors

Physical symptoms

• Weight loss
• Long periods without menstrual periods among women. Delay in onset of menses in young girls
• Hair loss from scalp
• Yellowish skin. This is especially evident on palms of the hands and soles of the feet due to eating too many vitamin A-rich vegetables such as carrots
• Dry skin covered with fine hair
• Swollen feet and hands
• Bloating after eating and digestive problems

Mental symptoms

• Confused or slowed thinking and poor memory or judgment
• Conversations and projects revolving around food and weight loss
• Indecisive or, conversely, rigid “black-and-white” thinking
• Beliefs regarding thinness equating to happiness
• Severe self control
• Anxious, depressed, angry, stubborn or display mood swings.
• Feelings of inadequacy, worthlessness, anxiety and loneliness and low self-esteem
• Incapability to adjust to changes of routines
• Severe fear of weight gain
• Refusal to believe anything is wrong and denial for need for help. May become sulky, angry or defensive when concern is expressed