Eating disorders are complex mental illnesses affecting people of all ages, genders, ethnicities and backgrounds - anyone can develop one.
People with eating disorders may use disordered eating behaviour* (see information at the bottom of this page) as a way to cope with difficult situations or feelings. This behaviour can include limiting the amount of food eaten, eating very large quantities of food at once, getting rid of food eaten through unhealthy means (e.g. making themselves sick, misusing laxatives, fasting, or excessive exercise), or a combination of these behaviours.
If you think someone you know might be having problems with their eating or feel that difficult feelings or situations are making them change their eating habits or feel differently about food, they could have an eating disorder or be developing one.
But when should you be worried about someone’s eating?
If you have noticed changes in their behaviour and it:
Then they may have an eating disorder. If you’re worried, it’s important to talk to them and let them know that you’re there for them.
If you’re unsure of how to approach that first conversation, we have tips on our 'Worried about a friend or a family member' page.
You can learn more about the different types of eating disorders on our 'Types of eating disorder' page.
*Disordered eating refers to changes in behaviour and abnormal eating patterns such as restrictive eating, binge eating, frequent dieting, or using food to cope with emotions, but they don’t always meet the conditions set out in the diagnostic criteria needed for a clinical eating disorder diagnosis.
Disordered eating can be the start of someone developing an eating disorder, so it’s important to recognise the warning signs and when someone may need help.