Signs of Anorexia
Some of the more common signs of anorexia nervosa are:
Behavioural signs
- Saying they have eaten earlier or will eat later, or that they have eaten more than they have
- Not being truthful about how much weight they have lost
- Strict dieting and avoiding food they think is fattening
- Counting the calories in food excessively
- Eating only low-calorie food
- Missing meals (fasting)
- Avoiding eating with other people
- Hiding food
- Cutting food into tiny pieces to make it less obvious they have eaten little or to make food easier to swallow
- Eating very slowly
- Taking appetite suppressants, such as slimming or diet pills
- Obsessive and/or rigid behaviour, particularly around food
- Irritability
- Excessive exercising – this might involve exercising when not physically well enough to do so, or feeling guilty or anxious about not exercising
- Vomiting or misusing laxatives (purging)
- Social withdrawal and isolation
- Compromise of education and employment plans
Psychological signs
- Fear of fatness or pursuit of thinness
- Excessive focus on body weight
- Distorted perception of body shape or weight – for example, thinking they are much larger than they are
- Underestimating or denying the seriousness of the problem, or believing there isn’t a problem at all, even after diagnosis
- Spending a lot or most of their time thinking about food
- Anxiety, particularly about eating in front of other people
- Low confidence and self-esteem
- Difficulty concentrating
- Perfectionism and setting very high standards for themselves
- Other mental illnesses, such as depression, anxiety, or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
Physical signs
- Weight loss
- Irregular periods, or periods stopping altogether
- Lack of sexual interest
- Difficulty sleeping
- Tiredness
- Feeling dizzy
- Stomach pains
- Constipation
- Bloating
- Feeling cold or have a low body temperature
- Growth of soft, fine hair all over your body (called lanugo)
- Hair loss
- Physical weakness
- Loss of muscle strength
- Effects on hormone levels
- Swelling in their feet, hands or face (known as oedema)
- Low blood pressure
Long term effects of anorexia
Like any eating disorder, anorexia can have long-term physical effects, some of which may be permanent, including:
- Loss of bone density (osteoporosis)
- Erosion of tooth enamel
- Difficulty conceiving, infertility
- Heart problems
- Damage to other organs, such as the kidneys and liver
- Delayed onset of puberty or stunted growth in children and young teenagers
Issue date: September 2017 Review date: September 2020 Version 2.0 Sources used to create this information are available by contacting Beat. We welcome your feedback on our information resources.