Is it an Eating Disorder? Identifying the Signs and Finding Support

An estimated 9% of the United States population will have an eating disorder at some point in their lifetime. However, most do not ever receive a diagnosis or receive formal treatment. There are many complex reasons for this. Our society and health care system holds a very narrow view of what type of person could develop an eating disorder. Eating Disorders are brain-based illnesses that can impact anyone. They do not discriminate between gender, race, socioeconomic status, or body size. In addition, many disordered food patterns are normalized in our society, which can make it difficult to recognize when eating patterns are detrimental to your physical and mental health. 

If you are finding this blog, I hope it serves as a resource to identify food behaviors that may indicate that you are struggling with your relationship with food and some steps you can take to find the care and support that you deserve.  

Signs that you may be struggling with your relationship with food: 

Food Behaviors:

• Avoiding entire food groups, favorite foods, or calorie counting, leading to your intake being very limited
• Feeling out of control around food or experiencing binge eating
• Feeling like you can’t trust yourself around food
• Inability to be flexible with eating times, amount, or types of food
• Feeling the need to “make up” for food with compensatory behaviors such as exercise, vomiting, laxatives, or additional food restriction
• Avoiding new or unfamiliar food leading to a very narrow list of food impacting your ability to get enough nutrition
• Having a lot of rules about food or counting calories and feeling anxious when you step away from these rules and numbers
• Obsessing over how “healthy” the food you eat is and having a limited list of acceptable foods

 

Emotional Signs:

•  Thinking about food constantly which makes it difficult to focus on work, relationships, and daily activities
• Feeling guilt, anxiety, and shame about certain foods or eating patterns
• Feel overwhelmed and or overthinking food choices 
• Using eating or restriction to cope with negative emotions 
• Experiencing body image distress leading to change in food or impacting quality of life

 

Social Signs:

• Isolating and avoiding time with friends and family if food is involved
• Feeling worried about eating in front of others or eating differently when you are alone vs. with other people
• Friends or family expressing concern about your eating habits

Note: These behaviors are warning signs for an eating disorder regardless of body size. Less than 6% of those struggling with eating disorders are considered “Underweight” by BMI standards. 

When to Seek Help:

It is very common for people to feel as though they do not meet the criteria for an eating disorder or that their symptoms are not bad enough to seek support and treatment. You do not need to wait to seek care. If you feel your relationship with food is impacting your life, you deserve support – no other criteria need to be met. 

It can be a common occurrence to bring up concerns to a health professional and be told that you do not meet the criteria for an eating disorder or not be asked direct questions about your relationship with food. I am sorry if this has been your experience and I encourage you not to give up. Currently, most health professionals are not provided eating disorder education as part of their standard training and may not have the knowledge or confidence to ask about food behaviors. 

How to Find Help:

Taking the step to reach out for help is scary. There are so many options for support depending on your current behaviors, financial situation, and what you are ready for. Here are some suggestions of places to start researching what kind of support is available to you: 

• Reach out to an eating disorder specialized Registered Dietitian or Therapist. Here are some directories where you can search by location, insurance, specialties and more: 
• ANAD
• Association for Size Diversity and Health
• National Alliance for Eating Disorders
• EDRD Pro
• Project Heal
• Dietitian Directory
  

• Make an appointment with your Primary Care Doctor to share details about your behaviors and ask for a medical evaluation or referrals for eating disorder specialists. 

What to Consider when looking for support:

•  Qualifications and Experience: As mentioned above, comprehensive eating disorder training is not included in most standard training for Registered Dietitians, Therapists, or medical providers. Therefore, when looking it is important to find providers that have additional training and expertise in eating disorders.   
• Approach and Philosophy: There are many different providers and program options. It is important to ask about philosophy and approach to treatment so that you can find the support that is going to be the best fit for you. 
• Finances: You can call your insurance company and ask for a list of in-network providers or what they cover in terms of eating disorder care. Project Heal is a wonderful organization that helps people connect with care, offers free eating disorder assessments, and provides resources on how to navigate insurance coverage. (Note: Financial coverage may differ depending on what country you are in, this information applies if you are in the United States). 

Recognizing the signs of an eating disorder is the first crucial step towards recovery. If you are ready to talk to someone who understands, support is out there. Take the first step today by exploring the resources provided in this blog. Recovery is a journey, and reaching out for support today is a powerful step towards a healthier relationship with food in the future.

Shelby Santin offers nutrition counseling services in Falls Church, VA, as well as virtual sessions for clients in West Virginia, Virginia, Washington DC, and Maryland. Specializing in areas such as Eating Disorders, Emotional Eating, Intuitive Eating, and Weight-Inclusive approaches. Shelby can be found at https://shelbysantinnutrition.com/ for further information. 

 

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