By:
Heather Borch
Alexis Brightwell
Melanie Szalontai
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Signs and Symptoms
A physician or primary healthcare professional has to complete a physical and a psychological assessment in order to diagnose an eating disorder. However, family members and friends are usually the first ones to become aware of the disorder.
Here are some things to look for if you suspect someone has an eating disorder:
- Un-natural concern about body weight (even if the person is not
overweight)
- Obsession with calories, fat grams, and food
- Dramatic weight loss in a short amount of time
- Using medications (diet pills, diuretics, and or laxatives) to keep
from gaining weight
- Throwing up after meals
- Fainting
- Lying about how much food was consumed
- Refusing to eat
- Calluses or scars on knuckles (from forced throwing up)
- Denying there is anything wrong
- Depression and social withdrawal
- Irritability
- Fatigue during the day
- Decreased ability to concentrate
- Perfectionist personality
- Light bruises under the eyes
- Complaints of feeling cold
- Low self-esteem
- Need for acceptance and/or approval from others
- Headaches
- Hair loss
- Keeping a “food diary” that lists food that was consumed, calories, and exercise etc.
- Fear of eating around others
http://www.4women.gov/faq/Easyread/bulnervosa-etr.htm
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