Eating disorders have over the years been stereo-typically labelled as young white girls’ problems. But with so much pressure to fit in within the ‘beauty’ parameters of our society, teenage girls and young women find themselves in a constant struggle to lose weight. There are numerous signs of anorexia, but these 10 are the most prevalent.
- Sudden and severe weight loss. This is the symptom that most people think of when they hear the word anorexia, but really it just one of many signs of anorexia.
- A preoccupation with or obsession about food and/or weight. For instance, people with anorexia can often tell you just how many calories and fat grams are in a wide number of foods, including foods they never eat themselves.
- Withdrawal from social situations, especially those involving food. People with anorexia often avoid eating in public. They also want to avoid situations in which others might express concern about their eating habits or their weight.
- Lying about your weight and how much food you eat. People with anorexia may pretend to eat in order to avoid confrontations about their condition. They may also insist that they are not hungry, even when it’s been a long time since their last meal.
- Strange eating habits, such as cutting food a certain way or only eating one food. Anorexic people may experience severe anxiety if their rituals are interrupted or questioned.
- If you experience health problems. People with anorexia are subject to a large number of health problems, including weakness, dizziness, and lethargy. These problems are likely due in part to low blood pressure.
- Abusing diet pills or laxatives. In order to help them lose weight faster, many people with anorexia turn to pills. Diet pills, of course, suppress the appetite. Laxatives cause food to move through the system faster.
- Vomiting after eating. This is actually a sign of bulimia, which is another form of eating disorder, but it often goes along with anorexia.
- Exercising excessively. Many people with anorexia will exercise excessively in order to help them lose more weight. As they become sicker from the disease, however, their ability to exercise decreases. They simply don’t have the energy to do it anymore.
- Restricted eating. People with anorexia become increasingly restrictive of the foods they will eat. The variety of foods they will eat decreases and they usually avoid foods deemed as less healthy.
