Disordered Eating: What Parents and Carers Need to Look For
More than 20% of young people worldwide are currently engaging in disordered eating. A 2023 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found around one in five boys and one in three girls are experiencing disordered eating across the world with many experts believing the figures are actually much higher.
It is also the most common indicator of the development of an eating disorder.
So what is disordered eating and how can parents and carers identify it?
What Is Disordered Eating?
Disordered eating is defined as abnormal eating habits that do not meet eating disorder criteria and it is associated with poorer mental and physical health. That’s why early recognition of the signs and related early intervention is key to supporting those affected. This will also help to prevent disordered eating from developing into a full eating disorder.
In this blog, we look at the changes that may indicate the presence of disordered eating, including eating habits, physical appearance and health, body image, and exercise, as well as emotional and behavioural patterns.
Changes In Eating Habits
- Eliminating whole food groups, such as carbohydrates or proteins, without a particular medical or ethical reason
- Displaying guilt, shame, or distress around eating particular foods
- Skipping meals on a regular basis
- Eating substantially more or less food than is typical across each sitting
- Misusing supplements, diet pills, laxatives, diuretics (promote urination), or enemas (stimulate bowel movement)
- Counting calories, through ways such as weighing food or relying on fitness tracking apps
- Frequently dieting or engaging in restrictive eating patterns
- Engaging in rigid food rituals, such as excessive chewing, strict eating schedules, specific food combinations, or only eating food that has been cut into small pieces
Changes In Physical Appearance And Health
- Clear weight fluctuations – either loss or gain – that happen abruptly or arise across a long period of time
- Experiencing a lower body temperature, often commenting that they feel cold, even when the weather is warm
- Fatigue, dizziness, fainting is evident
- Hair and nails appear brittle, skin is dry, and dental health is poor. Examples of the latter may include enamel erosion, gingivitis, or swollen salivary glands
- Complaints of muscle weakness, which may present as osteoporosis (mild bone loss) or osteopenia (significant bone loss)
- Ongoing gastrointestinal issues, which may be evident through bloating, diarrhoea, constipation, or stomach pain
- Often falling ill or experiencing slow healing
- Complaining of poor sleep quality
Changes In Body Image
- Irrespective of actual size or shape, dissatisfaction being voiced about their physical appearance
- Regularly comparing themselves to other people including on social media
- Frequently checking their reflection or pinching various parts of their body
- Checking their weight on a regular basis
- Showing an increased preference to hide their body through clothing that is baggy or layered
- Seeking reassurance about how they look, often rejecting the positive feedback that is received from other people
- Expressing distress over natural bodily changes, such as weight fluctuations, bloating, or variations in muscle tone
Changes In Exercise
- Excessively exercising, even when injured, ill, or exhausted
- Feeling anxious, stressed, or guilty when unable to exercise
- Exercise routines are frequently prioritised over other commitments, such as important social or academic obligations
- Turning to exercise to compensate for eating. For example, excessively exercising after eating a meal to “burn off” the calories or seeing eating as a “reward” after having exercised
- Exhibiting a reliance on supplements, such as steroids or creatine
- Using exercise as a primary way to manage their stress or negative feelings, rather than for enjoyment or health reasons
Changes In Emotional And Behavioural Patterns
- Increased food secrecy, potentially to avoid judgment from others. Examples of how this can look include hiding their food or expressing an increased desire to eat alone
- Increased frequency of mood swings, impulsivity, or symptoms conducive to a depressed or anxious state
- Experiencing challenges in concentration, such as hardship in following conversations or staying focused across everyday tasks
- Increased likelihood in withdrawing from social events, especially those where food will be provided
- Shifts in their self-esteem, where one’s confidence may fluctuate based on what they eat or how they perceive their body
- Increased device usage for following influencers, researching diets
- Frequently going to the toilet immediately after eating
- Unexplained disappearance of food, hiding or hoarding food
- Evading questions about eating and weight
- Spending large amounts of money on food, or shoplifting food
Parents and carers are in a unique position to recognise these signs and encourage their loved ones to develop a healthier relationship with food, as well as their body. While these behaviours can be challenging to identify, early recognition is essential in preventing the long-term physical, psychological, and social consequences that are associated with disordered eating.
That’s where Eating Disorders Families Australia’s (EDFA) new prevention pogram Nourish, Nurture, Notice come in. Created with expert and live experience insights, the program aims to help parents identify and address the early signs of disordered eating before they develop into a life-threatening eating disorder. Learn more and access the program for FREE here.
Nourish, Nurture, Notice is Australia’s first-ever online prevention program specifically for parents and is focused on early identification of disordered eating and the prevention of eating disorders in young people.
Designed for parents and carers of school-aged children and adolescents, the program provides vital education to enable recognition of, and response to, the early signs of disordered eating to prevent the development of an eating disorder.
About Eating Disorders Families Australia
Eating Disorders Families Australia (EDFA) is the only national organisation solely for carers and families of those with an eating disorder. EDFA provides support, EDucation, advocacy, and FREE online counselling services. Become a Member today. EDFA has a private Facebook forum, providing a safe place for eating disorder carers and family members to share experiences, seek advice and assistance, and find hope.