The Signs a Young Adult May Have an Eating Disorder

Behavioral Signs of an Eating Disorder

Often, someone with an eating disorder will try to hide their unhealthy eating habits. If you suspect that your child has an eating disorder, try to pick up on the subtle behavioral indicators that they may need help.

Obsession with Food and Weight

In an attempt to maintain control over their weight and emotions, they may constantly track every calorie consumed, often to an extreme degree, indicating an unhealthy relationship with food. Chronic dieting or switching between restrictive eating plans disrupt normal eating patterns, contributing to a cycle of weight loss and gain, damaging both physical health and mental stability.

By fixating on their body image, they may have a distorted view of their own size, even when underweight. You may notice frequent body checking (e.g., excessively looking in mirrors, pinching skin). 

Secretive Behavior

Rooted in deep emotional struggles related to body image and self-worth, someone with an eating disorder may isolate themselves and exhibit sneaky behavior around meals. They may stash or hide food in their room, bags, or other secret locations and consume large quantities of food privately. 

The person can lie about their eating habits, claiming to have eaten when they haven’t or significantly downplaying how much they ate. Or they may immediately leave the table after eating to purge. 

Emotional and Psychological Signs

While the most obvious signs of an eating disorder appear physically, the emotional distress behind the changes can sometimes have the most negative impact. 

Mood Swings and Irritability

When the body is fighting to function without proper fuel (food), cognition declines. Malnutrition and restrictive behaviors can affect brain chemistry¹³, leading to a lower tolerance for life’s ups and downs and causing sadness, frustration, or mood swings. 

Eating disorders like anorexia can lead to structural changes in the brain¹⁴ such as loss of gray matter and decreased thickness of the cerebral cortex and the outer layer of the brain. These mutations influence emotional regulation, lending to an overall negative affect.

Anxiety and Depression

It’s no coincidence the rise of anxiety and depression among young adults correlates with the onset of eating disorders¹⁵. These conditions provoke more severe disordered eating symptoms and create a complex web of co-occurring conditions necessitating specialized treatment. 

Much like anxiety and depression, someone with an eating disorder tends to have low self-esteem and withdraw from social activities, either due to fear of eating with others or from fatigue. A constant preoccupation with food, weight, and body image also creates emotional exhaustion, exacerbating the symptoms.  

Perfectionism and Control Issues

For some, controlling their eating is a way to process and cope with situations that are out of their control—usually spiraling into unhealthy and restrictive habits. Perfectionism can manifest as strict dietary rules and an extreme exercise regimen to feed the obsession of an ideal body type. And when they fall short of these unattainable standards, the person can experience intense self-criticism and guilt, perpetuating disordered eating patterns.

Eating disorders often coincide with conditions like obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and other compulsive disorders as both are driven by intrusive, distressing thoughts¹⁶. Someone with these co-occurring conditions may severely restrict their food among other behavioral rituals in an attempt to control their anxieties and thoughts. Each disorder has a unique impact on the brain and body, requiring individualized care.

Impact on Daily Life

Physical, behavioral, and emotional disruptions can blend into a symphony of destructive daily habits, worsening the eating disorder. Over time, this degrades the person’s overall well-being.

Academic Performance

Depriving the brain of proper nutrition leads to poor attention, concentration, and problem solving skills¹³, therefore decreasing academic performance. Students can then feel overwhelmed and frustrated by their poor performance, contributing to a cycle of restrictive behaviors and underperformance.

Beyond the physical impact of malnutrition, obsessive thoughts and anxieties can further disrupt concentration as they fixate on counting calories, planning meals, or their weight. Mood swings may also make it hard to stay present in academic settings.

Social Withdrawal

People with eating disorders tend to distance themselves from loved ones, avoiding social interactions and family gatherings to hide their food habits. They may feel ashamed of their eating disorder and concerned about judgements from worried friends and family. 

Isolation can only worsen the negative thought patterns involved in an eating disorder as a cycle of rumination grows. If you’re concerned about your child, you can try to do low stress, fun activities with them without mentioning their weight or eating habits to break this habit.

Daily Routine Disruptions

Eating disorders often interfere with healthy sleep¹⁷ due to energy and hormonal imbalances, leading to issues such as insomnia and irregular sleep patterns. This lack of sleep and food can contribute to poor concentration, irritability, and more.

Many individuals, particularly those with anorexia nervosa, orthorexia, or bulimia nervosa, compulsively or excessively exercise as a way to control weight or “burn off” calories. This overexercising can become a rigid part of their routine, often prioritized over other aspects of life, including social activities, rest, or work. 

Whether through lost hours of sleep, a preoccupation with exercise, or difficulty completing daily tasks due to fatigue, an eating disorder can take over much of their mental and physical energy.

When to Seek Professional Help

There is no such thing as a “bad” time to ask for help—whether you’re noticing the onset of eating disorder warning signs or the person needs serious medical care, professional treatment and family support can help your young adult not feel alone in their struggles.

Consulting Healthcare Providers

A healthcare professional can offer tailored insights for eating disorders and collaborate with you to create an achievable care plan. 

A pediatrician or general practitioner can be a good first point of contact. They can perform an initial physical assessment to evaluate the individual’s overall health, checking for signs of malnutrition, weight loss, or other physical symptoms associated with eating disorders (heart irregularities, electrolyte imbalances, or gastrointestinal issues). After these initial meetings, the practitioner can refer you to a specialist.

You may employ a diverse range of professionals to treat the eating disorder and any co-occurring conditions. Eating disorders are often linked to deep-seated emotional and psychological issues such as anxiety, so a psychologist can help address the mental and emotional aspects of each disorder through therapy. A registered dietitian specializing in eating disorders plays a crucial role in nutritional rehabilitation, as well. They can help restore a healthy relationship with food by creating personalized meal plans that support both physical and emotional recovery.

When necessary, eating disorder treatment centers offer intensive, multidisciplinary care based on the client’s needs. Some people with eating disorders may need a more intensive level of care to help monitor and manage their symptoms. When talking to your doctor, you can figure out which level of care best fits your needs:

• Outpatient (OP): You’ll meet 1-2x per week with your provider and others in treatment.
• Intensive outpatient (IOP): You’ll meet 3-5x per week for several hours at a time for more intensive care.
• Partial hospitalization (PHP): You’ll meet 5-7 times a week for a full day.
• Residential: You’ll live in a rehab for 28+ days and engage in treatment with a comprehensive staff and a community of peers.
• Inpatient: You’ll live in a treatment center or hospital-like setting and have 24/7 monitoring.

Supporting a Young Adult with an Eating Disorder

Your child might be going through a confusing and complex time, and your support can set them on the path to a healthy relationship with their mind and body.

Open Communication

When talking to your young adult, it’s important that they feel safe in their space and in the conversation to be honest and vulnerable. Try to approach them with a non-judgemental tone, and calmly voice your concerns. You can say phrases like “I’ve noticed that you seem to be struggling with eating lately, and I’m concerned about your health.” This approach focuses on your feelings and observations rather than making the person feel judged or blamed.

Avoid talking about their physical appearance. Comments about their size, even if intended to be positive or neutral, can reinforce the focus on body image and exacerbate shame and guilt. 

Change takes time, and they may not be ready to acknowledge their problem immediately. Be patient and try to avoid threatening language, as this may push them away or increase their resistance to seeking help.

Let them know that you are there for them, regardless of their response to your concerns. Make it clear that your support is unwavering, and they can talk to you whenever they feel ready.

Creating a Supportive Environment

Your home can be a safe space where your young adult feels encouraged, understood, and supported in their journey toward health and well-being. In addition to having filling, nutrient dense foods, you can create a comfortable environment that encourages discussing emotions, struggles, and progress without fear of judgment.

You can be a positive role model for your child. Try to avoid dieting and weight talk, as this can reinforce disordered thinking. Shift the focus from appearance and weight to overall health and well-being, as this helps reduce the pressure they may feel to meet certain body image standards.

Recovery from an eating disorder is often a long and complex process, with setbacks and challenges along the way. Be patient and compassionate as they navigate their journey.

Resources for Further Help

These resources provide various levels of support, from immediate crisis intervention to long-term recovery assistance, and are available to individuals, families, and caregivers.

Hotlines:

1. National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) Helpline

Phone: 1-800-931-2237

Text: Text “NEDA” to 741741 for 24/7 crisis support

2. Crisis Text Line

Text: Text “HELLO” to 741741

3. The Trevor Project (for LGBTQ+ youth)

Phone: 1-866-488-7386

Text: Text “START” to 678678

Websites:

1. National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA): Offers comprehensive resources, including a screening tool, information on treatment options, and support forums.
2. Academy for Eating Disorders (AED): A global professional association that provides information on research, prevention, and treatment of eating disorders.
3. National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD): Offers free, peer-led support groups, mentoring programs, and educational resources for individuals and families affected by eating disorders.
4. Eating Disorder Hope: Provides resources on eating disorder treatment, recovery tools, and educational information for individuals and families.
5. BEAT (United Kingdom): Offers support, resources, and a helpline for individuals with eating disorders in the UK.

Support Groups:

1. ANAD (National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders)
2. Eating Disorders Anonymous (EDA)
3. Overeaters Anonymous (OA)
4. The Body Positive