The Signs a Young Adult May Have an Eating Disorder

Adolescence and early adulthood are pivotal stages for navigating life’s challenges and developing a sense of identity, particularly when it comes to mental health. During the teen years, young people are also adjusting to physical development, increasing independence, changing relationships, school pressures, and growing awareness of body image. These developmental changes may intersect with biological, psychological, and social factors that contribute to eating disorders.¹

If you are a parent or caregiver, recognizing the early eating disorder warning signs in your adolescent or young adult can make a meaningful difference. Early identification and treatment are important parts of recovery and can help address the physical, emotional, and behavioral effects of an eating disorder.²

Common Eating Disorders in Adolescents and Young Adults

Different types of eating disorders can affect people of any age, but they often emerge during adolescence and early adulthood. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, the median age of onset is 18 for anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa and 21 for binge eating disorder.³

Anorexia Nervosa

Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder that involves an intense fear of gaining weight and concerns about body shape that can drive severe restriction of food intake.¹ Adolescents with anorexia may become highly focused on weight, body shape, calorie intake, dieting, or exercise.

For example, they may lose significant weight, have difficulty maintaining an adequate weight for their age and height, or develop increasingly restrictive eating or exercise patterns. Restrictive eating can lead to malnutrition, fatigue, weakness, and other serious health complications.¹

Take our anorexia nervosa self-assessment.

Bulimia Nervosa

Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder that is defined by repeated episodes of binge eating followed by compensatory behaviors intended to prevent weight gain.1 During a binge, an adolescent or young adult may feel unable to control how much or how quickly they are eating.¹

Compensatory behaviors or purging can include self-induced vomiting, misuse of laxatives or other medications, fasting, or compulsive exercise.¹ Those with bulimia may be underweight, at an average weight, or at a higher weight, which can make the disorder less outwardly noticeable to parents and caregivers.¹ Bulimia can lead to complications including electrolyte imbalances, gastrointestinal problems, dental erosion, and heart-related concerns.¹

Although the two conditions can share some features, anorexia and bulimia involve different eating patterns, diagnostic criteria, and treatment considerations.

Take our bulimia nervosa self-assessment.

Binge Eating Disorder

Binge eating disorder (BED) is characterized by recurrent episodes of binge eating, or eating too much in a short period of time, but without the regular compensatory behaviors seen in bulimia nervosa.¹ During a binge, adolescents and young adults may eat rapidly, continue until uncomfortably full, eat when not physically hungry, or eat alone because of embarrassment.1 Strong feelings of shame, guilt, or distress may follow.¹

BED can be associated with serious health concerns, including obesity and metabolic problems that can contribute to the development of diabetes, high blood pressure, and various cardiovascular problems.¹

Take our binge-eating disorder self-assessment.

Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorders (OSFED)

Some eating and feeding disorders do not fit neatly into the categories of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, or binge eating disorder but can still seriously affect physical and mental health. These include:

• Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID), which involves limiting food intake because of factors such as a lack of interest in eating, sensory sensitivities, or fear of negative consequences from eating rather than concerns about weight or body image.¹
• Orthorexia nervosa, which is not currently a standardized eating disorder diagnosis but generally describes a strong preoccupation with eating foods perceived as healthy, “clean,” or pure and following rigid or inflexible food rules.⁴
• Other specified feeding or eating disorder (OSFED), a diagnostic category for eating disturbances that cause significant distress or impairment but do not meet the full criteria for another specific eating disorder.¹

Learn more about the types, symptoms, and treatment of eating disorders.

Warning Signs of an Eating Disorder

Weight, appetite, and eating habits can change as adolescents grow and develop. However, paying attention to your child’s overall physical and emotional well-being can help you recognize patterns that may warrant closer attention. In adolescents, monitoring changes in growth, patterns of eating, exercise, and body image can be particularly important.⁵

Physical Warning Signs

Eating disorders can affect the body in many ways, and physical signs may become more noticeable as disordered eating behaviors continue. In adolescents, eating disorders can interfere with expected growth, puberty, and physical development.⁵ Symptoms can involve weight and growth, energy, digestion, temperature regulation, cardiovascular health, and other areas of physical well-being.^1,5

Possible physical warning signs can include:^1,5,6

• Significant or unexpected weight changes or changes in expected growth.
• Slowed growth or delayed development.
• Menstrual changes or missed periods, when applicable.
• Fatigue or low energy.
• Dizziness or weakness.
• Feeling cold or unusually sensitive to temperatures.
• Difficulty concentrating.
• Reduced stamina or physical strength.
• Bloating or abdominal discomfort.
• Constipation or other changes in bowel habits.
• Acid reflux or heartburn.
• Sleep difficulties.
• Heart palpitations or other cardiovascular concerns.

A young person does not need to be underweight to have an eating disorder.¹ Not everyone will experience the same physical symptoms, but unexplained changes in health, weight, growth, development, eating, exercise, or body image may be a reason to seek medical evaluation.⁵

Behavioral Warning Signs

Adolescents are naturally becoming more independent at this time in their lives, which can sometimes make changes in eating habits or routines harder for parents to recognize. Changes may first become noticeable around school lunches, sports, fitness routines, family meals, or social situations involving food.

Some behavioral warning signs of an eating disorder may include:^1,5

• Closely tracking calories, fat, carbohydrates, or other aspects of food intake.
• Avoiding certain foods, cutting food into small pieces, or eliminating entire food groups.
• Developing increasingly restrictive eating patterns.
• Frequently checking their body in mirrors, weighing themselves, or closely examining certain areas of their body.
• Skipping school lunches or avoiding situations where they are expected to eat with others.
• Becoming uncomfortable eating in front of others.
• Frequently leaving the table or going to the bathroom immediately after meals.
• Exercising excessively, exercising despite fatigue or injury, or feeling significant guilt or anxiety when unable to exercise.
• Binge eating or feeling unable to control eating.
• Using vomiting, fasting, laxatives, diuretics, or other behaviors to compensate for eating.

Social media may also shape how some adolescents think about appearance and body image. Repeated comparison with idealized or edited images may contribute to body dissatisfaction, particularly among young people who are already vulnerable to eating disorders.⁷ Parents may notice increasing preoccupation with appearance-focused content, dieting, fitness trends, or changing body shape.

These behaviors do not always indicate an eating disorder on their own, but noticeable behavioral changes such as these should be closely monitored.^1,5

Emotional and Psychological Warning Signs

Eating disorders can affect more than a young person’s relationship with food. They may also influence mood, concentration, self-image, relationships, and everyday functioning.^1,5

The emotional and psychological warning signs of an eating disorder can include:^1,5

• Increased irritability.
• Increased anxiety or symptoms of depression.
• Difficulty concentrating.
• Strong guilt or anxiety related to eating.
• Distress about weight, body shape, or specific body areas.
• Increasing preoccupation with food or body image.
• Anxiety or guilt when unable to exercise.
• Withdrawal from social situations involving food.

Eating disorders may also occur alongside conditions such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).¹ Although they are separate conditions, eating disorders can occur alongside OCD and other mental disorders, such as anxiety and depression.^1,5

When to Seek Help for an Eating Disorder

Seek prompt medical care if your child experiences fainting, seizures, severe dehydration, acute food refusal, significant weakness, or other signs of medical instability.

There is no “wrong” time to ask for help. Whether you are beginning to notice eating disorder symptoms in your teen or young adult or your child needs more intensive medical support, early identification and appropriate treatment can help.² If you are unsure what care may involve, learning more about eating disorder treatment can help you understand the next steps.

Treatment for Adolescents with Eating Disorders

For adolescents, a pediatrician can be a good first point of contact. Pediatricians can review growth patterns, evaluate physical health, ask about eating and exercise behaviors, assess for medical complications, and help coordinate appropriate care.⁵ Young adults may begin with a primary care provider or another healthcare professional.

Treatment for eating disorders may involve several professionals depending on your child’s age and needs. Medical monitoring, psychotherapy, and nutrition counseling can all play a role in eating disorder treatment.^2,5 A registered dietitian with experience treating eating disorders can help support nutritional rehabilitation and more balanced eating patterns.⁵

Some eating disorder complications require more urgent medical attention. Adolescents who are medically unstable may require hospital evaluation or more intensive treatment.⁵

When necessary, eating disorder treatment centers can provide more comprehensive, multidisciplinary care. The appropriate level of care depends on factors such as medical stability, eating disorder behaviors, psychiatric symptoms, treatment progress, and available support.⁸

You can also explore the different levels of treatment care to better understand how treatment intensity can vary based on a person’s needs.

Levels of care for eating disorder treatment may include the following:

• Residential treatment: The person lives at a treatment facility and receives structured treatment, supervision, nutritional support, and therapy.^5,8
• Inpatient treatment: Hospital-based care may be appropriate when medical or psychiatric instability requires intensive monitoring and treatment.^5,8
• Partial hospitalization program (PHP): A structured level of treatment that provides several hours of care on treatment days while allowing the person to live outside the treatment setting.⁸
• Intensive outpatient program (IOP): A structured outpatient level of care that typically provides more treatment hours than standard outpatient services.⁸
• Standard outpatient program: Treatment takes place through regular appointments while the person continues living at home.^2,8

How to Help an Adolescent or Young Adult With an Eating Disorder

Supporting an adolescent or young adult with an eating disorder often starts with calm, compassionate communication and a home environment that does not center on weight or appearance.

You can support your child by:^1,5

• Approaching conversations without judgment. Focus on specific changes you have noticed. For example, you might say, “I’ve noticed that eating seems to have been difficult for you lately, and I’m concerned about how you’re feeling.”
• Avoiding comments about weight, size, or appearance, even when they are meant as compliments. Instead, focus on health, energy, emotions, and overall well-being.
• Modeling a more balanced relationship with food. Parents and caregivers can help by avoiding frequent dieting talk or negative comments about their own bodies.
• Remaining patient, available, and supportive. Your adolescent or young adult may not be ready to acknowledge that they are struggling or accept help right away. Keeping communication open can make it easier for them to turn to you when they are ready.
• Taking an active role in treatment when appropriate. For adolescents, parents and caregivers may help coordinate care and support eating and recovery at home. Family-based approaches that involve caregivers are an important part of treatment for many adolescents with eating disorders.
• Staying connected with young adults while respecting their independence. Young adults may have more independence in making healthcare decisions, particularly if they live away from home. Parents and family members can still provide meaningful support by expressing concern without judgment, helping them access care when wanted, and supporting treatment recommendations.

If you are unsure how to begin these conversations, these additional tips for helping someone with an eating disorder can offer practical guidance for supporting a loved one.

Recovery can take time and may include both progress and setbacks. Consistent family support and continued professional care can help adolescents and young adults work toward improved physical and emotional health.²

Find Support for an Eating Disorder

If you’re noticing changes in your adolescent or young adult’s eating habits, behavior, physical health, or emotional well-being, you don’t have to wait until symptoms become severe to seek support. Early identification and treatment are important parts of eating disorder recovery.²

Recovery.com can help you explore eating disorder treatment centers, compare levels of care, and find programs that match your child’s age and treatment needs. Start exploring treatment options today and take the next step toward getting them the support they need.