Eating disorder statistics are growing day by day, and that is a huge matter of concern. There are two common eating disorders, anorexia nervosa, and bulimia nervosa. Anorexia is characterized by starving oneself, while bulimia is characterized by binge-eating and forcefully expelling the food from the body right after, usually through purging. Though people suffering from eating disorders do not show any outward symptoms, they experience an internal feeling which makes them want to rely on the symptoms in order to bring pain, anxiety and other emotions under control.
And eating disorders are more harmful than you would assume them to be. So, if you feel that a loved one is suffering from an eating disorder, here are the tell-tale signs:
Anorexia Nervosa
- Low body weight, an emaciated look, sunken look on the face
- Exhaustion
- Hair thinning, weak and damaged hair
- Dizziness
- Fainting
- Brittle nails
- Irregular periods or no periods at all
- A person's refusal to eat
- Little hair on the face and other body parts
- Exercising too much
- Saying that you are not hungry
- Eating a particular variety of foods, like low calorie and low-fat foods
- Sticking to strict eating rules like cutting it into small pieces or spitting it out after chewing
Bulimia Nervosa
- Disturbed and abnormal bowel movements
- Gum and teeth damage
- A sore throat and mouth
- Swelling of the salivary glands
- Irregular periods
- Concealing food and food wrappers
- People eating secretly
- Agitation in the esophagus
- Eating too much to cause pain
- Rushing to the bathroom again and again
- Inducing vomiting
- Laxative use