The most common symptom or sign of an eating disorder is the distorted body image also known as body dysmorphia. Body dysmorphia occurs in both anorexia and bulimia.
Warning signs of eating disorders include:
- Several food and eating related behaviors may be altered, such as skips meals, take tiny portions,chews food only to spit it out,etc
- Shopping for groceries and cooking meals for the family while not partaking in them.
- Behaviors related to appearance and body image.
- Behaviors related to exercise - The person exercises excessively and compulsively.
- Signs in thoughts and beliefs – There may be early behavioral changes that involve denial of anything being wrong.
- Changes in social behaviors – Individuals may try to please everyone and withdraws when this is not possible. May present self as needy and dependent or as independent rejecting of all attempts to help.
- hose with binge eating disorder may have any compensatory behavior e.g. they do not purge, use laxatives or engage in compulsive exercise. The episode is triggered by an emotional upset and not by hunger. These patients are usually overweight or obese, even though persons of normal or average weight can be affected. They tend to eat rapidly, large amounts of food, feel the lack of control to stop eating, never feel satisfied or satiated, eat without hunger, are embarrassed.
- Rumination Syndrome
- Food Maintenance Syndrome
- Female Athlete Triad
References: https://www.news-medical.net/health/Eating-Disorder-Signs.aspx
