EATING DISORDERS

Eating disorders are​ ​when you have unhealthy thoughts, feelings, and behavior around food.

Eating disorders can change your attitude towards food and your body in a way that influences your behavior and eating habits.

How can I tell if my relationship with food is becoming unhealthy?

You can tell if your relationship with food is becoming unhealthy by the way you 

• Look
• Sudden​ ​weight​ ​loss​ ​or​ ​gain
• Your look​ ​tired​ ​and​ ​worn-out
• Your​ ​clothing​ ​style​ ​has​ ​changed
• Changes​ ​in​ ​the​ ​way​ ​your​ ​hair, ​ ​skin​ ​, and​ ​nails​ ​look
• Feel:
• Unhappy​ ​with​ ​your​ ​body​ ​shape​ ​or​ ​size
• Worried, ​ ​upset​ ​, or​ ​guilty​ ​after​ ​eating
• Moody, ​ ​irritable​ ​, or​ ​have​ ​low​ ​energy
• Faint, ​ ​dizzy​ ​, or​ ​weak
• Nervous​ ​or​ ​out​ ​of​ ​control​ ​around​ ​food
• Cold​ ​all​ ​the​ ​time​ ​–​ ​even​ ​in​ ​warm​ ​weather
• Act 
• Steal​ ​or​ ​hide​ ​food
• Withdraw​ ​from​ ​your​ ​friends
• Exercise​ ​often​ ​or​ ​excessively
• Vomit​ ​after​ ​meals​ ​or​ ​use​ ​laxatives
• Eat solo or​ ​avoid​ ​eating​ ​with​ ​others
• Diet, ​ ​overeat, ​ ​fast​ ​or​ ​change​ ​the​ ​way​ ​you​ ​eat
• Think
• Difficulty​ ​concentrating
• Have​ ​a​ ​strong​ ​fear​ ​of​ ​gaining​ ​weight
• View​ ​your​ ​body​ ​differently​ ​than​ ​others​ ​do
• Worried​ ​about​ ​what​ ​you​ ​eat​ ​or​ ​the​ ​way​ ​you​ ​eat
• Constantly​ ​think​ ​about​ ​food, ​ ​eating​ ​, or​ ​bodyweight

Causes of eating disorders

There are lots of possible reasons why you might develop an eating disorder, and the causes are different for everybody. They may include:

• Social pressure to be thin
• Finding it difficult to deal with stress 
• Feeling anxious
• Low self-esteem
  big, stressful life changes
• Difficult life experiences, such as abuse or bullying
• Difficult relationships with friends or family

What can I do to manage eating disorders?

You can do the following to help you manage eating disorders 

• You can try talking to your friend, adult, teacher, or family.  
• Do something fun or nice for yourself
• Ask a parent to take you to a doctor
• Talk to a counselor and get help
• Remind yourself that you can get better
• Spend time with people who make you feel safe and good about yourself
• Tune out negative thoughts by watching a movie or TV
• Work on improving your self-esteem. 
• Make mealtimes fun by trying to eat together as a family or friends as often as possible.
• Don’t blame yourself. Be mindful about how you talk about your body and you’re eating.

If you're worried about your eating habits, it's important to seek help from a counselor as soon as possible.