Signs of an Eating Disorder: What to Watch For in Yourself or a Loved One

When your child starts skipping family dinners or becomes increasingly anxious around meals, it can be hard to know what's normal and what's cause for concern. The same goes for a friend or partner who insists they've just “gotten healthy” but starts avoiding social events involving food or eating in secret. Signs of an eating disorder can be subtle, especially when behaviors are hidden or mistaken for healthy habits.

I know that firsthand. When I developed an eating disorder as a teenager, it was easy to pass my behaviors off as self-control. I told myself I was simply being mindful about what I ate, even as my relationship with food became increasingly rigid.

But eating disorders aren't lifestyle choices. They're serious mental health conditions that can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, or body size. Here's how to recognize an eating disorder, why they're often missed, and next steps to find support.

What are the signs of an eating disorder?

Common signs of an eating disorder include changes in eating habits, exercise routines, body image, mood, and physical health. While symptoms vary by eating disorder type, many overlap, says Heather Rosen, PhD, director of the Eating Disorders Program at Psychology Partners Group.

Not everyone experiences the same symptoms, so look for patterns and changes over time rather than any single behavior. And remember: You can't tell whether someone has an eating disorder just by looking at them.

Changes around food and eating

Changes in eating habits are often among the earliest warning signs, though they can be easy to mistake for personal preferences. According to Rosen and Melodie Simmons, DHA, LPC, CEDS-C, a clinical instructor at Equip, signs include:

• Food rules and restrictions: Cutting out food groups, counting calories, labeling foods as “good” or “bad,” or becoming preoccupied with nutrition labels.
• Food-related anxiety: Becoming distressed when meals don't go as planned or familiar foods aren't available.
• Avoiding meals with others: Skipping family dinners or withdrawing from social events involving food.
• Unusual food behaviors: Preparing elaborate meals for others without eating them, cutting food into tiny pieces, or eating unusually slowly.
• Secretive behaviors: Hiding or hoarding food, eating large amounts in private, or frequently visiting the bathroom after meals.

Changes in exercise

Exercise may become concerning when someone feels compelled to work out, regardless of how they're feeling or what else is happening in their life. Per the experts, signs to look out for include:

• Rigid exercise rules: Feeling unable to skip workouts, even when sick, injured, or exhausted.
• Compulsive tracking: Becoming preoccupied with step counts, calories burned, or exercise targets.
• Compensatory exercise: Feeling the need to “earn” food through movement or “make up for” something eaten.
• Secretive exercise: Hiding workouts or prioritizing exercise over relationships and responsibilities.

Body image and appearance

Some eating disorders involve intense concerns about appearance. According to Rosen and Simmons, potential signs include:

• Frequent body checking: Repeatedly examining, pinching, or measuring body parts.
• Recurrent weighing: Checking weight frequently or letting the number influence mood or food choices.
• Clothing changes: Suddenly wearing oversized clothing or constantly trying on clothes to check their fit.
• Avoiding activities: Skipping social events or other experiences because of body image concerns.

Changes in mood, thinking, and relationships

Emotional and social changes can appear before physical symptoms. Rosen and Simmons say signs include:

• Increased anxiety or irritability: Becoming distressed around meals or changes in routine.
• Guilt or shame: Feeling upset after eating or judging food choices.
• Perfectionism: Holding to strict standards or thinking in all-or-nothing terms.
• Social withdrawal: Pulling away from friends, family, or activities previously enjoyed.
• Defensiveness or secrecy: Avoiding conversations about eating, exercise, or health.
• Mood changes: Experiencing mood swings or symptoms of depression.

Physical signs

Eating disorders can affect nearly every system in the body, but physical symptoms aren't always visible. Someone can experience serious health consequences at any body size.

According to Rosen and Simmons, here’s how eating disorders affect physical health:

• Weight or growth changes: Weight fluctuations or, in children and teens, slower growth or failure to gain weight as expected.
• Fatigue, dizziness, or feeling cold: Unusual tiredness, weakness, lightheadedness, fainting, or difficulty staying warm.
• Hair and skin changes: Hair thinning, dry skin, brittle nails, or fine body hair growth.
• Digestive problems: Stomach pain, bloating, constipation, or other gastrointestinal discomfort.
• Menstrual changes: Missed or irregular periods.
• Frequent illness or injuries: Getting sick more often or experiencing injuries like stress fractures.
• Signs of purging: Swollen cheeks, dental problems, or marks on the hands associated with repeated vomiting.

How do signs differ by type of eating disorder?

Eating disorders don't all look the same. Some involve restricting food, others involve binge eating or compensatory behaviors, and some have nothing to do with body image. While each type has its own patterns, many signs overlap. Someone's symptoms can also change over time.

If you're trying to make sense of what you're noticing in yourself or a loved one, understanding the different eating disorder diagnoses can be a helpful starting point. Here's how signs of some of the most common diagnoses compare.

Free eating disorder screenerWorried you or a loved one aren’t eating enough? Taking a free screener is a great next step.

Take the screener

Why are eating disorder signs so easy to miss?

Eating disorder signs and symptoms often go unnoticed because they develop gradually, resemble socially accepted health habits, or happen in private. Misconceptions about who develops eating disorders can also make symptoms harder to recognize, sometimes even for the person experiencing them. Here are some of the common reasons that eating disorder signs get missed.

They look like healthy habits

“Eating disorders are deceiving and camouflage themselves as ‘healthy’ changes such as cutting out carbs, becoming vegan, tracking macros, or exercising more,” says Simmons. “Culturally, these habits are often praised, which can delay recognition.”

This can be especially true with eating disorders in athletes, whose intense training schedules and rigid nutrition routines are often viewed as dedication or even required for performance. Behaviors like pushing through injuries, restricting food for weigh-ins, or obsessively tracking calories or macros can be dismissed as part of the sport, making it harder to recognize when these habits cross into disordered or dangerous territory.

While these habits don't automatically indicate an eating disorder, diet culture can make it harder to recognize when they're causing harm.

They don’t match the stereotype

Many people still associate eating disorders with extreme thinness, but most people with eating disorders aren't underweight. This misconception can prevent people, especially those in larger bodies, from being taken seriously or diagnosed.

Eating disorders are also often overlooked in boys and men, people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, and those with limited access to care. Bias in healthcare, stigma, and assumptions about who's at risk can further delay diagnosis and treatment.

They happen in private

Many symptoms—like purging, bingeing, or overexercising—happen in private, making them difficult to spot even for close friends and family, says Rosen.

“Eating disorders thrive on secrecy and often develop slowly over time,” says Michael Kowalski, MA, a therapist at Equip. “An individual with an eating disorder may start out with small changes like choosing the low-fat option or changing snacks to fruits and vegetables before it gradually becomes more noticeable.”

That’s why it’s so important to trust your gut if something feels off, adds Simmons. Subtle changes can be just as revealing as visible physical signs.

The person may not realize it’s an eating disorder

It's possible to have an eating disorder without knowing, especially when changes in their eating habits happen slowly and start to feel like a normal part of their routine, says Kowalski.

“Normalization makes it more challenging to see those early warning signs until it’s too late,” he says. “That’s why I would recommend having a conversation with your loved one whenever you see any of these behaviors in order to understand what the motivations are, how rigid the dietary rules are, and how much these behaviors are impacting their life and health.”

They overlap with mental health symptoms

Anxiety, perfectionism, and depression often accompany eating disorders. Because these symptoms can exist on their own, it’s easy to focus on the emotional distress and overlook the disordered behaviors driving it.

“When anxiety increases and flexibility decreases, that’s a red flag,” says Simmons.

How signs can look different in kids, teens, men, and athletes

Eating disorder warning signs don't look the same for everyone. What you notice in a child may differ from what you see in a teen, adult man, or athlete. And sometimes, those signs can be easy to mistake for everyday habits or healthy routines.

According to Kowalski, here's what those signs might look like in different groups:

• Children: Eating disorders in children look different than eating disorders look like in adults. Signs may include limited food choices, distress around meals, or delayed growth / falling off their growth chart. Kowalski says parents might also notice uneaten school lunches or avoidance of food-related celebrations, which can be mistaken for picky eating.
• Teens: Signs of an eating disorder in teens include skipping family meals, making excuses not to eat, wearing oversized clothing, refusal to eat certain foods, hyperfixation on “eating clean,” or hiding food and exercise habits. These are often dismissed as typical teenage behavior, especially as teens become more independent.
• Boys and men: Eating disorders in men and boys may center on building muscle or “bulking” rather than losing weight. Signs of an eating disorder in men and boys can also include rigid food rules, an intense focus on protein, or exercising despite injury or exhaustion.
• Athletes: Restrictive eating and excessive training can be mistaken for dedication. Watch for rigid fueling rules, anxiety about missing workouts, or exercising through injuries.

Disordered eating vs. an eating disorder: what’s the difference?

The main difference between disordered eating vs. an eating disorder is how rigid and disruptive the behaviors have become, according to Kowalski. Both can involve an unhealthy relationship with food, exercise, or body image, but eating disorders are diagnosable mental health conditions that can significantly affect someone's well-being.

For example, dieting isn’t necessarily a sign of disordered eating. But when someone feels unable to break food rules or starts avoiding social situations involving meals, it may signal something more serious.

That’s why it's important to look beyond the behavior itself and consider what's motivating it and whether it interferes with daily life. Importantly, if someone’s eating behaviors are having a negative impact on their life, they deserve support regardless of whether or not they meet the criteria for an eating disorder.

What to do if you notice signs

If you notice signs of eating disorders in yourself or someone you love, start by talking about your concerns and reaching out for professional support. You don't need to be certain there's an eating disorder or wait for symptoms to become severe to take that first step.

If someone is in immediate medical danger, seek emergency medical care. If you or someone you love is experiencing a mental health crisis, call or text 988 in the U.S. for immediate support.

If you notice signs in a loved one

It can be hard to know what to say (and what not to say) when you're worried about someone you love. You don't need the perfect words, though. Starting with compassion and curiosity can make a difference.

Here’s how to help someone with an eating disorder:

• Lead with curiosity, not assumptions: Share what you've noticed without jumping to conclusions. You might say, "I've noticed meals seem stressful lately, and I wanted to see how you're doing."
• Avoid comments about appearance or willpower: Even well-intentioned remarks about weight or how much someone eats can make them feel judged. Instead, focus on changes you've noticed in their well-being.
• Focus on their feelings, not food: Ask open-ended questions and listen without trying to immediately fix the problem. They may not be ready to talk, and that's okay. Let them know you're there whenever they need you.
• Offer practical support: Ask if they'd like help finding a provider or making an appointment. Small, concrete offers can make getting help feel less overwhelming.
• Keep showing up: Continue checking in and reminding them that your relationship is about much more than food or their eating disorder.

If you're a parent or caregiver, trust your instincts and seek professional guidance if something feels off. Getting help early can make a real difference.

In an Early Intervention in Psychiatry study, 53% of young adults with anorexia nervosa who received care through a specialized program designed to shorten treatment delays and provide tailored support reached a healthy weight within 12 months. That compares with 18% of those who received the clinic's existing eating disorder services before the new program was introduced. Early support can also help reduce the risk of serious health complications.

If you notice signs in yourself

Recognizing that your relationship with food, exercise, or your body might be affecting your well-being can bring up a lot of emotions. You might feel worried, confused, or unsure whether what you're experiencing is serious enough to need help.

Whatever you're feeling, know that you don't have to figure it all out on your own. Here are a few ways to get started:

• Try an eating disorder screener: Equip’s free eating disorder screener can help you reflect on your experiences and identify potential warning signs. It’s not an official diagnosis, but it can help you decide how and when to seek eating disorder treatment.
• Talk to a healthcare professional: Share your concerns with a doctor, therapist, or another trusted provider. You don't need to know if you have an eating disorder to ask for an evaluation or support.
• Look for eating disorder-specific care: Eating disorders are complex conditions that require specialized care, and not all healthcare providers are trained to treat them. Look for doctors, therapists, and dietitians with specific training and experience with eating disorders.
• Involve someone you trust: Having someone who knows what you're going through can make the process feel less isolating.

The bottom line

Eating disorder signs can be subtle, and shame, secrecy, and stereotypes can make them harder to recognize. But you don't need to have all the answers to take your concerns seriously.

If you're noticing signs in yourself or someone you love, don’t hesitate to ask for help. Recovery is possible, and recognizing that something might be wrong is an important first step.

FAQ

Is forgetting to eat an eating disorder?

Occasionally skipping a meal due to stress or distraction isn’t necessarily an eating disorder. But regularly “forgetting” to eat, ignoring hunger cues, or feeling disconnected from your body’s needs can be early signs of an eating disorder or disordered eating.

Do people with anorexia still eat?

Yes, people with anorexia still eat, though they may restrict portions, follow rigid food rules, or experience intense anxiety around meals. You can't tell whether someone has anorexia based on how much they eat.

What should I do if someone denies having an eating disorder?

Approach them with compassion rather than confrontation. They may not recognize their behaviors as concerning or may feel afraid to talk about them. Share what you've noticed, keep the conversation open, and consider seeking guidance from an eating disorder specialist. Offer to be a support person for them if they want to talk to a specialist (attend the consultation with them).