Posted by Sally Hopkins
on 14 Feb 2024
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Kat Steele is Recovery Team Coordinator at the Delamere addiction treatment clinic in Cheshire. Here, she gives her advice on things to look out for that could be the signs of an eating disorder.
Kat, 39, says: “Every person is different, but some behaviours are consistent when it comes to eating disorders. Asking someone how they are feeling and saying you’ve observed something might just be the first step in getting them to talk about their issues.”
Choosing to eat in their room or separate from the family
So many people with eating disorders feel a sense of shame about what they are doing. An obvious way to cover up the relationship they have with food is not to consume anything in front of others.
Isolation from the group at different points of the day
Eating disorders are a mental as well as physical condition and someone struggling with these issues is likely to be distant, detached or isolated in group settings, even if they are in the middle of a large group. Is someone quieter than usual? Are they not catching the festive spirit of the rest of the group? It might be nothing, but it might be something worth asking about.
Portion sizes at meal times
If a person is minimising their calorie intake, they will likely try to control the situation with a smaller than usual portion size. At the other end of things, a bulimic person is going to be bingeing and purging. In this instance, they may skip one or more meals during the day and have a larger than usual portion for their one meal.
Larger than normal intake of water across the day
It’s good for all of us to stay hydrated across the day – but a person who is bingeing and purging will want to assist this process with a greater intake of water. So if you think there might be an issue, this is another thing to look out for.
Going to the bathroom immediately after eating
The most obvious sign of someone with an eating disorder is that they will leave the table or the room straight away after eating. Look for this being a repeated pattern of behaviour, often with no explanation given.
So what can you do about it if any of these signs ring a bell?
Kat adds: “When you approach someone, do so with empathy. You’re not diagnosing anything or attempting to solve any problems.
“Do not try to change their perspective, or their behaviour. Do not comment positively or negatively about weight or appearance. Instead, focus on what you’ve observed that concerns you and allow the person plenty of room to speak.
“Just provide support, suggest finding out more information together and listen to them. It is likely they will want to talk about other things than food, weight or exercise.”
Sally is a Recovery Mentor at Delamere. Sally lives and breathes recovery, and brings a huge amount of energy and passion to both her 1-1, and group work at Delamere.
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