• Dramatic weight loss, or failure to make expected weight gains during periods of normal growth (i.e. during childhood, adolescence, pregnancy)
• Excessive weighing of oneself; setting progressively lower and lower goal weights
• Other body checking behaviors such as looking in mirrors, measuring or assessing body parts or frequently asking others for reassurance with questions like “Do I look fat?”
• Changes in weight, even slight fluctuations up or down, have a significant impact on mood and self-evaluation
• Frequent comments about feeling “fat” or overweight despite weight loss
• Body distortions focused on particular parts of their body being “fat” or too big
• Excessive exercise – adhering to a rigid exercise regimen despite foul weather, fatigue, illness or injury

• Denial of hunger
• Dieting, restricting or otherwise limiting food intake
• Rigid counting/calculating calories and/or fat grams (sometimes via smartphone apps or other food/exercise monitoring programs)
• Refusal to eat certain foods, progressing to restrictions on entire categories of food (e.g. no carbohydrates, no meat, no processed foods);
• Collecting or hoarding recipes Cooking elaborate meals for other people but not eating the food
• Development of food rituals (e.g. eating foods in a certain order, excessive chewing, rearranging food on a plate)
• Possible use of laxatives, diet aids or herbal weight loss products
• Consistent excuses to avoid mealtimes or situations involving food

• Individuals at risk for anorexia are often high-achieving individuals with a tendency towards perfectionism.
• These personality characteristics can become heightened during the disorder.
• Increasing isolation; withdrawal from friends and activities that were once enjoyed
• Symptoms of depression and anxiety (this can be a sign of an underlying co-occurring disorder or may be a biological response to extreme low body weight)
• Irritability, moodiness
• Interpersonal conflicts
• Defensive stance when confronted about weight or eating behaviors
• Low energy and fatigue
• Wearing layers or baggy clothes to hide weight loss (and to keep warm as body
• temperature drops)
• It can be very easy to confuse behaviors in the early stages of anorexia with a simple desire to “eat healthy”, “get in shape” or “just lose a few pounds”.

• Preoccupation with weight and body shape
• Dramatic weight fluctuations up or down
• Frequently or excessively weighing oneself
• Changes in weight, even slight fluctuations, have a significant impact on mood and self-evaluation
• Negative and self-critical comments about one’s body/weight
• Excessive exercise – adhering to a rigid exercise regimen – often accompanying
• periods of fasting to counteract or “prepare” for binge episodes. This behavior is
• sometimes referred to as “exercise bulimia”

• Disappearance of large amounts of food in short periods of time or the existence of wrappers and containers indicating the consumption of large amounts of food.
• Eating until the point of discomfort or pain
• Frequent trips to the bathroom immediately after meals
• Any consistent signs or smells of vomiting
• The presence of wrappers/packages of laxatives, diuretics, enemas
• Fasting, dieting, restricting or otherwise limiting food intake for a specified amount of time, followed by increased eating/binging
• Avoiding mealtimes or social situations involving food for fear of losing control/bingeing in a public setting
• Eating alone or in secret
• Hiding or hoarding food

• Changing lifestyle, daily schedules or establishing rituals to make time for binge-and-purge sessions (Ex: repeatedly skipping a class after lunch or frequently leaving events right after the meal is served)
• Withdrawal from usual friends and activities
• In general, behaviors and attitudes indicating that weight loss, dieting, and control of food are becoming primary concerns
• Symptoms of depression and anxiety (this can be a sign of an underlying co-occurring disorder )
• Irritability or fluctuating moods
• Substance Abuse
• Signs of self-injury
• Lying about food or making up excuses to try to hide behaviors
• Interpersonal conflicts
• Defensive stance when confronted about weight or eating behaviors
• Low energy and fatigue

Depression: Most of the research indicates that 50- 75% of patients with eating disorders will also experience major depression at some point in their lives.

Anxiety Disorder: About 2/3 of the individuals with eating disorders will struggle with one or more anxiety disorders in their lifetime.  Anxiety disorders most commonly co-occurring with eating disorders are Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Social Phobia. Others include Generalized Anxiety Disorder, specific phobias, and PTSD.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): There is a high co-occurrence of trauma and eating disorders. PTSD is a type of anxiety disorder that can develop following exposure to a traumatic event that threatens your safety or makes you feel helpless.  Such events can include physical or sexual abuse, military combat or a natural disaster.

Alcohol / Substance Abuse: About half of all individuals with eating disorders also struggle with a substance use disorder. Because it’s important to address both disorders simultaneously.