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If you suspect that you or your child may have an eating disorder, please speak to your or your child’s clinician about your concern. Evaluation for eating disorders or suspected eating disorders include a detailed interview, measurement of interval growth including weight and height, measurement of temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure, and a thorough physical exam. Further testing may also be recommended based on the weight and exam findings including blood tests, an electrocardiography (ECG), and sometimes tests to measure your bone density such as an x-ray.
A questionnaire called SCOFF is also available for a quick self-assessment for the risk of having an eating disorder.
The following are symptoms and signs of different types of eating disorders that would meet the diagnostic criteria (Diagnostic and Statistical Manuel of Mental Health Disorders or DSM-5) for a medical diagnosis.
Anorexia Nervosa (AN)
Intentionally limiting how much they eat compared to what is expected for their age, gender, and/or activity level
Intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat
Self-worth is largely influenced by their weight and/or body shape
Unable to recognize how much and how serious their weight loss is
Does not regularly engage in binge eating or purging (vomiting on purpose, misuse of medications such as laxatives, enemas, diuretics)
Bulimia Nervosa (BN)
Repeated binge or excessive eating within a short amount of time, in amounts that are larger than what most would eat
A feeling that they cannot control what or how much they eat
Repeated inappropriate behaviors to prevent weight gain or to compensate for overeating such as frequent fasting, excessive exercise, making themselves throw up, regularly using medicines such as laxatives, diuretics, or diet pills to lose weight
Self-worth is largely influenced by their weight and/or body shape
These behaviors have been occurring at least once a week for 3 months
Binge Eating Disorder (BED)
Repeated binge or excessive eating within a short amount of time, in amounts that are larger than what most would eat
A feeling that they cannot control what or how much they eat
Often eats rapidly, eats to the point of feeling uncomfortably full, eating when not hungry, feeling embarrassed or ashamed about eating
Feels disgusted, depressed, or guilty about overeating
Binge eating occurs at least 2 days/week for 6 months or at least once a week for 3 months
There are no purging or other behaviors to compensate for the binge eating
Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID)
An unusual eating pattern/habits that may include:
- Lack of interest in food or eating
- Often avoids eating due to certain textures, taste, smell, color, or temperatures of food
- Excessive concern about negative or potentially dangerous effects of eating (ex. choking, vomiting, pain with eating but NOT weight gain)
Often fearful of new foods (called neophobia) and of negative experiences related to new or unfamiliar foods
Inadequate caloric intake leading to one or more of the following:
- Significant weight loss or slowed growth
- Significant deficiency of certain nutrients
- Need for dependence on tube feeding or nutritional supplements to reach age appropriate nutritional goals
- Disturbed psychological and/or social functioning due to their symptoms
Unusual eating pattern/habits that are not better explained by lack of available food or by a cultural practice or by an existing medical condition or underlying medical disorder
There is no disturbance of how the body weight or shape is viewed as with anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa
📚 Article Information
Reviewed by PL MD Behavioral Health Committee, JW MD Patient Education Committee.