DIET VS EATING DISORDERHOW TO SPOT THE

DIFFERENCE…

(APPG report, 2012)

Up to half of young girls fear becoming fat and engage in dietingGirls as young as five are worried about their size and the way they look One third of boys aged 8-12 have dieted to try and lose weight

DIETING IS VERY COMMON AMONGST TEENAGERS…

…but can you spot the difference between a diet and an eating disorder?

1 • Highly restrictive diet

2 • No slips

3 • Cuts out food groups

4 • Other weight control methods used

5 • Panics at the thought of eating out

6• Diet success used as a measure of self-

success

TELL-TALE SIGNS

One of the key differences between a regular diet and an eating disorder is one of scale. Generally speaking, a young person with an eating disorder will restrict their calorie intake to only a few hundred calories per day. Allowing themselves to eat maybe less than half the number of calories they are likely to expend in a day.

1. HIGHLY RESTRICTIVE DIET

Very small portion sizes

Skipping meals altogether

Throwing food away

Always choosing low fat / diet versions

Avoiding high calorie foods like sweets or puddings

LOOK OUT FOR

Eating disorders sufferers tend to be very black and white in their thinking and go with an all or nothing approach. They will very rarely deviate from their prescribed diet, and if they do, they are likely to punish themselves by eating even less for the rest of the day, or doing heavy exercise or similar.

2. NO SLIPS

Very specific dietary rules

Rigidly sticking to their rules

Not deviating even for e.g. birthday cake

Disproportionate upset if their diet slips

LOOK OUT FOR

People with eating disorders feel very comfortable with rules and are often much happier to create a very strict rule e.g. ‘No Wheat’ and stick to it carefully rather than attempting to find compromises and alternatives to foods they perceive as dangerous.

3. CUTS OUT FOOD GROUPS

Adopting vegetarian or vegan dietCutting out food due to intolerance e.g. dairy, wheat, glutenOther rules such as ‘no puddings’

LOOK OUT FOR

In addition to controlling their food intake, other weight control methods might be used such as heavy exercise or laxative use.

4. OTHER WEIGHT CONTROL METHODS

Exercising for several hours a day

Constantly finding ways to burn calories, may dislike sitting still

Use of laxatives of diuretics

Self-induced vomiting

LOOK OUT FOR

A young person with an eating disorder would find the idea of eating out with friends terrifying. The thought of having to consume more calories than they’ve budgeted for or having to eat a meal where they’re not completely in control and may not know the exact ingredients and/or calorie content is likely to induce feelings of panic

5. PANICS ABOUT EATING OUT

Avoids eating in unfamiliar places

Becomes generally more unsociable

Sticks to similar familiar foods

LOOK OUT FOR

Weight gain will be taken very badly and even a small gain will make the young person feel like a failure as will failing to stick to their diet rules. They will often also assume that everyone else is also judging them according to their weight and dieting.

6. SUCCESS MEASURED BY DIET

Obsessing over insignificant weight gain

Judging themselves according to their weight

Getting very angry over diet deviations

Describing themselves negatively using ‘fat talk’

LOOK OUT FOR