Early consequences of teen eating disorders

Signs and symptoms vary, depending on the type of eating disorder. Be alert for eating patterns and beliefs that might signal unhealthy behavior. Some red flags that might indicate an eating disorder include:

• Extreme weight loss or not making expected developmental weight gain
• Frequently skipping meals or refusing to eat
• Excessive focus on food
• Persistent worry or complaining about being fat
• Frequent checking in the mirror for perceived flaws
• Using laxatives, diuretics or enemas after eating when they're not needed
• Forcing yourself to vomit or exercising too much to keep from gaining weight after bingeing
• Repeated episodes of eating abnormally large amounts of food in one sitting
• Expressing depression, disgust or guilt about eating habits