Why Are Eating Disorders So Hard to Recognize?

Written by Cristina Luibil MS, RD, LDN with support from Sabrina Stadelman

Eating disorder recovery can be difficult, both for teens in recovery and for parents and caregivers who support them. While eating disorders may start as a desire to be “healthy” or lose weight, eating disorders are usually much more than what we assume on the surface. They are complex mental health conditions that require addressing both the disordered behaviors and nutrition. As a parent or caregiver, understanding why restrictive behaviors may be hard for a recovering teen to let go of can help you support your teen in recovery better. 

What Are Some of the Early Warning Signs of an Eating Disorder?

Another difficulty in eating disorder recovery is that early signs are often missed. Eating disorders often don’t look obvious, which can result in them going unnoticed or undiagnosed for long periods of time. It might just seem like your teen is trying to eat extra healthy! “Missing” eating disorder behaviors is common, and you as the parent didn’t do anything wrong if the behavior slipped past you. Eating disorders are sneaky, and it’s the nature of the disease to try to go unnoticed by others. If you’re wondering if your teen might have or be at risk for an eating disorder, learning what these signs are and how to recognize them can give you the knowledge to get your teen the help they need.

Signs of Disordered Eating / A Potential Eating Disorder 

• Skipping meals or snacks

• Cutting out foods or food groups they used to enjoy

• Making strict rules around eating

• Avoiding social events, especially when they involve food

• Spending a lot of time counting calories or planning meals

• Excessive exercise

• Cutting out calorie-dense foods or entire food groups (such as fat, carbs, etc.)

• Weighing themselves every day or many times per day

• Secretive eating or not wanting to eat in front of others

• Significant or rapid weight loss

• Irritability or intense mood swings

• Sluggishness or tiredness

• Decreased ability to concentrate

• Feeling cold, even in warm surroundings

• Dizziness or fainting

• Becoming sick after eating

• Lack of or disruption in menstrual cycles in teen girls (though this doesn’t always happen)

What Makes Eating Disorder Recovery So Difficult?

For many people struggling with an eating disorder, control is a big factor, and letting go of rigid food rules and other disordered behaviors is really difficult. Eating disorder thoughts are consuming, and to your teen, rigid food rules and disordered behaviors may bring them a sense of security/control. Even though these behaviors are harmful, for the teen, letting go can feel like spiraling out of control. 

Another difficulty in recovery is that, in our society, eating disorder behaviors are often reinforced or even encouraged. Diets aimed at weight loss are constantly emerging trends and are often marketed as “healthy” eating behaviors. Teens experiencing an eating disorder may be encouraged or complimented for behaviors that are actually harmful. This can make recovery very difficult, as your teen must learn to let go of the rigid rules that have consumed their thoughts for so long. Part of recovery for your teen will be learning to recognize that their body or food choices do not define them. This is where the support of a treatment team is needed to address both the nutritional and mental aspects of eating disorder recovery. 

Why Are Eating Disorders Hard to Recognize?

Eating disorders can develop at any time, and they don’t look obvious right away. Especially at the early stages, eating disorders can easily go unnoticed. Early signs of eating disorders usually look like exercising more, increased focus on “healthy” eating, avoiding “unhealthy” foods, or following a strict diet. To loved ones, these behaviors may seem positive. In the early stages of eating disorders, teens are often praised for their “healthy” habits and discipline. 

The problem with these behaviors is that they can quickly spiral into a full-blown, serious medical event. Eating disorders usually begin with a desire to be “healthier”, and many people who struggle with eating disorders don’t realize these thoughts and behaviors have become controlling and obsessive until their eating disorder becomes serious. 

Why Is Disordered Eating Difficult to Recognize for Families?

Many people, even close family members, may struggle to recognize the early signs of eating disorders, because working out more and an intense focus on “healthy” eating have been sold to us as discipline. Many loved ones may have engaged in intense dieting or exercise themselves at some point, and our culture and society often tell us that these behaviors are “normal” or something to encourage. This is far from the truth. As a parent or caregiver, pay attention to these behaviors, or any other changes that you see in your teen’s eating habits. For a teen with an eating disorder, paying attention to these early signs is important for getting them the help they need as soon as possible. 

Eating disorder recovery is difficult, not only because eating disorders often don’t seem obvious, but also because our society often encourages behaviors around food and exercise that are restrictive and disordered. This means that it is important for your teen to hear voices encouraging behaviors that support recovery and a healthy relationship with food and exercise. As a parent or caregiver, your voice is one that your teen needs the most. By maintaining an open dialogue with your teen about the challenges they might be facing and emphasizing the importance of nourishing and caring for our bodies, you can provide your teen with the support that they need through all the stages of recovery. 

If you’re looking for support for a teen struggling with an eating disorder, Aterra Nutrition offers virtual nutrition counseling and support for eating disorder recovery with a registered dietitian. We offer one-on-one nutrition counseling for those in DC, Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey, and Michigan. Learn more about the eating disorder services Aterra Nutrition offers on our website at aterranutrition.com.

About the Author

Cristina Luibil, MS, RD, LDN specializes in eating disorder recovery and Intuitive Eating for teens and adults. Aterra Nutrition provides virtual nutrition counseling for those in DC, Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey, and Michigan. This post was researched and written in conjunction with Sabrina Stadelman, dietetics student and nutrition assistant at Aterra Nutrition. Learn more about the whole team at aterranutrition.com/about.

Disclaimer: The information shared in this blog is for general educational and informational purposes only. It may not be tailored to your specific health needs as it is written here. This content is not intended to replace personalized medical advice, nutrition counseling, or medical nutrition therapy. Any recipes or suggestions provided are meant to inspire and should be used at your discretion. Always consult with your own registered dietitian, physician, or healthcare provider before making changes to your nutrition, lifestyle, or treatment plan. If you choose,

If you have other nutrition and Intuitive Eating goals for you or the entire family, our sister company, Radica Family Nutrition, would love to help.