Would you even know if someone close to you was suffering from an eating disorder? Just because you see your friend having a snack or they never refuse something to eat, doesn’t mean they aren’t suffering alone. That apple you saw your friend eating when you were hanging out could have been the only thing the she ate the entire day. Sometimes we have to look a little bit deeper at signs that someone could be giving us that we might otherwise brush off.
The percentage of people that suffer from an eating disorder is between 3 and 4%. And sadly many of those people NEVER get help or treatment for their disorder. National Eating Disorder Association gives a great list of a few signs to look out for if you think someone close to you might be suffering. Things like increased exercise, always talking about weight concerns, or maybe they show some strange behaviors while eating or after eating. These are all small things that we can look for or notice for us to realize that our friend might need help.
If you feel like someone close to you might be having trouble with food, you should talk to them or talk to a professional that can offer some help. Things like mood swings or the want to exercise all the time might not see like a big deal, but it could be. Now we aren’t saying that just because someone is in a bad mood one day or wants to go to the gym for a while longer than usual doesn’t mean they could be suffering. The concern comes when these things become a regular pattern in their life. Many websites such as Alsana have free resources that you can look into in order to see what the next steps could be for helping seek your friend treatment. You can talk to a professional or someone that you trust in order to do it the right way to ensure they get the help and treatment they deserve.
Love Your Food 