Eating Disorders and Body Dismorphia
No matter how
much I work out I
will never be
muscular enough
I am often make
myself sick after
eating
Even though I am
extremely hungry I eat
hardly anything. In
serious cases I might
have to be drip fed.

I want to lose
weight but can’t
control my
hunger so I binge
eat in secret.
I am always
looking in the
mirror to check for
imperfections in
my body
definition.
It is difficult for
others to tell that I
have a problem,
because my weight
might not change
I overexercise to
burn off
calories
I have a terrible fear of
getting fat. I have lost
over 15% of my body
weight but still think I
look fat
I am tempted to use
steroids to boost
my muscle
capacity
Next to the speech bubbles write whether you think it
describes someone with Anorexia, Bulimia or
‘Bigorexia’ (muscle dismorphia)
Princess Diana suffered from Bulimia; many models feel pressure to be
skinny; Elvis Presley was a compulsive eater; Mary Kate Olsen suffered
from Anorexia; body pressures cause some men to suffer from Bigorexia
(muscle dismorphia - although 10% of anorexics are male)
The following are potential signs of an eating
disorder:
1. Are your eating habits different from those of your family and
friends?
2. Do you prefer to eat alone or where no one can see you?
3. Do you make excuses, such as saying that you’ve already eaten or
that you’re not hungry, so you will not have to eat with family or
friends?
4. Do you lie about how much you’ve eaten?
5. Are there times when you eat uncontrollably?
6. Do you ever make yourself vomit after eating?
7. Do you ever use laxatives or diuretics to avoid gaining weight?
8. Do you feel angry or annoyed when others encourage you to eat
more?
9. Do you enjoy cooking gourmet meals or high-calorie foods for
others that you will not eat yourself?
10. Do you feel fat even though others tell you that you are thin?
11. Do you spend a lot of time reading books or magazines about
dieting, exercising, fitness, and counting calories?
12. Do you panic if you get on the scale and find out you’ve gained
weight?
13. Do you have an overwhelming fear of gaining weight?
14. Are you obsessed with your weight and/or appearance?
15. Are you only satisfied if you are thinner than all your friends?
16. Do you have low self-esteem (do you generally feel good about
yourself)?
17. Do you consider yourself a perfectionist?
18. (For females only) Has your menstrual period stopped, or do you
have irregular periods for no known medical reason?
If you’ve answered yes to two or more questions on this eating
disorder quiz, you may have an eating disorder. Or, you may not
beat Helpline
actually have anorexia or bulimia, but you may have what is known
as pathological eating. That means that you have some symptoms
of an eating disorder even though you don’t meet the full criteria for
the disorder.
Physical symptoms of Anorexia Nervosa
Severe weight loss
Difficulty sleeping and tiredness
Dizziness
Stomach pains
Constipation
Feeling cold
Growth of downy (soft and fine) hair all over your body
(girls) Your Periods stop or don’t start
Your hair falls out
Physical symptoms of Bulimia Nervosa
Sore throat
Bad breath and mouth infections
Stomach pains
(girls) Irregular periods
Dry or poor skin
Difficulty sleeping
Constipation
Puffy cheeks
Dehydration
Fainting
Kidney and bowel problems.
Discuss:

Why does an anorexic’s hair fall out but grow on other parts of the
body?

Why do Bulimics and Anorexics suffer from bad breath and
potentially have problems with their teeth?

Why are girls’ periods affected?