Supporting a loved one with an eating disorder can make a significant difference in their recovery journey. Here are some of the ways you can help:

• Educate yourself: Learn about eating disorders to better understand what your loved one is going through and how you can support them effectively.

• Be patient and compassionate: Show empathy and understanding without judgment. Eating disorders are complex and recovery is a gradual process.

• Encourage professional help: Encourage your loved one to first seek help from their GP, and/or a qualified healthcare provider, such as a therapist and a nutritionist, specialising in eating disorders.

• Join an educational/support recovery focussed group: e.g. Freed Course, BEAT NI etc.

• Listen actively: Create a safe space for your loved one to express their feelings and concerns without fear of criticism. Validate their experiences and offer emotional support.

• Avoid focusing on weight or appearance: Instead, focus on their overall well-being and support their efforts towards a healthy lifestyle.

• Set boundaries: While offering support, it’s important to set boundaries to protect your own well-being and avoid enabling harmful behaviours.

• Take care of yourself: Supporting someone with an eating disorder can be emotionally draining, so make sure to prioritise self-care and seek support for yourself if needed.

Common signs and symptoms of an eating disorder include:

• Preoccupation with food, weight or body image: constantly thinking about food, calories, dieting, weight or body shape.

• Changes in eating habits: Extreme dieting, skipping meals, avoiding social situations involving food, or eating large amounts of food in a short time.

• Rapid weight changes: significant weight loss or gain in a short period of time, often accompanied by changes in clothing size.

• Distorted body image: perceiving one’s body size or shape inaccurately, seeing oneself as overweight even when underweight.

• Obsessive exercise: exercising excessively, feeling compelled to “burn off” consumed calories or punish oneself for eating.

• Secretive behaviour: hiding food, eating in secret or disappearing after meals to engage in purging behaviours.

• Physical symptoms: fatigue, dizziness, fainting, weakness, hair loss, dry skin or feeling cold all the time.

• Mood changes: Irritability, mood swings, anxiety, depression or social withdrawal.

• Denial of problem: minimising or denying the seriousness of disordered eating behaviours, even in the face of evidence.

• Withdrawal from usual activities: avoiding social events or activities that involve food, isolating oneself from friends and family.

It is important to note that individuals may not exhibit all of these symptoms, and symptoms can vary depending on the type and severity of the eating disorder. If you or someone you know is experiencing these signs, seeking professional help is crucial for diagnosis and treatment.

Eating disorders encompass a range of conditions characterised by abnormal eating habits and severe distress about body weight or shape. The main types of eating disorders are:

• Anorexia Nervosa:

Involves extreme food restriction and an intense fear of gaining weight. It is often accompanied by a distorted body image.

• Bulimia Nervosa:

This is characterised by binge eating followed by purging behaviours such as vomiting, excessive exercise or fasting to compensate for overeating.

• Binge Eating Disorder (BED):

Involves recurring episodes of uncontrollable eating, typically consuming large amounts of food in a short period, without purging behaviours.

• Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID):

Formerly known as selective eating disorder, ARFID involves avoiding certain foods or restricting intake, leading to inadequate nutrition and significant weight loss or failure to gain weight in children.

• Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorders (OSFED):

Includes eating disorders that don’t fit neatly into the other categories but still cause significant distress or impairment, such as atypical anorexia nervosa or purging disorder.

• Orthorexia Nervosa:

Obsession with healthy eating to the point where it becomes restrictive and interferes with daily life.

Each type varies in symptoms, severity, and specific behaviours, but all can have serious physical and psychological consequences if left untreated.