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KNOW YOUR BODY IQ

The first step in overcoming an eating problem is to acknowledge that you have an eating problem. Often this is the most difficult step. An important part of this step is realizing that your eating behaviors and feelings are about more than just food.

Below are signs and symptoms to watch for, as well as resources you can turn to that can provide you with information for yourself or a friend, assist you in obtaining treatment either on or off campus, and help you decide what to do. We are here to help.

Signs and Symptoms of an Eating Disorder

General Warning Signs:
•Significant weight loss or gain
•Food aversion at social events or activities
•Categorizing food into "good" or "bad" foods/ unusual eating habits
•Obsessive calorie and/or fat calculation
•Constant talk/worry about body size and shape
•Frequent weighing
•Excessive exercising, even if you are sick or exhausted (you feel like you have to exercise rather than wanting to exercise

Anorexia
•Drastic weight loss from food restriction
•Preoccupation with food, calories and weight
•Profound fear of weight gain
•Preference for baggy clothing
•Excessive and relentless exercise
•Frequent weighing and measuring
•Mood swings, physical complaints and fatigue
•Avoidance of food-related social activities
•Loss of menstrual period for at least 3 months
•Denial that anything is wrong, and insistence that you are overweight even when alarmingly thin

Bulimia
•Vomiting after meals
•Strict dieting then eating binges followed by purging
•Use of laxatives, diuretics, emetics or diet pills
•Rigorous exercise routines
•Frequent weighing and measuring
•Excessive concern about weight

If you are not sure if someone you know may be struggling with an eating disorder, or if you yourself may be struggling, ask these questions:
•Do you worry you have lost control over how much you eat?
•Do you make yourself sick because you feel uncomfortably full?
•Have you recently lost a significant amount of weight?
•Do you believe yourself to be fat when others say you are too thin?
•Would you say that food dominates your life?
If you have answered yes to any of these questions, it is likely that you are struggling with an eating disorder.

CAMPUS RESOURCES

•Baylor University Counseling Center
2nd floor McLane Student Life Center
254-710-2467
TAKE THE ONLINE SCREENING TODAY.

•Regina Mastin, LD, RD
Licensed and Registered Dietician
254-710-2467 (Please call if you wish to make an appointment.)

•Peer Nutrition Education Program
McLane Student Life Center (SLC) #305
254-710-7537

ONLINE RESOURCES

• ANRED Anorexia Nervosa and Related Eating Disorders, Inc.

• ANAD National Association of Anorexia Nervosa & Associated Disorders

• Eating Disorders Shared Awareness Links to various other sites as well.

• The Alliance For Eating Disorders Awareness Promotes healthy body image and educational information about eating disorders.