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NEDA TOOLKIT for Parents Eating Disorder Signs, Symptoms, and Behaviors Anorexia Nervosa Dramatic weight loss Dresses in layers to hide weight loss Is preoccupied with weight, food, calories, fat grams, and dieting Refuses to eat certain foods, progressing to restrictions against whole categories of food (e.g., no carbohydrates, etc.) Makes frequent comments about feeling “fat” or overweight despite weight loss Complains of constipation, abdominal pain, cold intolerance, lethargy, and excess energy Cooks meals for others without eating Consistently makes excuses to avoid mealtimes or situations involving food Maintains an excessive, rigid exercise regimen – despite weather, fatigue, illness, or injury, the need to “burn off ” calories taken in Withdraws from usual friends and activities and becomes more isolated, withdrawn, and secretive Seems concerned about eating in public Denies feeling hungry Has limited social spontaneity Develops food rituals (e.g., eating foods in certain orders, excessive chewing, rearranging food on a plate) Resists maintaining body weight at or above a minimally normal weight for age and height Has intense fear of weight gain or being “fat,” even though underweight Has disturbed experience of body weight or shape, undue influence of weight or shape on self-evaluation, or denial of the seriousness of low body weight Postpuberty female loses menstrual period Feels ineffective Has strong need for control Shows inflexible thinking Has overly restrained initiative and emotional expression Page | 9