All of these are early signs, none of them alone mean much, you may see any combination of them. Most of these comments and behaviours can seem innocent, teenage behavior. Mostly though they are out of character for your child. They will be a departure from their normal personality and family routines. Watch, ask, challenge. Don’t let any of these go unnoticed or uncommented about. Keep watching, keep asking, keep challenging.
If you do, if you have any suspicion at all, bring your child to the doctor and insist, insist and keep insisting.
Things they say
I just want to eat healthier
I want to be a vegetarian
My stomach hurts
I am not hungry
I already ate
I think I am allergic to….
(foods they never had an issue before or diagnosed allergy)
I don’t eat this
This is not organic or gmo
I just don’t like this any more
I am so sick
What’s in this food (nutrients)
Things they do
Disappearing after meals
Checking out the nutrition labels
Increased exercise
Pushing food around plate
Cutting food in tiny pieces
Chewing food forever
Stop making plans with friends
Taking forever to make it to the table for meals
Frequent showers (especially after meals)
Spending forever in the bathroom after shower – body checking
Sleeping at meals time
Watching cooking shows, reading cook books none stop
Cooking/baking obsessively without eating it
Going to the grocery store and reading all labels
Buying expensive foods that go uneaten
Frequent body stretching and movement
Wearing baggy clothing (despite temperature)
Refusing to go out with friends if meals are involved
Writing calorie/meal/fitness journals
Taking a lot of body checking selfies
Picking fights at meals so they can be sent to room, or storm out
Eating only low calorie foods
Spitting food into napkins
Having to exercise even when injured or sick
Spitting food into napkins
Having to exercise even when injured or sick
Notice the calories in everything
Dissect the ingredients of a meal
Interested in high metabolism foods
Lots of gum chewing
Taking ice baths
Very emotional response if any of the above is mentioned
Skin picking
Things you can observe
Over dressed in summer, under dressed in winter
Blood shot eyes after meals
Social withdrawal
Unnatural seating positions
Constant foul mood especially at meal times
Weight decrease – A child should never ever lose weight
Anxious, distracted, avoidant behavior at school
If pets, notice if the dog/cat is seating closer to your child
Cats will gravitate to someone with an illness
Dogs will gravitate for food being dropped
Increased perfectionism, rigidity, ritualistic behaviour
Increase in anxiety, depression, OCD if these are already part of your child’s character
Cold hands and feet
Bad breath or personal smell
Small sores on body which take a long time to heal and can bruise easy
Blue finger nails
Obsessive body checking
Thinning and failing hair
Soft down on skin particularly chest, neck and upper back
Loss of menstruation
Panic attacks out of nowhere
Weight gain despite exercise due to B/P or binging
House plumbing issues from: purged food, hair lumps.
With thanks to The Dirty Laundry Project with additions from me.
