Eating Difficulties
As you grow and change, you might feel pressure from friends, family, or social media to look a certain way. This can make you feel like you should eat or exercise in a particular way to fit in. It’s completely normal to like some parts of your body more than others, but remember—there is no single 'right' way to look. Everybody is different, and that’s okay.
Eating habits can vary from day to day. Some days, you might feel hungrier than usual, while on others, you might not feel like eating much at all. This is normal. However, sometimes the way you think or feel about food can become overwhelming and start to cause problems.
When should you worry?
Advice and Guidance
Signs You Might Be Struggling with Eating
It’s important to be aware of signs that you might be developing an unhealthy relationship with food. These can include:
- Thinking a lot about what or how much you eat
- Feeling like you need to get rid of food after eating
- Finding it difficult to stop eating once you start
- Using food as a way to deal with emotions
- Feeling guilty about eating or enjoying food
Eating difficulties are more common than you might think, and they can affect anyone. Your weight or how you look doesn’t determine whether you have a problem—what matters is how food is affecting your thoughts, emotions, and daily life.
What Causes Eating Difficulties?
Struggling with food isn’t your fault. Many different things can contribute to eating difficulties, such as:
- Feeling stressed, anxious, or sad
- Life challenges like exams, bullying, friendship or family struggles, or grief
- Low self-esteem, depression, or putting a lot of pressure on yourself to be ‘perfect’
- Exploring your identity, such as being LGBTQ+
- Certain mental health conditions, which can impact how you feel about food
- If you're autistic, you might find certain food textures or tastes difficult
Not everyone who experiences these things will develop an eating disorder, but these factors can sometimes contribute to eating difficulties.
Recognising Symptoms of Eating Difficulties
Eating difficulties can show up in different ways. Some signs to look out for include:
- Eating only certain foods or skipping meals, even when you feel hungry
- Worrying a lot about body size or gaining weight
- Constantly thinking about food and struggling to focus on other things
- Making yourself sick or using laxatives to try to control weight
- Avoiding eating in front of others or leaving the table quickly to hide food
- Feeling guilty or ashamed after eating
- Limiting how much you eat as a way to feel more in control
- Exercising excessively, especially after eating
Not everyone will experience all of these, and having some of these signs doesn’t always mean you have an eating disorder. However, if you notice these behaviours in yourself, it’s important to reach out for support.
Sometimes, others might notice your eating habits have changed and express concern. If someone says they’re worried about you, try to keep an open mind. They care about you and want to help.
What is an Eating Disorder?
An eating disorder is a serious mental health condition that affects the way you think about food and your body. It can take over your life and impact both your physical and mental health. Getting the right support is essential to recovery.
Types of Eating Disorders:
- Anorexia nervosa: Worrying about weight, restricting food intake, and doing things to prevent weight gain.
- ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder): Avoiding or limiting foods due to sensory sensitivities, lack of interest in food, or fear of choking, vomiting, or stomach pain.
- Binge eating disorder: Eating large amounts of food in a short time, feeling out of control, and experiencing distress afterwards.
- Bulimia nervosa: A cycle of binge eating followed by purging (making yourself sick, using laxatives, or over-exercising).
- OSFED (Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder): When your symptoms don’t exactly fit into the categories above but still impact your life significantly.
- PICA: Eating non-food substances like dirt, soap, or chalk.
All eating disorders are serious but treatable. Recovery is possible, and seeking help early can make a big difference.
How Eating Disorders Can Affect You
Eating disorders can impact many areas of your life, including:
- Physical health – You may feel tired, dizzy, or unwell. If you menstruate, your periods might stop. Some eating disorders can become life-threatening and require hospital treatment.
- Emotions – You might feel more anxious, stressed, or tearful.
- School or college – Concentrating, remembering things, or keeping up with work may become harder.
- Daily life – Spending time with friends and family might feel difficult.
- Hobbies and activities – You might stop enjoying things you used to love.
When to get help
Many teenagers experience changes in their eating habits. You might find yourself trying out new diets, avoiding certain foods, or paying more attention to how you look. Sometimes, these changes are temporary and nothing to worry about. However, if your thoughts about food, weight, and body image start to take over your life, it could be a sign of an eating disorder.
Green: Coping but Need Support
Most teenagers experience some worries about food, exercise, and body image at some point. Here are some common thoughts or behaviours that might come up:
Signs You Might Notice in Yourself
- Being picky with food or avoiding certain types (e.g., certain textures, colours, or temperatures)
- Following a specific diet like “clean eating,” raw food, or veganism without medical reasons
- Taking an increased interest in food, meal preparation, or calorie tracking
- Spending more time exercising or becoming more interested in fitness
- Feeling anxious about eating in front of others
- Comparing your body to others or feeling dissatisfied with your appearance
- Avoiding foods you used to enjoy
- If you have Type 1 diabetes, you might notice that your insulin management is less consistent
What You Can Do
- Keep an eye on your eating habits and thoughts about food—small changes can become more serious over time.
- Make sure you are eating regularly—breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks.
- Try to have a balanced diet that includes all food groups (carbohydrates, protein, fats, fruits, vegetables, and dairy or dairy alternatives).
- Stay hydrated—aim for 6-8 glasses of water or milk a day.
- Be mindful of the social media accounts you follow—unfollow accounts that make you feel bad about your body or promote unhealthy eating habits.
- Talk to someone you trust if you’re starting to feel overwhelmed about food or your body image.
- If your worries about food are increasing, speak to a teacher, school counsellor, or trusted adult.
Amber: Needing More Support
If your concerns around food, exercise, and body image are becoming more intense and affecting your daily life, it might be time to seek extra help.
Signs That You May Need Support
- Feeling a strong need to control your weight through strict dieting or avoiding certain foods
- Exercising excessively, even when feeling unwell, or feeling anxious if you miss a workout
- Vomiting or using laxatives to control weight
- Eating large amounts of food in one go and feeling guilty afterwards
- Hiding food or lying about what or how much you’ve eaten
- Feeling stressed, irritable, or anxious, especially around meal times
- Struggling with friendships, schoolwork, or family relationships because of your focus on food and body image
- Feeling physically unwell—always feeling tired, cold, dizzy, or having difficulty concentrating
- Becoming more withdrawn and avoiding social activities, especially if they involve food
What You Can Do
- Eat regularly and try to eat with family or friends when possible.
- Make sure you’re including all food groups in your meals.
- Stay hydrated with at least 6-8 glasses of fluid a day.
- Avoid using apps that track calories or exercise (like MyFitnessPal or Fitbit).
- Talk to someone—this could be a parent, teacher, school nurse, or a professional at your local CAMHS service.
- Visit your GP to check your physical health and discuss your concerns.
- Look at self-help resources, such as:
- Podcasts and videos on www.hampshirecamhs.nhs.uk
- Books like What’s Eating You? A Workbook for Teens with Eating Disorders by Tammy Nelson
- Support groups and resources from Beat
Red: Needing Specialist Treatment or Emergency Help
If eating difficulties are severely affecting your health or daily life, it’s important to get help as soon as possible. Some symptoms require urgent medical attention.
Emergency Signs—Seek Immediate Medical Help If You Experience:
- Rapid weight loss
- Feeling faint or collapsing
- Extreme tiredness or drowsiness
- Chest pain
- Not eating or drinking for more than 24 hours
Other Signs That You Need Specialist Support:
- Avoiding food and making excuses not to eat
- Feeling extremely anxious before, during, or after meals
- Becoming obsessed with weighing food, calorie counting, or body checking in the mirror
- Hiding food or throwing it away
- Using vomiting, laxatives, or extreme exercise to control weight
- Feeling extremely tired, dizzy, cold, or having stomach pain
- Wearing baggy clothes to hide weight loss or checking your body constantly
- If you have Type 1 diabetes, becoming less consistent with insulin use
What You Can Do Right Now
- Tell someone immediately—this could be a parent, teacher, school counsellor, or your GP.
- See your GP—they can check your health and refer you for specialist support.
- Make sure you are eating regularly—but if you have been restricting food and fluids, speak to a doctor before making big changes to your diet.
- Reach out for professional help—your school’s pastoral support team or CAMHS can guide you to the right support.
- Monitor your social media use—make sure you’re not following harmful or triggering accounts.
- Check out self-help resources like:
- Skills-Based Learning for Caring for a Loved One with an Eating Disorder by Janet Treasure
- Anorexia and Other Eating Disorders: How to Help Your Child Eat Well and Be Well by Eva Musby
- When Your Teen Has an Eating Disorder by Lauren Muheim
- Beat Eating Disorder Charity: www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk
Getting Help
If you’re struggling, you don’t have to go through this alone. Talk to someone you trust, like a teacher, family member, school counsellor, or your GP. There are also organisations that can support you.
Where to Find Support
If you need help, here are some useful resources:
- BEAT Eating Disorders: The UK's leading eating disorder charity. Call their helpline at 0808 801 0677 or visit www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk
- YoungMinds: Provides mental health support for young people. Visit www.youngminds.org.uk
- Childline: Free, confidential support for under-19s. Call 0800 1111 or chat online at www.childline.org.uk
- NHS Services: Speak to your GP or visit the NHS website for advice on getting help for eating disorders at www.nhs.uk
Self care and Prevention
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