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Comparing myself with others is an unceasing game I play. I win, I lose, I lose, I lose

  

Could I Have an Eating Disorder?

• Do you spend time wishing parts of your body looked different?
• Are you unhappy with your reflection in the mirror?
• Do you skip meals?
• Do you count the calories or fat grams in anything you eat?
• Do you exercise so much that you are fatigued or have frequent injuries?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, keep reading…

Living in our culture, it’s not surprising if you feel you have to look a certain way to be happy or even healthy. You may think that dieting is a normal or even necessary part of life. However, constant concern about body weight and shape, fat grams, and calories can start a vicious cycle of body dissatisfaction and obsession. The things you’re using to be thin can quickly SPIN OUT OF CONTROL and become a serious, life-threatening eating disorder.

Wonder if you’re dealing with disordered eating? Think about this…

• Do you avoid eating meals or snacks when you’re around other people?
• Do you constantly calculate numbers of fat grams and calories?
• Do you weigh yourself often and find yourself obsessed with the number on the scale?
• Do you exercise because you feel like you have to, not because you want to?
• Are you afraid of gaining weight?
• Do you ever feel out of control when you are eating?
• Do your eating patterns include extreme dieting, preferences for certain foods, withdrawn or ritualized behavior at mealtime, or secretive bingeing?
• Has weight loss, dieting, and/or control of food become one of your major concerns?
• Do you feel ashamed, disgusted, or guilty after eating?
• Do you worry about the weight, shape, or size of your body?
• Do you feel like your identity and value is based on how you look or how much you weigh?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you could be dealing with disordered eating. It is likely that these attitudes and behaviors are taking a toll on our mental and physical well being. It is important that you start to talk about your eating habits and concerns now, rather than waiting until your situation gets more serious than you can handle.

Adapted from: What’s going on with me by: National Eating Disorder Association